Posted: 5/10/06
Painting the perfect iris
Retiring primary school principal reflects on education
 Dim lamps and soothing pictures transform Primary School Principal Jan Fischerís office into a getaway of sorts from the daily rigors of guiding hundreds of kids. |
By Patrick Tepoorten
After 15 years as the North Branch Primary School principal and 30 years of service in education, Jan Fischer is retiring. The Post Review sat down with Fischer to find out where she has been, where she is going, and her impressions of what has been not just a career, but a passion for so long.
Jan Fischer hails from the small town of Kenyon, Minn. Her first attempt at college, Bemidji State, left something to be desired and she would ultimately take a year off before returning to Bemidji, and then earning her bachelors degree at Moorhead and her masters at Mankato.
She rattled around a bit, teaching here and there, including a stint in Germany in 1975, before landing in Mt. Horeb, Wisc.
An ill father precipitated her return to North Branch and a chance meeting with her predecessor at the primary school at a national conference prompted her to apply for the job.
The rest, as they say, is history. In 1991 she was offered the principalís job at the primary school and has been there ever since.
THOUGHTS ON PUBLIC EDUCATION
As one might expect, Fischer has been around long enough to form opinions on the state of education, both at the local level and in the larger scope. And, while she pointed out that new ideas are always cropping up in education, as a whole education changes very little and very slowly. ìIt is the nature of the beast,î she stated, attributed in part to the sheer magnitude of public education, bureaucracy, and even to protectionism.
ìPublic education is not responsive to the marketplace,î Fischer explained. Why not? ìBecause it doesnít have to be,î she concluded.
She does see some change on the horizon though, and calls Qcomp and performance pay, both accountability measures, as ìbaby stepsî in the right direction. She also believes that opening public schools to a competitive market would have a long term positive impact on the quality of public education.
Fischer has more of a love-hate relationship with standardized testing. Itís not that she is against standards, quite the contrary. ìHaving a list of needs for every grade has actually helped us,î she said. ìSocial studies, science, civics, you name it, are broken down in a manageable manner.î Overall, Fischer thinks they will have a positive impact.
But if standards are a positive thing, where those standards come from and who writes the tests arenít at the top of her list of things to praise. While Fischer has found tests that are very valuable in measuring individual achievement, like the NWEA (Northwest Evaluation Association) test, mandated tests from the state and federal government do not get there for her. She indicated that the primary reason for her give or take attitude toward government devised tests is that they are subject to political shifts and donít measure the progress of individuals. There is no way to determine where a student has been, where they are, and where theyíre going.
Another area that Fischer sees room for improvement is in the very philosophies that rule modern education. ìWeíve lost facts,î she said, meaning that learning by rote has been replaced in many respects by concept learning. In some areas, like math for instance, students could use more good old fashioned memorization, according to Fischer.
Still, Fischer is very optimistic about the future of education. ìThe financial issues will always be there,î she said, ìbut there are good things happening in the state, mostly because of individuals at the district level who care very deeply about education.î
In that sense she holds the North Branch school district in high regard, noting an innovative way of thinking that abounds.
If she has a regret regarding her time in North Branch, it is her inability to convince the district, last year, to move toward all day/every day kindergarten. She continues to believe that it would have been the right move, stating, ìIt would be better for kids.î
In retrospect, Fischer thinks her tenure at the primary school may have actually been too long. Not for herself, but for the school and the students. ìMy belief, my theory, is that we become intrenched in things. Change and new ideas are very healthy. A new person will revitalize the school and that can be very good,î she said.
RETIREMENT OR REJUVENATION?
With less than a month left in the school year, the only question left is: Where will the winds of change take her?
Well, the motorhome has already been purchased if that gives a hint. But where it takes her and husband Mike Enter is anybodyís guess. Fischer shares the same affinity for NASCAR as she does for Native American culture, and could just as easily be found at an archeological dig as the infield at the Brickyard.
An avid photographer, Fischer plans to explore her inner shutterbug as well, and hopes to start a weblog, or ìblogî in order to share her upcoming experiences with friends and family.
ìI also want to watercolor the perfect Iris,î she added as an afterthought.
With five grandchildren and a great-grandchild on the way, one might wonder where she will find the time to pace Dale Earnhardt Jr., discover a lost civilization, take up citizen journalism, and render the perfect depiction of a flower.
However, one need only spend some time with Fischer to know the question is moot. Sheíll find the time. You can bet on it.
Comment from Adrienne Sonnek, 5/11/06
This article goes a long way in capturing the spirit of Jan Fischer-Enter! I knew Jan in the early days when we sat side-by-side in education classes at Mankato State College. I was aware then, and have been affirmed since, that Ms. Fischer would have a positive effect on education. Kudos to her on a career of excellence and to your newspaper for publicly recognizing her unique qualities! We will be seeing the perfect iris in no time...
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