Today, January 3, 2021 marks the first anniversary of my retirement as Superintendent of Schools of Holy Spirit Catholic School Division. I must admit, I’ve done retirement pretty well, much to the surprise of many, including our two children who thought I would be back working within three months. While there have been some offers to be busier, I’ve chosen to remain fairly unstructured in terms of a work life.
The truth is that I’m loving retirement and all of the “free” time it has provided. That is not to say that I did not enjoy my almost 35 year career in education and couldn’t wait to get out. Quite the contrary, I loved my work, especially leading a school division for my last 10+ years. I’m filled with much satisfaction as I look back on my career. Did I complete everything I wanted…hell no, but I was able to accomplish much working with some incredible people throughout my tenure as lead learner. That is not to say that I didn’t have a few sour notes along the way but, I will always believe that those hiccups made me a stronger person and a better leader overall.
I gave my notice to the division a full year ahead of my retirement date. It allowed the Board of Trustees time to search for my replacement and me time to transition and work alongside the new leader. My decision came with my realization that while I still loved the job, I knew I was coming closer to ending my ability to keep up with the intense pace required. I always maintained that you should retire while you are still at the top of your game and will be missed rather than be despised because you stayed too long. Sticking around without being able to keep up with the demands of the job would have been unfair to the entire division, especially the committed staff, who always gave me their best.
So in a nutshell, I don’t miss the job and especially not during this pandemic. Teacher organizations have rightly affirmed the great work of principals and other school leaders during this time but often, central office leaders are left with few accolades for their work. I had great success as a superintendent and received many affirmations throughout but I really do not believe that I could lead any better than what system leaders are doing today. I still keep connected both provincially and nationally and what I’ve witnessed by superintendents/directors and other system leaders has been truly remarkable. Well done!
While I don’t miss the job, I do miss some of the work especially around coaching and instructional leadership. It is my strong belief that the system we put in place around coaching and the standards was possibly the best work to enhance instructional practice. It affirmed the professional and focused on reflective practice. I’ve done some minor work with a few school leaders around this process and the feedback continues to be positive. This might be one avenue of work I pursue once this pandemic subsides.
My wife is often asked how I fill my days given the long hours I worked pre-retirement? I was probably most worried about not having a set schedule in retirement as I have always been a routine person. The truth is, I found a schedule that was flexible and allowed me to attend to new priorities, namely home. Simply having three meals a day with my wife, going for daily walks and yes, yard work have all been a welcomed change. And now, that we live in the same city as our grandchildren, their presence is most precious!
I always had the love of family as a priority in my life but I didn’t ensure time with my family as that same priority. Thank goodness my wife Donna understood my work commitments and provided the support I needed to do my job well. Most importantly she kept the home fires warm and safe and our family intact. Whenever I had the opportunity to affirm my leadership team’s spouses, I did, because I knew how much support they provided to the work that we all did. Donna was so exceptional in the support she provided, that even my Board of Trustees expressed their gratitude to her on numerous occasions.
So now, I get to spend more time with her and we have the blessing of being part time caregivers for our grandchildren. Grammy and Grandpa daycare is a pretty rewarding gig and so while I may do some coaching work in the future, it will never again be at the expense of time with my wife and family!
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Glad you’re enjoying your new life. Hoping we get to play 18 one of these days. Maybe in 2021!
Take care
Author
Thanks Dean! From your social media, it appears you are loving your life as a grandpa too! Take care and best wishes in 2021.
Hi Chris,
Great to read your reflections, acknowledgement of leaders and praise for your lovely wife, Donna. So glad you are enjoying and appreciating your new world. Cheers to you! Enjoy those grandchildren.
Author
Thanks Erin, so good to hear from you. I was always so lucky to have great people around me in my place of work but always received the greatest support from Donna. Keep well and best wishes in 2021.