Great Barrington — After three years of serving Muddy Brook Elementary School, Principal Kate Retzel will be stepping down by the end of this school year. Retzel submitted her resignation letter to the Berkshire Hills Regional School District on March 11, and her last day with the district will be on June 30.
Retzel previously worked as a teacher in the Pittsfield school district for 13 years, and at St. Mark and Notre Dame middle schools in Pittsfield. Before becoming the principal of Muddy Brook, Retzel was the principal of Lee Elementary School for 11 years.
“I decided to leave at the end of the school year because I’ve been doing this for many years, and I would like to take a different path with my career,” Retzel told The Berkshire Edge. “I want to go back to a classroom, and also teach some college classes. That’s always been my plan. This was a sidetrack that I took, but I served for many years as a principal.”
When asked what she enjoyed while serving as principal at Muddy Brook, Retzel said, “It has always been about the children because they are number one.”
“The great thing about Muddy Brook is that the community is very involved in our school,” Retzel said. “We have teachers here who all work hard in teams to change up how they teach. They’ve improved the math program since my time here, and that is a great thing in the district.”
Retzel said that the biggest challenge she has faced since she became principal is dealing with the effects of the pandemic on student’s education. “Just like the rest of Berkshire County, there has been an increase when it comes to the needs of students,” Retzel said. “I think that is partially due to COVID, and it has been a challenge.”
Retzel said another challenge she has seen is ensuring that the youngest school students have the early learning skills they need. “I’ve been an educator in Berkshire County for a long time, and giving children great educational experiences before they come to school doesn’t always happen,” Retzel said. “This is why schools have to do a lot more when it comes to building early learning skills. It’s a challenge that this school community has taken on.”
Which is why, when asked about what advice she would give the next principal of Muddy Brook, Retzel said that putting resources into the school’s pre-kindergarten through second grade programs is vital. “Early childhood is the place to put your resources,” Retzel said. “Getting those kiddos what they need with a real firm foundation is the name of the game.”
Retzel said that she has many favorite memories from her time at Muddy Brook that she will take with her after she leaves in late June. “I would say that the theater programs that the students have taken part in have always been great to watch,” Retzel said. “We have some fourth grade students that work with the Berkshire Theatre Group. That has always been a nice tradition, to see the students write plays and be able to act them out with their peers. I am also more of a person who enjoys the little things of a school day, like being outside of the school building when the buses arrive or at dismissal, connecting with parents and helping the students get to where they need to go. Those little things are some of the fun parts of the job.”
Retzel said that, in choosing a new principal for the school, she hopes that the school district will pick “someone who understands the regulations, but also understands that there needs to be joy in an elementary school.” She added, “I think it’s getting harder and harder to provide that joy. It’s hard sometimes to have a thirst for learning when you have so many regulations and issues that you have to deal with.”
During her interview, Retzel did not say where she would be working next; however, she did say that she is still interested in remaining in the education field and helping out new teachers. “We are going to need new young teachers in the field over the next decade,” Retzel said. “We’re going to have a large number of teacher retirements during the next decade. Much of the current teacher population in our schools is made up of veteran teachers. Right now, I don’t know if we have enough new teachers to fill those spots. Teaching is, obviously, a tough job. It’s getting more and more involved. But if you can find the joy in teaching, listening to children and their ideas, and encouraging them, there is nothing else that is like it.”
