Devotion is a quality few can say they have, but Richard Spindler, a man of many jobs, can say he is devoted. Spindler is a man of family, hard work, and bettering the youth. While he may be new to Federal Hocking, he’s already left an outstanding first impression on those lucky enough to have an interaction.
Spindler is a proud father and husband. He’s been married for 36 years, 24 of which he’s had a daughter named Grace. He described his daughter as very artistic but struggling with something similar to ADHD. Spindler shows his nature best when describing his daughter as he talked about how he was trying to help and understand his daughter’s condition.
Outside of his professional role, Spindler is someone with a wide range of interests that reflect his energetic and thoughtful nature. He has a love for pizza and chocolate, enjoys collecting football cards, and is fascinated by history and sea life, especially seashells. He is a fan of the movie “We Are Your Friends” and he connects with its deeper message about growth and self-reflection. He said if he ever would get a tattoo, it would be this quote from that film:
“Are we ever going to be better than this?”
Family vacations are some of his most cherished memories as well. Whether it’s relaxing beach trips or scenic getaways, they’ve always made time to escape together. Their favorite beach destination is Sanibel Island in Florida.
“This manatee came up behind her and almost ran her (his daughter) over.”
He said he would also like to travel to Austria, where his mother was born.
“I have letters that my grandmother wrote, and I want to go see where my mom grew up.”
During Spindler’s youth, he went to Unioto High School in Chillicothe, where he was guided into doing various sports. This was due to a lack of clubs and extracurricular activities.
“I played football, baseball, and basketball… We didn’t have things like an art club.”
With this said, the love for sports he developed later started him down his coaching jobs, which he credits inspiring his love for teaching and bettering the youth.
Spindler wasn’t always sure he wanted to be a teacher.
“When I first went to college, I was going to be an accountant.”
In fact he originally was in college at Rio Grande for business, but when he took a coaching job, he found he had a love for directing and helping students.
After graduating college, Spindler quickly returned to school at The University of Dayton to get his master’s degree. He later received his principal and superintendent certifications from Ashland University. Although he went back to school for a doctorate due to the worry that more prestigious positions may require the best possible degree.
“A lot of the time you need a doctorate for higher positions.”
Spindler never finished his doctorate due to the stress and money required. He hasn’t let that hold him back though.
Spindler has spent time teaching, being a principal and being a superintendent. The schools he has worked at include Mary Hill Youth Center in Nelsonville, Zane Trace in Ross County, and Berne Union High School in Fairfield County. Spindler enjoys being able to help the youth find their way. He has spent seven years as a teacher, with five years being special education and two being a Physical Education teacher, nine years as a principal, and 15 years as a superintendent.
While having a lot of experience in public education under his belt, being a principal is his favorite job in the field. Spindler enjoys being able to interact with staff and students, and feels that as a principal, he is able to make the most impact.
¨As a principal, you can have an effect on the whole body,¨ Spindler said.
Spindler lives in Chillicothe, but he truly felt like the drive was worth it to come and help out a school in need. He drives a commute of an hour and a half everyday, but doesn’t mind as he has music to accompany him. His wife is a Director of Environmental Health. She’s been doing that for 26 years. He states that they were high school sweethearts.
At his time at Federal Hocking, Spindler hopes to change how the school is perceived.
“What do you want your school to look like?”
This quote was an excellent call to action from Spindler, as it shows, he wants input from students and staff to help shape the school in a more positive image.
Spindler also wishes to have more diverse electives for students to choose from. He has worked with small schools before, and he knows that this is a change that is possible to make.
¨Although we have few students and staff, we can have better opportunities for students.¨
Spindler was at Mary Hill when he heard the news about Federal Hocking’s situation involving the principal and superintendent that was going on last year. He heard fellow staff discussing the situation, and he decided to apply for the open principal position.
¨I felt like with all of my experience, I could help a lot.¨
Spindler enjoys the interactions that come with being a principal. He truly enjoys being able to have daily interactions with both students and staff, something that previous teaching positions did not allow him to do. On the other hand, Spindler does not enjoy the struggles with discipline and parents.
¨Sometimes discipline doesn’t make a difference with students.¨
He has had plenty of experience dealing with parents who don’t see an issue with their students’ behavior, and students who don’t wish to change. These are both aspects that Spindler wishes didn’t come along with the job, but knows it needs to be done, and tries his absolute hardest to work with students and parents alike.
Spindler shows an excellent amount of energy as a principal for Federal Hocking, as he promises many developments and has the years of experience to back them up. He has shown himself to be very devoted and someone everyone should be happy to have around.
