HOPE — The new Hauser Junior-Senior High School principal says that after more than 30 years in education, he’s learned there’s always room for improvement.
David Wintin, who was hired by the Flatrock-Hawcreek School Corp. in July, takes over the principal job from J.P. Mayer, who now serves as dean of students. Mayer was principal at Hauser for two years and said he left the position for personal reasons.
Wintin, 62, comes to the district from South Ripley High School in Versailles, where he served as principal for four years. He said he was looking for a position in education to be closer to his wife Carole, who recently retired as curriculum coordinator for the Lawrenceburg Community School Corp. and now works as the media center coordinator at Brandywine Elementary School in Greenfield.
So far, he has worked to encourage professional development opportunities for staff members, something he says is important.
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“We all need to continue to aspire to improve,” Wintin said. “Even if you’re the best teacher in the building, there’s still stuff you can get better at.”
Wintin is focusing on developing relationships with teachers and students. He taught science for 26 years at New Palestine High School before going into administration work.
Wintin said he was influenced by his parents to go into education as a career since they were teachers. Several of his family members are involved in education, including his daughter Sarah, who teaches social studies at Perry Meridian High School in Indianapolis.
“My goal was I wanted to be like my dad,” Wintin said. “It’s kind of like a family business.”
He’s interested in baseball, football and fishing, and memorabilia of the Chicago White Sox are displayed around his office.
Working with students is something that keeps him feeling young and he enjoys watching students develop over time, he said.
Students are “amazingly resilient” in today’s society, Wintin said.
The main thing that keeps him working in education is working with students, he said.
“Just watching them grow and develop, it’s what you see in them in one year or the beginning of school from the time they graduate,” Wintin said. “For me, it’s always about relationships with the kids.”
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Age: 62
Education: Bachelor’s degree in health and physical education, University of Indianapolis; master’s degree in physical education, Ball State University; doctorate in educational leadership from Indiana University in Bloomington
Work history: Wintin has worked at Indianapolis Public Schools, New Palestine High School and was principal at Eastern High School in Pekin for three years and retired in 2012. His wife recruited him to work as a 1:1 aide with an autistic second-grade student in Lawrenceburg and then became principal at South Ripley High School in Versailles, where he served in that role for the last four years before his arrival to Hauser Junior-Senior High School.
Family: Married to his wife Carole; they have three children Joshua, Mary and Sarah
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