Santa Fe principal retires after 10 years
After 10 years serving as the principal of Santa Fe High School, Bill Herschleb is retiring at the end of June. Standing in front of the Santa Fe High School science building which now bears his name, Herschleb was instrumental in the design and development of the building, which has recently added 10 new mathematics classrooms.
ALACHUA – It’s all about the light bulbs lighting.
Bill Herschleb says the best thing an educator can get out of his or her job is seeing that bright moment of understanding when a student just gets it.
“Every teacher must feel that the most rewarding experience is seeing the light bulbs lighting, when a student makes a realization or starts beginning to understand,” Herschleb said.
Herschleb is officially retiring at the end of June after 10 years as the principal of Santa Fe High School, finishing an education career that has included six years as a science teacher at Santa Fe High and stints as the principal of Eastside High School and as science supervisor for the school district.
Herschleb was also instrumental in the design and development of the Santa Fe High School science building which now bears his name and has recently added 10 new mathematics classrooms.
Herschleb has had science in his life since before he was born. His father worked for Dow Chemical, and Herschleb evidently shared his father’s interests, earning a degree in Chemistry from the University of Florida. After disliking the isolation that came with his first job as a researcher for the UF biochemistry lab, he went back to school to get a degree in secondary education and has never regretted the move out of the lab and in to the classroom.
Herschleb said having scientific knowledge is good only if you have the educational skill to share that knowledge with the world.
“Probably one of the most critical needs in the science community today is the ability to explain to the public what your findings are all about,” Herschleb said.
Herschleb’s science background has led him to many endeavors outside of school, such as his current position as chairman of the Florida Foundation for Future Scientists, which runs the State Science and Engineering Fair of Florida.
Although Herschleb’s educational background is grounded in the technical, he says a mixture the scientific and the emotional is necessary when dealing with the fragile and ever-changing world of education.
“There is an art and a science to education,” Herschleb said. “We believe we understand some of the technical aspects of educational psychology, or proper teaching behaviors. I don’t think we quite understand the art of education, where the effectiveness is measured by how well the student understands.”
Herschleb believes the state required end-of-course exams instituted last year for Algebra I, Biology I and Geometry help teachers pinpoint areas of focus, using technical tools to achieve the “artistic” goal of student understanding. But new State requirements on how those exams are used for evaluation purposes present new challenges.
“The difficult part is the dramatic change, almost overnight. It’s just been so rapid, that everyone is having a hard time making an adjustment,” he said. “I’m confident that schools will be able to make that transition, but I’m also aware that it’s caused some changes in the way we do things.
Still, Herschleb believes the faculty he leaves behind will be able to handle the adjustments in stride, saying, “I can’t imagine a group of professionals that are more capable of making those adaptations than the people I’ve worked with.”
“We’re experiencing a shift in the focus of education,” Herschleb said. “We’re moving from a focus on teacher practice to a focus on student performance. Instead of focusing on how it’s being taught, now we’re looking at what the students are getting out of it.”
The end-of-course exams, which students are required to pass before graduating, are an example of the dramatic shift in the focus of education.
Herschleb believes that even when money is tight, funding education should be government priority.
“It seems as though we’ve lost faith in the value of education,” Herschleb said. “It may only be temporary, as we are in tough economic times, but we need to continue to support education. Teachers and students need to rally around their schools; we need to keep the schools in areas of prominence. Schools need to continue to be the centers of communities.”
Herschleb’s retirement ceremony will be held at Santa Fe High School on June 19, but after that Herschleb still plans to remain active in education with his role in the Florida Foundation of Future Scientists, balancing that with plenty of woodworking, gardening and raising cattle.
Herschleb said he cannot imagine choosing another career path, noting that his profession provided him with unique challenges every day. As for the many students who passed under his tutelage through the years, he hopes to have armed them with a desire for knowledge and the tools to attain it.
“I hope that students leaving my school know that they can never know everything, they try to learn as much as they can and that they have the skills necessary to answer their own questions.”
Thanks to Herschleb, the light bulbs will continue to light.
# # #
Email delsesser@alachuatoday.com
Santa Fe principal retires after 10 years
After 10 years serving as the principal of Santa Fe High School, Bill Herschleb is retiring at the end of June. Standing in front of the Santa Fe High School science building which now bears his name, Herschleb was instrumental in the design and development of the building, which has recently added 10 new mathematics classrooms.
ALACHUA – It’s all about the light bulbs lighting.
Bill Herschleb says the best thing an educator can get out of his or her job is seeing that bright moment of understanding when a student just gets it.
“Every teacher must feel that the most rewarding experience is seeing the light bulbs lighting, when a student makes a realization or starts beginning to understand,” Herschleb said.
Herschleb is officially retiring at the end of June after 10 years as the principal of Santa Fe High School, finishing an education career that has included six years as a science teacher at Santa Fe High and stints as the principal of Eastside High School and as science supervisor for the school district.
Herschleb was also instrumental in the design and development of the Santa Fe High School science building which now bears his name and has recently added 10 new mathematics classrooms.
Herschleb has had science in his life since before he was born. His father worked for Dow Chemical, and Herschleb evidently shared his father’s interests, earning a degree in Chemistry from the University of Florida. After disliking the isolation that came with his first job as a researcher for the UF biochemistry lab, he went back to school to get a degree in secondary education and has never regretted the move out of the lab and in to the classroom.
Herschleb said having scientific knowledge is good only if you have the educational skill to share that knowledge with the world.
“Probably one of the most critical needs in the science community today is the ability to explain to the public what your findings are all about,” Herschleb said.
Herschleb’s science background has led him to many endeavors outside of school, such as his current position as chairman of the Florida Foundation for Future Scientists, which runs the State Science and Engineering Fair of Florida.
Although Herschleb’s educational background is grounded in the technical, he says a mixture the scientific and the emotional is necessary when dealing with the fragile and ever-changing world of education.
“There is an art and a science to education,” Herschleb said. “We believe we understand some of the technical aspects of educational psychology, or proper teaching behaviors. I don’t think we quite understand the art of education, where the effectiveness is measured by how well the student understands.”
Herschleb believes the state required end-of-course exams instituted last year for Algebra I, Biology I and Geometry help teachers pinpoint areas of focus, using technical tools to achieve the “artistic” goal of student understanding. But new State requirements on how those exams are used for evaluation purposes present new challenges.
“The difficult part is the dramatic change, almost overnight. It’s just been so rapid, that everyone is having a hard time making an adjustment,” he said. “I’m confident that schools will be able to make that transition, but I’m also aware that it’s caused some changes in the way we do things.
Still, Herschleb believes the faculty he leaves behind will be able to handle the adjustments in stride, saying, “I can’t imagine a group of professionals that are more capable of making those adaptations than the people I’ve worked with.”
“We’re experiencing a shift in the focus of education,” Herschleb said. “We’re moving from a focus on teacher practice to a focus on student performance. Instead of focusing on how it’s being taught, now we’re looking at what the students are getting out of it.”
The end-of-course exams, which students are required to pass before graduating, are an example of the dramatic shift in the focus of education.
Herschleb believes that even when money is tight, funding education should be government priority.
“It seems as though we’ve lost faith in the value of education,” Herschleb said. “It may only be temporary, as we are in tough economic times, but we need to continue to support education. Teachers and students need to rally around their schools; we need to keep the schools in areas of prominence. Schools need to continue to be the centers of communities.”
Herschleb’s retirement ceremony will be held at Santa Fe High School on June 19, but after that Herschleb still plans to remain active in education with his role in the Florida Foundation of Future Scientists, balancing that with plenty of woodworking, gardening and raising cattle.
Herschleb said he cannot imagine choosing another career path, noting that his profession provided him with unique challenges every day. As for the many students who passed under his tutelage through the years, he hopes to have armed them with a desire for knowledge and the tools to attain it.
“I hope that students leaving my school know that they can never know everything, they try to learn as much as they can and that they have the skills necessary to answer their own questions.”
Thanks to Herschleb, the light bulbs will continue to light.
# # #
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