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February 9, 2010

Cripe comes full circle at Nappanee

Principal Profile Series

Randy Cripe, 38, is principal at Nappanee Elementary School, 775 E. Van Buren St., part of the Wa-Nee School Corporation.

A 1990 graduate of NorthWood High School, Cripe went on to get his undergraduate degree at Bethel College in 1995, followed by a Master’s Degree in Elementary Education with an Administrative endorsement through Indiana University-South Bend in 2004.

As for his teaching career, Cripe got his start teaching fifth grade at Triton Elementary in Bourbon in 1995, where he would remain for nine years before accepting a position as principal at Oregon-Davis Elementary in Hamlet in 2004.

“After two years at OD, I had an opportunity to return to the Wa-Nee School Corporation,” Cripe said. “I always hoped to one day have an opportunity to return to the Wa-Nee School Corporation. It was my goal to work in the school system and to raise my family in the same area in which I grew up.”

Cripe is in his fourth year as principal and currently lives in Nappanee with his wife, Andrea, and their two sons, Cody and Kyle.

Below is a list of questions recently answered by Cripe regarding education, his school, and his teaching philosophy.



Q: What is your philosophy or mission statement when it comes to education?

A: I have always believed that all students can learn. It takes a partnership between teachers, students, families, and the community to help build a culture of learning and instill in each child a desire to be a lifelong learner. I have been blessed to be a part of a school and community that shares those same values.



Q: Why do you think it’s important for parents and community members to take an interest in their local schools?

A: Our teachers have an opportunity to spend seven hours a day with students for half of a calendar year. Without question, if we do not tap into the most influential resources available to students, we are limiting the impact we can make in their lives.



Q: Looking back over the years since you started in education, would you say the educational system has changed much?

A: The image of schools we see portrayed through the media is not always an accurate picture of the community in which we live. We hear too often that we have gone away from the values that used to be so evident in school. I agree that times have changed and students today are faced with what sometimes seem like insurmountable challenges, but I believe the values taught at the school and modeled by those with whom the students are in contact with each day, remains as solid as it was years ago.

Certainly many factors have changed. The plate continues to grow for all grade levels in terms of expectations in the curriculum and state standards. The stakes are also much higher in terms of accountability based on ISTEP scores.



Q: Looking forward, what are some of the bigger challenges currently facing your school?

A: The most challenging issue facing schools today is the recent announcement of state budget cuts for K-12 education. Another area of concern is the way in which schools are assessed by the state. We do our best to look at individual students and track their growth throughout the years. The state currently assesses the overall percentage of students passing ISTEP for each grade level from year to year without taking into consideration each cohort group and how they have grown. There are far too many variables involved not to track individual growth. However, we understand the system and will continue to make the necessary changes to ensure success for our students.

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