LANSDALE– “I’ll miss the people. The tremendous relationships with individuals. From my days as a teacher to my last days as a superintendent, there have been countless numbers of people who have helped me grow into the person I am. I owe so much gratitude to these people,” North Penn School District Superintendent Dr. Curtis Dietrich said as he reflected on the last 12 years of his career.

On Thursday, February 17th, 2022, Dietrich announced he will retire at the end of June.

Throughout his time at North Penn, Dietrich was a leader in the community. From first being an assistant superintendent to becoming the district’s superintendent, he has remained an important figure in the district for every student, parent, and teacher, but his work in education started much earlier. Dietrich has displayed an ability to lead ever since he graduated college.

“I felt a call to leadership. I was elected to the school board immediately after college. I was encouraged to run for the board by some who felt they weren’t satisfied with the current candidates. Since I had been the student government president of my class and represented my class in front of the school board, the board members thought I would be a good fit, and I was elected after college,” Dietrich said.

Soon after that, he dove deep into the education system, where he worked at all different levels. Few have the perspective Dietrich has, and his insights led him to where he is today.

“Initially, I was a part of our family business, but the more I got involved with the school board, the more I wanted to make a career in the field of education. I started by teaching chemistry and biology, then became an assistant principal, then principal, which then led to me becoming the assistant superintendent and superintendent at North Penn. I felt that call to leadership; I always was a leader as a student and felt like I had something to offer in the field of education,” Dietrich said.

It was these experiences that shaped Dietrich into who he is today, but there was one early moment he remembers that pushed him to fully envision his goals. In his time as a high school principal, Dietrich recalls helping a student who helped him realize the effects of school, outside and inside of the classroom, to a new dimension.

“One memory I have in particular stems back to the time when I was a high school principal. We had a student who was ready to give up. He was an intelligent student who was not achieving to his capability, had other compounding, conflicting aspects of his life impacting him, and was ready to withdraw. He told me he could not do this anymore,” Dietrich said. “I worked with him to overcome some of those immediate challenges and to take the long view of things and be able to go on and earn his diploma. He made contact with me some years later and was so grateful that I believed in him and stood by him and encouraged him– memories like that stand out to me. Vulnerable moments where you have someone who’s at a crossroads and reaching out for help; when you are there for somebody, and they come back years later thanking you– that’s memorable.”

Dietrich also thanked Dennis Nemes, a former high school principal, who helped and encouraged him throughout his early career. Nemes was Dietrich’s mentor and pushed him to become a principal, which led to the ripple effect that landed Dietrich in the position he holds today.

Because of moments like these, Dietrich was able to face other difficult tasks in his educational career, but one recent and pivotal moment is the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Across the nation, many high school superintendents stepped down from their positions during the pandemic. Whether it was due to stress or personal issues, high schools suffered from a lack of clear leadership. Despite facing the same circumstances, Dietrich stayed with North Penn and guided the district throughout its battles with the virus.

“I had no intention of leaving during a pandemic. I think by the time I finish at the end of June, we should be pretty well through it, and that was very important to me. I don’t think the captain abandons ship when you hit some rough sailing. I felt like we needed leadership and wanted to see the district through that time period. I could have left earlier, but I didn’t want to do that. I did not want my legacy to be that I left during a time when we hit choppy waters and needed a new captain. It was a big consideration, but I wanted to see our way through this,” Dietrich said.

During this time, Dietrich knew he was nearing the end of his time with the district. Because of this, Dietrich called upon what he learned throughout his years in the education system and worked with many younger superintendents, serving as a guiding figure, or what those superintendents called him: a “leader among leaders.” He became just like the mentor he once had.

“It was awesome to be seen as a leader among the leaders. When people are in crisis, like we were during the pandemic, they look to others that are in leadership positions. Even leaders in other districts looked for someone to emerge from the group; an individual who can have thoughtful and appropriate responses to tackle situations,” Dietrich said. “As one of the more elder members of that group, many of the superintendents looked to me. My ability to look at that situation and decide what the plan should be helped lead others. That was a really interesting time period, and you feel like you’ve arrived at a point of your career where others look to you, who are in the same position. It’s an interesting phenomenon that is hard to describe.”

As this challenge eventually ends, Dietrich took time to reflect on the future of education. Though he will be leaving soon, at least from an administrative perspective, Dietrich believes that education will continue to a more technological-based shift, with online classes becoming normal in the schedule of a school student. He says he has seen the benefits firsthand, and that a hybrid model of education may not be too far away.

Though Dietrich does believe this, he still views the relationship between students and those they work with as something significant. COVID-19 might have thrown a wrench into these relationships, but Dietrich emphasized that they are still important to develop students.

“The relationship that students have with their teachers and their administrators is still key and is difficult to have in an online environment. It’s also important to prioritize socialization between the students themselves. Being able to do that is still a part of the schooling process, and I believe that the value of those two relationships will not change,” Dietrich said.

As new advances and ideas arise, challenges will come with them. Dietrich thinks that two main issues will come to the next superintendent.

“I think, commonly in education, there will be financial challenges. One of the very first things that I encountered as superintendent was a significant downturn in the economy. We needed to take steps that were difficult but necessary. I anticipate that at some point in time, we will see that cycle again, where overcoming the financial challenges will be paramount for the superintendent,” Dietrich said. “I also think that as you look forward to the next few years, we are still going to navigate through where we stand and what we believe in as a nation. There’s a lot of division and a lack of understanding of one another, and that is something that cannot continent. We have to be able to grow and move forward and come out as better people.”

As for what’s next, Dietrich does not have everything figured out but has activities like traveling, seeing his grandchildren, and going to road Penn State games at the top of his list. He also isn’t counting out his love of education and his roots.

“Professionally, we’ll see what the future holds. There might be some opportunities to use my years of experience and do some projects involving education. I’m also interested in reconnecting with my roots. My roots are in the dairy farming industry; I grew up on a dairy farm; my family has an ongoing dairy farm. I know it’s going to be an exciting time,” Dietrich said.

With a little over four months left with the district, Dietrich offered a bit of early-parting advice for everyone he has worked with.

“Be true to yourself, do what is right, and be able to lay your head down on your pillow at night knowing you gave it your all. You won’t have regrets because you’ll realize that did you what was necessary and did what was right, and the outcome was the outcome you wanted,” Dietrich concluded.