By Katie Gloyd, Current Staff
The West Bend High Schools started the 2022-23 school year with major turnover in the main office.
Four of the six administrators are new to the role, but one of them, Dr. Randy Daul, was hired on an interim basis until a permanent executive principal could be found. Below, meet Daul, Laura Krause-Emerick, Lisa Paulin and Susan Saric, the four administrators who joined the office staff in September.
On Nov. 1, Jennifer Potter assumed the role of executive principal. Daul will remain at WBHS throughout the year as the building transitions to Potter’s leadership. The only returning administrators are assistant principals Zach Daniels and Jared Kiesow.
Dr. Randy Daul
Interim executive principal
Why did you accept this position?
I had been working with the (West Bend) school district last spring, and I spent time with the two principals that are here in the building, and also the principal over at Badger Middle School, and I’d spent a good chunk of the spring working with them, examining what they have going on, and what are the opportunities out there for self-improvement and for organizational improvement. So, I had a relationship that had already been established. I was approached towards the end of the summer with the idea of potentially helping them or assisting them during the start of the upcoming school year. We agreed to do that and I just began the school year as the interim principal.
What did you do before becoming a member of the West Bend High Schools administration?
I’ve been in education for close to 35 years, but I’ve been retired for about the last four years. Even though I am retired officially from education, I do spend time working with other school districts, to help them out with unusual situations. That might involve coaching administrators. It might involve being a consultant to help them examine themselves, almost to give themselves an external audit of what is happening, what is going well, what are some things to celebrate, and what are some opportunities to improve. I also had a couple of different stints where I’ve gone in and taken positions, on an interim basis, to help. So, an individual might unexpectedly have to leave, so they might just need somebody to come in, almost like a substitute.
So far, what has been your favorite thing about your new role?
The people. It’s absolutely the people. The kids are terrific. The staff is committed. The office staff has been wonderful to work with, and I picked up on that very early last spring, and when I do move on, it’ll be the thing that I’ll probably miss the most.
What are you most excited about, moving forward?
I think there are improvements that have been taking place so far. In terms of student life, I think the potential to continue to improve by working with the student council on ways to make your time here more enjoyable, more memorable for you, ways that we can make it more comfortable that you have over 2,000 students, all with their own agenda. All wanting to accomplish something while they’re here and how we get them to all coexist. How do we improve and grow together? I’m excited about that, and I would say the same thing with the staff. How do we align and get the staff coming together to try to continue to improve and make this a world-class organization?
Laura Krause-Emerick
Assistant principal
Why did you accept this position?
I finished up my administrative license about a year and a half ago, right after Covid. I didn’t think it was the right time to switch into administration, but I’ve had a lot of leadership roles over the last 16 years. I had a year in Menasha as well. It was time to make that switch, now that Covid is over. I have a lot of experience with leadership roles within education and I wanted to formalize that. West Bend is a great district. I actually interviewed a lot of my friends that have either gone to school here or been a part of the team here to find out if this would be the right fit for me.
What did you do before becoming a member of the West Bend High Schools administration?
I taught in Fond du Lac for five years. I taught high school science. Everything from freshman to AP biology. I taught physical science there as well, prior to that. I taught for 10 years in Mayville. There, I taught everything except for physics. I taught all the science classes that we offered there.
So far, what has been your favorite thing about your new role?
There’s a lot of things I really enjoy so far about this role. The students here are fantastic and fun. The team of administrators that I’m working with are all 100 percent committed to education. I find that a lot of fun to work with because we’re all shooting around the same kind of ideas, and the students here have so much vibrancy and life to them. They want to make change and they want to academically strive. Most of the students that I have worked with are really driven to make West Bend a better place. That’s been a shining star for me.
What are you most excited about, moving forward?
I would say that West Bend has positioned itself to really grow as a district in terms of opportunities for students and opportunities to be more in alignment with where the 21st century is going. I find it really exciting to be on the forefront of that.
Lisa Paulin
Assistant principal
Why did you accept this position?
As a special education teacher, I had the opportunity to assume some leadership, training special education, and helping to train some of our regular education professionals. I was a mentor to new district special education teachers and through those experiences decided I wanted to take on more of a leadership position. I went back to school to get my administrative license. One of the things that I felt excited about with the opportunity of high school is that I wanted to see things like sports, student council, and newspaper. All these pieces you don’t necessarily see at the elementary school or even at a middle school. I also felt fortunate that I’ve had experience at the elementary and middle school levels. It kind of makes me a more well-rounded individual, having that experience.
What did you do before becoming a member of the West Bend High Schools administration?
I started my career at an alternative school for middle and high school students with some pretty significant behaviors. Then after three years there, I transitioned to the West Bend School District. I taught special education at Jackson Elementary for six years, and at Green Tree for seven years. Then I went to Badger and was the dean of students for two years.
So far, what has been your favorite thing about your new role?
I think it’s building relationships with the students and getting to know them and the things that they enjoy and the opportunities they’re involved in. Also building relationships with the staff. There are so many amazing staff members here and getting to know them and what their strengths and goals are as well, and how I can help them move those things forward.
What are you most excited about, moving forward?
I think just learning. Learning how to be a better leader within the building. Learning how to be a resource to the students and staff here and just learning more about all the opportunities that are available to the students. I feel like I’ve just scratched the surface with all of the opportunities that are available to the student with sports, clubs, activities, and then the options for them beyond high school.
Susan Saric
Assistant principal
Why did you accept this position?
I accepted this position because I was excited to get everybody moving forward and working with teachers just to help inform their practice, teaching, learning, and being in the classrooms. Again, I love seeing the teaching that happens and when students are engaged in the classroom and I really like being able to help teachers and especially if they have a specific area of focus that they want to improve. I can help move them forward.
What did you do before becoming a member of the West Bend High Schools administration?
It’s been kind of a long journey. I was in the Ridgefield School District for several years and was a principal there. Then I moved here, became a learning specialist, and then moved into gifted-talented and AP coordination, as well as academic and career planning. I just have a really high view of everything going on in the district, through the middle school and up into the high school.
So far, what has been your favorite thing about your new role?
It’s getting into the classrooms and looking and really talking with the teachers and then seeing the learning that is taking place in the classroom. I’m really getting to learn a lot by doing that, so that I can have a bigger scope, and so that I can support teachers moving forward and seeing where the kids are and how they can move forward so that they’re successful wherever they go after high school.
What are you most excited about, moving forward?
Working with the staff and seeing the impact on the students. Seeing the impact on learning in the classroom. All the work that’s going on… that’s really why we do what we do. I’m really excited to see how what we’re doing impacts everything in the future and student success. That’s honestly why we do it. Just to see that students are successful.
(Top image: Susan Saric, Lisa Paulin, Laura Krause-Emerick and Dr. Randy Daul, left to right, are new administrators at the West Bend High Schools. Photo by Katie Gloyd, Current Staff.)
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