LANSDALE- For the past twelve years, North Penn High School’s principal has been a North Penn lifer in the person of Mr. Burton T. Hynes; however, the 2015-2016 school year will welcome a new principal to the high school and to North Penn as a whole: Mr. Todd Bauer.

Currently an assistant principal at Central Bucks South, Bauer has a diverse background in education, as he has experienced the roles of math teacher, math department chair, and head swimming and diving coach in his years at Souderton High School. Bauer explained that although he’s been to a few places in a short amount of time, their positive experiences ultimately led him to North Penn

According to Bauer, the reputation for academics, athletics, and excellence in the arts of the high school and the district and the proximity to his home drew him to North Penn. When he heard of Hynes’s retirement announcement, Bauer kept an eye out for the posting of NPHS’s principal position.

“It was an opportunity to be the principal of a reputable high school in Pennsylvania [that is] close to my home and in a district that I know quite a bit about, because I’ve lived in the area my entire life,” explained Bauer.

Although exciting, the process of obtaining the opportunity to be NPHS’s new principal was complex. Dr. Curt Dietrich, superintendent of NPSD, explained that the district carried out an extensive three-round interview process, which included representatives from the central administration, middle school principals, high school assistant principals, teachers, students, parents, and community members.

Dietrich explained that he was looking forward to receiving input from the variety of perspectives during the third round of the interview process, which featured a presentation from each of the three candidates in front of about seventy community members. Additionally, he was interested to see how the three candidates would respond to the open-ended assignment and pressured situation.

“Mr. Bauer had a tremendous third round interview,” said Dietrich. “It was very well thought out, and he also delivered it well. He showed a lot of personality and a lot of appeal to those that were present.”

Dietrich also explained that the community members were given the opportunity to question the candidates, and Bauer’s responses proved to be the most impressive.

“I felt like he heard the question and gave a thoughtful response that answered the question,” described Dietrich. “Sometimes candidates come in and they don’t really answer the question. They either give the answer they want to give or they’re not really understanding or perceiving what it is the question is asking. I thought that he truly answered the question, and he was very honest and forthright with his answers.”

While Dietrich and community members were impressed with Bauer’s presentation, Bauer explained the level of professionalism and commitment to the achievement and improvement of students that NPSD exhibits impressed him.

“Throughout the interview process, I was impressed with the professionalism of everyone at each level,” explained Bauer. “The last round of the interview process included the final three candidates presenting in front of roughly 60 people. That process itself demonstrated to me that you have various stakeholders and constituents that are committed to North Penn School District, the community, and the high school. It was reassuring to know that there are that many people that care that much about supporting this position.”

Considering the responsibility of assuming the role of NPHS’s principal, Dietrich explained that the candidate chosen would need to have the combination of a manager and a leader. As a manager, the principal should be sure to build a master schedule, carry out smooth assemblies, and implement fair disciplinary actions. As a leader, the principal needs to be the teachers’ instructional leader, who explains expectations and helps develop necessary skills to be a modern day teacher.

Additionally, Dietrich explained several of Bauer’s qualities that led to him being hired.

“He impressed us as a candidate who really go it,” said Dietrich. “He understood the situation. For example, during the evening when he did his presentation, he understood he needed the right mix of explaining how he does business and what he stands for along with being personable, even being a bit self-deprecating at times with some comments that he made. We liked that he was confident, but he wasn’t overly confident. When he did his personal beliefs and values portion of his presentation, he chose to share that with us, which I thought was a great idea. He talked about things that were important that you want to see in a leader. He demonstrated that integrity is important and character is important.”

Throughout his years serving as an assistant principal at CB South, Bauer explained that he has learned that the things needed to be an effective, influential principal are multifaceted and multidimensional.

“More than anything, I’ve learned, across the three districts in which I’ve worked and the different roles I’ve had, that everything I’ve done has confirmed and affirmed that it’s all about the kids. I think if you were to speak with students at CB South, specifically seniors because I have seniors this year, they would tell you that I am fair, care about the kids, make what I consider the right decision, not the easy decision, and have their best interest in mind. That doesn’t mean everyone always agrees with me, but I think they can ultimately understand where I’m coming from. I think when you’re working in a school district, you’re surrounded by people that are committed to success of the kids, which provides a great environment.”

As Bauer prepares to transition from assistant principal at CB South to principal at NPHS, he has plans to meet with Hynes over the summer to use him as a resource and begin to learn the system of NPHS before deciding what should remain the same or change.

“I think it’s important for someone that’s just coming in to get to know the people first and get to know the operations of the facility and the infrastructure to begin with,” explained Bauer. “Once you get to know the people, the programs, and the facility, then you can start to see areas in which you can improve. I’m committed to coming in, giving it time, and certainly to improve and make changes, but it’s important for me to see what has been successful and perhaps not before doing that. I think it’s important to get the opinions of stakeholders, that being the students, parents, teachers, staff, initially, and find out what people think need to change. I don’t believe in changing for the sake of changing. I believe in changing to improve.”