Three Pleasanton Principals Are Leaving

Three Pleasanton principals — including the principals at two high schools — are leaving their posts at the end of the year, the Pleasanton Weekly reported.

Foothill High principal John Dwyer is leaving for the principal position at Lynbrook High School in Sunnyvale and Amador Valley High principal Jim Hansen and Pleasanton Middle School principal John Whitney are retiring.

Dwyer led the school for six years and was a vice principal for three years before held the top spot.

In his announcement, Dwyer said:

I have immensely enjoyed my time at Foothill and will always 'bleed (Falcon) blue,' but next year this will be as a parent and not as the principal of the school...The last six years have been very challenging for all of us in education but I believe that our incredible staff, students, and community have negotiated these difficult times with passion, vision, commitment, and class.

Hansen was the principal at Amador Valley for two years and before that led Harvest Park Middle School for 11 years.

The Pleasanton Weekly quoted Hansen saying:

I've been in education for 40 years and I've also raised a family at the same time. I have two more grandchildren on the way so I'll have four grandchildren by this summer, so I'll spend a lot of time with my grandkids...I've had a great career, but you know when it's time. I started in high school and I always said I wanted to end in high school.

Whitney is retiring after being the principal at Pleasanton Middle School since 1999.

What qualities should the new principals have? What did you think of the tenures of Dwyer, Hansen and Whitney? Tell us in the comments section.