Duncan Retires as Jefferson Elementary Principal
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By David [email protected]
In a telephone interview this morning, Dennis Duncan confirmed he is retiring from Warsaw Community Schools as Jefferson’s principal effective Aug. 9. He is accepting a position at Grace College.
According to a previous press release issued from Grace, “At what appeared to be the final stages of Grace College’s severance with prison education in the state of Indiana, the school has opted to inherit Ivy Tech Community College’s role in managing the Department of Correction’s GED program.”
Grace will manage five correctional facilities in the northern region of the state while Oakland City University will take the southern region.
The release also stated Grace was looking to “hire someone with a principal’s degree who will have sufficient skills to be able to manage the adult prison education program at an administrational level.”
That “someone” is Duncan.
Duncan said he began talking with WCS Superintendent Dr. Craig Hintz in the spring about his retirement. Because of the process involved with Grace taking over the DOC’s GED program, Duncan had to wait on finalizing his retirement.
As to why he’s taking the position, Duncan said, “I went to Grace and I taught there as an adjunct professor the whole time I was with Warsaw Schools. I wanted to end my career over there. This is a perfect opportunity for someone with my skill sets.”
Duncan said his skills set makes it an easy transition for him, and provides him with a perfect opportunity to retire from WCS.
“The hard thing is leaving Jefferson after 19 years,” Duncan said. “My relationships here are deep with the students and staff. That’s the thing that’s really troublesome.”
However, he said it feels like the right time and opportunity to retire. Duncan said things at Jefferson are really good, WCS is on an upswing and test scores at Jefferson are good.
“It’s a good time. I know at my age there’s only so much energy you have. It’s inevitable in the next five years I will still want to retire,” Duncan said.
It’s not a full retirement right now, he said, as he will be assuming the full-time job at Grace.
As Duncan was speaking on the telephone this morning for this story, he said perspective replacements for him were being interviewed two doors down. School starts Aug. 13 at WCS, and Duncan said they want to bring in someone quickly.
Ideally, Duncan said whoever replaces him should be someone “who loves kids, will embrace the Winona Lake community and its values, stress academics and inspire kids.”
Duncan won’t be moving out of Winona Lake to take on his new role.
“I will still be walking to work, an extra 100 feet, on my way to my new office,” he said.
“I feel so grateful to the community for the opportunity I’ve had to have this job,” Duncan concluded. “I’m one of the few people I’ve known who really enjoy getting up every morning and going to work. It’s been a real blessing. I love Jefferson and I am so grateful.”
Duncan is the second elementary school principal to retire or resign from WCS this year. Jacob Hoag resigned effective in July from Madison Elementary to take a principal’s job in Columbia City. Hoag was replaced by WCS Chief Accountability Officer Tom Kline.[[In-content Ad]]
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In a telephone interview this morning, Dennis Duncan confirmed he is retiring from Warsaw Community Schools as Jefferson’s principal effective Aug. 9. He is accepting a position at Grace College.
According to a previous press release issued from Grace, “At what appeared to be the final stages of Grace College’s severance with prison education in the state of Indiana, the school has opted to inherit Ivy Tech Community College’s role in managing the Department of Correction’s GED program.”
Grace will manage five correctional facilities in the northern region of the state while Oakland City University will take the southern region.
The release also stated Grace was looking to “hire someone with a principal’s degree who will have sufficient skills to be able to manage the adult prison education program at an administrational level.”
That “someone” is Duncan.
Duncan said he began talking with WCS Superintendent Dr. Craig Hintz in the spring about his retirement. Because of the process involved with Grace taking over the DOC’s GED program, Duncan had to wait on finalizing his retirement.
As to why he’s taking the position, Duncan said, “I went to Grace and I taught there as an adjunct professor the whole time I was with Warsaw Schools. I wanted to end my career over there. This is a perfect opportunity for someone with my skill sets.”
Duncan said his skills set makes it an easy transition for him, and provides him with a perfect opportunity to retire from WCS.
“The hard thing is leaving Jefferson after 19 years,” Duncan said. “My relationships here are deep with the students and staff. That’s the thing that’s really troublesome.”
However, he said it feels like the right time and opportunity to retire. Duncan said things at Jefferson are really good, WCS is on an upswing and test scores at Jefferson are good.
“It’s a good time. I know at my age there’s only so much energy you have. It’s inevitable in the next five years I will still want to retire,” Duncan said.
It’s not a full retirement right now, he said, as he will be assuming the full-time job at Grace.
As Duncan was speaking on the telephone this morning for this story, he said perspective replacements for him were being interviewed two doors down. School starts Aug. 13 at WCS, and Duncan said they want to bring in someone quickly.
Ideally, Duncan said whoever replaces him should be someone “who loves kids, will embrace the Winona Lake community and its values, stress academics and inspire kids.”
Duncan won’t be moving out of Winona Lake to take on his new role.
“I will still be walking to work, an extra 100 feet, on my way to my new office,” he said.
“I feel so grateful to the community for the opportunity I’ve had to have this job,” Duncan concluded. “I’m one of the few people I’ve known who really enjoy getting up every morning and going to work. It’s been a real blessing. I love Jefferson and I am so grateful.”
Duncan is the second elementary school principal to retire or resign from WCS this year. Jacob Hoag resigned effective in July from Madison Elementary to take a principal’s job in Columbia City. Hoag was replaced by WCS Chief Accountability Officer Tom Kline.[[In-content Ad]]
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