Q&A: Principal Wenschlag Says 'Goodbye' to Richfield, 'Hello' to New Opportunities

Principal Jason Wenschlag the Richfield School District at the end of the 2010-11 school year to take a position in the Wayzata School District as the principal of .

Wenschlag spent five years as assistant principal at (RHS) before being appointed by to the Sheridan Hills principal position two years ago.

Richfield Patch's Caitlin Burgess sat down with Wenschlag to talk about his reasons for leaving, his memorable experiences in Richfield and his last words to his school community.

Richfield Patch: Why did you decide to take another position?

Principal Jason Wenschlag: It was a really hard process … There was a lot of anguish on whether or not I would even apply. It was difficult for me because I love Richfield and the staff is fabulous. But, [Wayzata is] a larger district, they have numerous resources that can help you as a leader and I just think it will be a new challenge and opportunity for me.

Richfield Patch: What are you going to miss the most about Richfield?

Wenschlag: The relationships … Schools are all about relationships. Anytime you leave a job, with [the kinds of relationships I’ve build], it’s hard … There are great, great people here. There are wonderful families, great teachers. The opportunities that I have had to be a leader have been wonderful.

Richfield Patch: What’s your favorite teaching moment while working in Richfield schools?

Wenschlag: Oh boy, there’s been so many. I think my favorite moment is when you work with a student who has everything going against him or her and you see the switch go on and you see them experience some level of success that allows them to move forward.

Richfield Patch: If you hadn’t become an educator, what do you think you would’ve become?

Wenschlag:  There’s two dream jobs I’ve always had. One was to be a financial advisor and the other was to be a general manager of a professional sports franchise.

Richfield Patch: What would you like to say to your students, parents, staff and faculty members?

Wenschlag: No. 1, thank you for giving me the opportunity to be the leader of this school community. No. 2 [thank you] for allowing me to learn and grow as I made the move to elementary [education] and No. 3 [thank you] for the wonderful and genuine relationships that I have been able to establish here over the last couple years.

Wenschlag’s last official day with the district will be June 14, before taking the remainder of the month as vacation. He is currently working to hire a fifth-grade teacher at his new school.