RHS Principal
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RHS Assistant Principal
I was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1979—the same year the Pirates and Steelers both won championships for our city. When I was nine years old, I moved with my mom and stepdad to upstate New York. We lived for a year in a tough neighborhood, and I attended Van Corlaer Elementary School. The building was old and crowded. My teacher, Ms. Palmer, taught 45 students in one room. She had to teach both 3rd and 4th grade at the same time.
Soon after, my little sister was born, and my parents found a house in a small village in a town of about 2,500 people. I started attending Canajoharie Central Schools. Most of the kids there had grown up together. They played on the same teams, went to the same churches, and had long family histories in the area. One family had even run the same dairy farm for 13 generations. It wasn’t easy to fit in at first. I leaned on my teachers for help with schoolwork and life. In 10th grade, I decided I wanted to become a history teacher.
I graduated in 1998 as a proud member of the Susan B. Anthony Chapter of the National Honor Society. I ranked 12th in a class of 83 students.
This year marks the start of my 22nd year as a professional educator. I began my career as a social studies teacher at Brown Junior High School in Washington, D.C. After one year there, I joined Prince George’s County Public Schools, where I worked for 18 years. I spent most of that time teaching social studies and later focused on geography. That work led me to a Career and Technical Education role, where I taught Homeland Security Science and Digital Cartography.
In my final two years in that district, I served as the 12th-grade administrator at Northwestern High School, home of the Jim Henson Performing Arts Program.
Two years ago, I returned to the classroom as an 8th-grade English teacher at Memorial Middle School. I set high expectations for my students, and they rose to meet them. Their performance grew stronger each quarter. Last year, I followed that group to Robertson High School as the Student Engagement Advisor. I found my place here. I even became the “SportsCenter” voice for our SOAR Board videos—sharing attendance and academic celebrations with the whole school.
This year, I’m excited to serve as your Assistant Principal. Together, our staff will continue to celebrate student success and build new pathways to graduation through Career and Technical Education classes. We’ll introduce the community to the values in our Graduate Profile and weave character education into every lesson. We’ll also support teachers in improving reading and math instruction, so our students are ready not just for the global workforce, but also to lead and serve right here in Meadow City.
Have a safe and productive school year!
¡Vernos ⋛⋋(◐⊝◑)⋌⋚ Volar!
Daniel J. Whalen
