Always a Seahawk — Cape High teacher retires after 36 years
The longest- teacher, in Cape Coral, and at Cape Coral High School, is retiring Friday, June 18, after 36 years.
“Cape Coral is the oldest and only high school in Cape Coral at the time I started in 1985. The school had only been open for 5 1/2 years at that time,” Dr. Steve Maxwell, an American government and law studies teacher at Cape Coral High School, said. “I practice what I preach. I have served in government. I have applied what I had done outside of the classroom to the classroom. I served for two governors — Charlie Crist and Rick Scott. My focus was always academics, athletics and activities. I coached. I ran student government, the longest of any person in the history of the school.”
When asked what retirement will look like, he replied “I will probably like to come back to work.”
As a member of the DROP (Deferred Retirement Option Program) program, Maxwell said he could only go eight years beyond his retirement date.
“Teachers are given an additional three years if the principal renews them,” Maxwell explained. “We have to sit out for half a year. I will take my sabbatical, if you will, and see what the future holds.”
During his tenure at Cape Coral High School he went through 13 principals and has watched many of his students grow into their own careers, including many of whom became teachers at Cape Coral High School.
“We probably have five students here and one is a Golden Apple winner at Cape Coral High School that are students of mine. That is why you come back to work every day seeing your former students doing so well,” Maxwell said.
Maxwell began his career in the school district as a grant-funded alternative education teacher at Cypress Lake Middle School, followed by a social studies instructor and head coach of the boys swimming team at Riverdale High School from 1979 to 1980.
In 1985 he became a social studies instructor at Cape Coral High School where he finished his career. In addition to being an instructor with the Department of Social Sciences at Cape Coral High School, he also served in administrative positions, including social sciences specialist, lead teacher from 2003 to 2004, and the department chair of social sciences from 2005 to 2007.
Also during his tenure at Cape Coral High School, he was the SGA Advisor from 1988 to 2001; the SADD Club Advisor from 1988 to 2004; the head coach of girls tennis from 1999 to 2002, where they were undefeated in regular season matches, conference and district matches where the record still stands; Lee County Athletic Conference Coach of the Year; Fort Myers News-Press Coach of the Year; Cape Coral High School elected faculty representative of the district superintendent’s advisory committee; member of the district high school social studies curriculum/test writing and textbook adoption committee and nominated more than 30 times as a Golden Apple Teacher of the Year.
The Lee County Bar Association Inc. also presented him with the Legal Educator of the Year in 2001.
“It’s been very worthwhile,” Maxwell said of being a teacher and coach.
Some of his former students include Commissioner Brian Hamman; Amy Wegmann, a Fox News anchor; and a number of high-ranking Sheriff’s Office employees, as well as many Cape Coral Police Department officers.
“From doctors down to nurses and physical therapist and pharmacist. The list is endless and that is what makes you come back every year, when you see the success of your students,” Maxwell said. “The highlights, again, is the students and the transformation of academics. From truly college prep to more diversified curriculum that meets students needs because you are dealing with a whole different population now that have different career goals and choices available for them.”
Hamman graduated from Cape Coral High School in 1999, 22 years ago.
“He had a personality that was big that you didn’t forget,” he said. “I remember he was firm, but fair. He was someone who was involved locally and helped students learn. I remember him pushing his students to be aware of the real world knowledge, to know what was going on in their local community when they got out of school.”
Hamman, who was always into politics during his school years, said every teacher he had in such areas of studies as social studies, history and economics, he always enjoyed. He said he enjoyed learning about American history and how the political system worked.
With that love of politics, Hamman was appointed to the Lee County Board of County Commissioners in October 2013 and won his first election in 2014. He said it has been his greatest privilege of his lifetime, as he is part of shaping the future for his hometown.
The Lee County native was born in Fort Myers and grew up in Cape Coral where he attended Cape Elementary School, Gulf Middle School and Cape Coral High School. From there he got his associate’s degree from Edison Community College and his bachelors degree in communications from Florida Gulf Coast University.
Dr. Melinda Youngs, a chiropractor, who had Maxwell in 1991 during her sophomore year, said he is such a cool guy.
“He taught government. What I remember is that the government seemed so confusing to me. He was able to make things make sense,” she said, adding that as someone so passionate about the subject “he made it come alive. Incredible teacher. Very dynamic. He really enjoyed the students. He enjoyed teaching. We enjoyed listening and learning from him. I found him to be a teacher you will remember.”
Youngs also recalled that Maxwell was going to school at the same time for his doctorate degree.
“He was always sharing what he learned,” she said.
Youngs said Maxwell used to shop at her parents’ ice cream store. She said when her dad retired in 1999 she went to the University of Florida for chiropractor school.
“When I came back to town in 2000, he stopped by my office. He stops in every few years to say hi, take a picture and laugh,” she said.
While Youngs was in school, she remembers Maxwell having a TV show that he did at night.
From 1989 to 2001 Maxwell was a radio and television live talk show host on WINK-CBS Radio, WDCQ-ABC and WEVU-UPN called Community Currents and The Maxwell Report.
“He asked me to be on it because I did the TV show at school,” Youngs said. “He interviewed me. He had a really good show.”
She recalled that they had a crazy caller when she was on the show saying women should not be in school, but rather at home doing the wash.
“He handled it gently. He handled it with quick wit and ease. I was impressed with that. On the spot to diffuse a crazy situation . . . a wise man that knew how to handle things,” Youngs said.
Youngs said Maxwell has made such an impact as a teacher due to his devotion to the kids.
“He was the reason people go into teaching,” she said.
Maxwell also shared the transformation he has seen from pencil and paper to Zoom in terms of delivery. Although this year has been challenging due to the pandemic, Maxwell said the students demonstrated resilience and determination.
“That is what makes America great. That is what makes America so fantastic and working with different students. All kinds of different students,” he said.
A retirement party will be held for Maxwell at Rusty’s on June 17.
“I can’t stay retired. We will see what the road opens up for me,” Maxwell said.
Over the years he has also held academic positions — teaching, administrative and research positions — at colleges and universities. Some of those positions include a political science and education technology adjunct instructor at Florida SouthWestern College; political science-American government adjunct instructor at Florida Gulf Coast University; and an adjunct instructor for the College of Social Sciences at Florida State University.
As far as public service, Maxwell was a governor appointee commissioner for the State of Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission from 2009 to 2015; Supreme Court of Florida Board of Bar Examiners emeritus board member from 2006 to 2021; the Florida Supreme Court Historical Society Board of Trustees trustee from 2017 to 2021; and a committee member of The Florida Bar’s Statewide Standing Committee on the Unlicensed Practice of Law from 2020 to 2021.