Michael Franklin’s workday at Hewitt-Trussville High School starts in the dark, long before the first bus pulls up. By 5 a.m., he has disabled the alarm, unlocked doors, straightened the principal’s office and set up metal detectors for the more than 1,500 students who will soon stream through the front entrance.
“I love it,” Franklin said. “It’s not a job. I get to see these kids grow. This was my calling. I just wish I would have done it a lot earlier.”
Franklin spent 22 years in fiber optic work as a self-contractor, climbing poles at midnight to keep the internet running. About four years ago, his wife, Dolores, a physical therapist, nudged him toward something safer and more sustainable…