Goodbye, Mr. Klemme

John Klemme, the principal of Scarsdale High School, will retire this week after 12 years of service to the school. Mr. Klemme was the principal of SHS throughout my four years of high school. In a school of this size, many students only knew Klemme if they were called into the Principal's office, but I had the privilege of getting to know the man who ran the show. As a result of my participation in student government, I had the opportunity to spend time with Mr. Klemme. He always encouraged me to put forth initiatives, supported me when I asked for help and inspired me to make the most of my four years at SHS.

Overwhelmed with obligations and homework assignments, I rarely appreciated how fortunate I was to be getting a Scarsdale education. Mr. Klemme helped me to put things into perspective and to value the excellent teaching that would allow me to thrive later on. Now in college, I see how his words rang true. As an advocate of the move from the AP program to AT courses, Klemme enabled students to stop memorizing and to begin to think analytically. His initiatives and advice have made me into a more creative thinker and have made it possible for other Scarsdale students to distinguish themselves in college. I know I am just one of many in the community who has been impacted by Mr. Klemme and will be sad to see him go.

Before he moves on, I asked him a few questions about his years in Scarsdale and future plans and here is what he said:

What will you miss at Scarsdale High School?
I suppose I will most miss the superior environment for learning at SHS. I often tell teachers new to the building that Scarsdale High School is the kind of place where all the variables in education come together in the right way: motivated students, supportive parents, an excellent faculty, and the resources that make it all work so well. It's in that synergy that Scarsdale is especially distinctive.

What were some of the highlights of your term here?
Many highlights: moments of crisis where I believe I provided the leadership required: Columbine, 9/11, Homecoming 2002. But also moments of transformation: heightened emphasis on reducing stress among students, the movement from AP to AT in the interest of promoting deeper and richer learning, and the hiring of over 90 new faculty members during my tenure which sets the stage for another generation of excellence. No public school, to my knowledge, has yet followed in our AT footsteps although many seem genuinely interested. We've affiliated with the Independent Curriculum Group, a consortium of mostly private schools that do not offer AP, and we sponsored a conference in late April on critical and creative thinking that was well attended by New York area schools.

What are your plans?
I will be returning to the English classroom at The Oxbridge Academy of the Palm Beaches, a new private school opening its doors in September with 75 students. I'm thrilled to be going "back to my roots" because the transaction between teacher and students is something most administrators say they miss the most.

What are some of the books on your list for your class next year?
The other English teacher and I have prepared a summer reading list which is a blend of contemporary and classic works, fiction and nonfiction. Among the titles: Lewis Thomas' Lives of a Cell: Notes of a Biology Watcher, A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier, Thomas Hardy's Return of the Native, and a wonderful new work--The Housekeeper and the Professor, which is the story of a math professor with a memory that lasts only 80 minutes and his relationship with a young boy.

What is your advice to the Class of 2011?
My advice to the class of 2011 is the same as always: recognize how well Scarsdale High School has prepared you for the future, and remember your responsibility to others outside the world you've lived in here in Scarsdale. There's a special meaning for me this year, though: I'm "graduating" with the class this year as well and know that leaving is a difficult process but one that's also full of opportunity.