By Amity Melville, Abigail Gaedje, and Nirvaan Jaswal
The Cougar staff interviewed three teachers retiring this year: Miriam Walden, Karen DeHart, and Dean Becker.
Miriam Walden, World History teacher:
Walden is leaving Albany High School because she wants to enjoy retirement: “I’m within the zone of when I can retire, and I want to do that while I’m still feeling engaged.” In terms of having to leave her students, she says “I kind of worry for a lot of students I have relationships with. I am worried that they will want a recommendation and they won’t know how to reach me.”
According to many, she’s been one of the most hardworking members of staff. John Mink, a history teacher, commented that “my favorite memories of Ms. Walden are kind of a composite of all the times she’s been willing to fight for and find solidarity with students and other teachers who are standing up for things that are unpopular but are the right thing to do … somebody with some very deep and very genuine morals that we could all look up to.”
Now, thinking about the future, Walden says, “I’m done, I’m ready to move onto other things”.
Dean Becker, AP Statistics/Pre-Calculus/Computer Sciences teacher:
Becker has a similar reason for retiring. “[I’m] old enough to retire, my wife is retired, and I would like to do more things with my wife.”
He is feeling positive about leaving his students. “I think they’ll be in good hands with the rest of the department[s].”
Reflecting on his favorite memories here at AHS he says, “I would say all the time I spent with the mountain bike team is very [memorable].” Jeff Castle recalls that mountain biking was such a very important pastime to Becker, that “even if he was biking uphill in the rain with the wind on his face he would still rather be doing that than going to a staff meeting.”
Becker has also been very open about his retirement with his students. In a joking manner, he said, “I’ve told a number of students that they were the single reason why I’m retiring.”
Karen DeHart, AP Art History/World History teacher:
DeHart’s decision to leave comes from her desire to explore something new. “I have put in 30 years, this is the only place I have ever taught, and it’s time to move onto a different kind of life.”
When asked about how she feels about leaving her students, she said, “It’s painful, and reflective, but I love what I do and I find a lot of joy and solace with my students.” As for how she’s telling her students she’s retiring, she said, “A lot of them have heard through the grapevine. I want to be thoroughly honest”.
Christopher Knight, in an interview with the Cougar, said that “Karen has always been very very passionate and has really been a leader within the department and has also been a strong voice in the teachers union [Albany Teachers’ Association] and advocate for our teachers.”
One of her favorite memories in her years at AHS is teaching AP Art History. “It’s been one of the best things that’s ever come my way.”
