Nc’s Principal Sarah Fink Retires
FROM FOR THE RECORD (Friday, May 23, 1997): Correction Name misspelled: Sandra Fink’s name was misspelled in the headline of a May 22 North Voice story about her retirement from North Central High School.
Thirty-three years of educating high schoolers gave Sandra Fink a purpose: “Watching that shy freshman walk through door and not know where to go, and seeing them walking out the door (four years later) full of confidence.”
But spending her adult life with a singular raison d’etre is not necessarily good for retirement, which the North Central High principal plans to begin this summer.
She’s not quite sure what she wants to do.
“I’m going to play for a while, but (fellow educators) say, ‘You don’t know how to do that,”’ said Fink, laughing. “I think I’ll be a quick learner.”
She has spent 26 years of her career in Spokane, and most of them at North Central as a teacher and administrator. She’s been principal for nine years.
“I have some North Central in my blood,” said Fink. “Leaving won’t be easy.”
Her garden will now get her attention, and some social service agency will see her show up to volunteer. Next? Who knows.
She started her education career in Portland but signed up two years later to be an overseas teacher. She was hoping for a country where the vowels are honey; she got Turkey.
“I thought I was going to the end of the earth at the time,” said Fink. She later transferred to Germany, then came to Spokane. She has been here since.
She’s proud of North Central’s renewed emphasis on academics and its integration of technology into the classroom.
“It’s just been wonderful and there are a lot of great things going on here,” she said, “but it’s time to try something else.”
She also leaves with concerns about public education.
“Schools have become one spot for the community and social services to turn to,” said Fink. “It’s been really challenging, if not frustrating. We are not prepared to do all the social service things for kids. It’s a huge challenge right now.”
The school district plans to announce her replacement by early June after interviewing candidates from outside and inside Spokane.
In the annual merry-go-round of school administration changes, there are a few other changes.
Two other Spokane principal posts are open. Administrators plan to hire a principal at Audubon Elementary, replacing Dick Stannard, who died of cancer last September. Garfield principal Steve Ward has asked to return to teaching.
One of those positions likely will be filled internally, as the district has posted just one elementary principal opening.
District officials plan to announce a decision about Audubon by the end of May and will fill the Garfield position afterward.
Administrators also plan to replace North Central assistant principal David Feldhusen, who was recently picked to be principal of Central Valley’s Evergreen Junior High.
In Mead, the school board last week hired Ann Lehinger to be principal of Farwell Elementary.
Lehinger was an assistant principal and large school facilitator at Spokane’s Regal and Whitman elementary schools.
Mary Ryerse will be moving from a teaching position at Shadle Park High to be assistant principal at Mount Spokane High. She was an All-American tennis player in college, and is resigning as coach of Gonzaga University’s tennis team.
, DataTimes