Local principal says goodbye after 34 years

by Natalie Morales
Staff Writer

Tough. Firm. Fair.

This is how Steve Miller, Trimble Local School District Board of Education member, described Trimble High School principal Diana McCauley.

McCauley said she has wanted to retire for several years, but her retirement was delayed to keep stability in the district during building renovations. She is retiring at the end of this school year after eight years as principal at the school and 34 years as an educator.

McCauley began her career in New York as a high school Latin teacher. She later worked with an Ohio Head Start program, taught developmentally handicapped students in the Morgan Local School District, served as Day Care Administrator in McConnelsville, for Morgan County, taught special education students at Miller High School and Junior High School in Hemlock and served as Athens High School assistant principal.

 She said the high school’s full inclusion program is one of the biggest accomplishments the staff tackled while she was principal. This program, which is in its seventh year, integrates special education students into regular classrooms.

A regular classroom teacher and a special education teacher co-teach in classrooms with special education students. McCauley said this helps special education students adjust to regular classrooms.

“We have one of the most ambitious inclusion programs for handicapped students,” she said. “It is a rare accomplishment, especially for such a poor district.”

McCauley said she is proud of this program because the school not only tried the program but also continued it. She said the school always is trying to improve the program.

Sandy Clonch, special education coordinator at Athens/Meigs Educational Service Center, said McCauley always has been concerned with special education programs. McCauley earned her master’s degree in special education.

Terry Dougan, retired Trimble High School guidance counselor, said McCauley made many strong, positive contributions to the district.

He said McCauley made changes in curriculum and scheduling, such as eliminating study halls and adding intervention programs. These programs better address students’ needs in specific areas and allow teachers free time to work with students in these areas. McCauley spent some of her free time teaching some of these interventions herself.

“She had a strong work ethic by setting an example for others to follow,” Dougan said.

McCauley attends many of the students’ extracurricular activities, including sporting events, club meetings and theatrical performances.

Miller also said McCauley spends a lot of time with students and always is available to them. He said, however, her method of leadership — including walking the halls and remaining visible to students — leaves the most lasting impression on him.

“I really respected that she always held students accountable and responsible for their own action and never waited in her office for problems to come to her,” he said.

Miller also said McCauley is always on top of the newest education trends and applying them to her staff.

All these interactions with staff and students have given McCauley a great deal of loyalty for her position and have made her decision to leave her job difficult.

“I really like my relationships with the students and staff here and I hate to give that up,” she said.

McCauley said she is hoping to return to the district in the future to do some part-time work in an area other than administration.