Transitioning to retirement: the biggest challenge: Channeling one's energies when the daily frenzy ends

School Administrator, Feb, 2004 by Ruth E. Sternberg

Jerry Gordon doesn't have much time to reflect on his decision to retire. The former Bloomingdale, Ill., superintendent is too busy planning his next fishing trip to Canada.

Since leaving his post in July after 18 years on the job--part of a 33-year tenure in education--the 57-year-old has picked up the activities he always enjoyed. He traveled to Costa Rica on a golf trip, and he has spent some time in the kitchen.

"I love to cook," he says. "I never had time. I try to at least share the dinner responsibilities here, if not do a majority of it. I made a chicken gumbo that turned out really good."

Meanwhile, in Pennsylvania, Carole Spahr spends a lot of time wondering if she made the right decision. She was forced to leave her superintendent's post in the Perkiomen Valley, Pa., schools in 1999 to care for her aging parents. Now Spahr feels compelled to fill her time with activities that she isn't sure can replace the feeling of accomplishment she derived from running a suburban school system with more than 3,800 students and a $37.6 million operating budget. It was more than a full-time job. She has taken up gardening. Gradually she is beginning to enjoy it.

But occasionally she is reminded of what she is missing.

"I had a friend call me about getting back into some Middle States (Association) evaluations. It's almost like I'm trying to deliberately stay away but keep getting drawn back in."

Franklin B. Walter, former state superintendent in Ohio who left the job in 1991 to teach and consult, says he has seen a lot of administrators leave the fold without fully considering the life change they are facing.

"They're so involved that not to be involved requires real adjustment," says Walter, a former member of the AASA Executive Committee. "I think the key is for people to really be sure that they're doing the right thing. Some retire because they're frustrated or because they think it's the thing to do. They've got 30 years in.... But a lot of them don't have many hobbies. They tend to work all the time, and they find they've got more time on their hands."

The Adrenalin Rush

Retirement can be a time of pleasant anticipation--sleeping beyond sunrise, trying out new hobbies, reconnecting with family and taking long-planned trips. But superintendents face unique challenges as they move from frenzied morning-to-evening work schedules to relatively empty days. Many find the decision to retire bound up with the anxiety of leaving a well-established environment with a lofty set of expectations for the unknown world of independence.

"You have this regular schedule, and you're constantly busy. And you compartmentalize your life. It's hard to turn that off," says Jim Parsley, former superintendent of the Vancouver, Wash., schools.

For others, it's a question of switching to a more low-key role. "The superintendent has a lot of power, a strong identity," says Nancy Knight, who retired July 30 as superintendent of the Hi Point Joint Vocational School District in Bellefontaine, Ohio. "You need to be able to let go of that and be comfortable with who you are."

Some can't. They discover after cashing in their retirement benefits they can't do without the adrenalin rush of hard work and major responsibility. They leap into another administrative post, working for another school district or an educational agency. Others choose consulting, either full or part time, or teach at the university level as an adjunct professor.

Parsley, 61, who spent 22 years as the Vancouver, Wash., superintendent, still works full time as an independent consultant for LSW Visioning Planning and Pearson Digital Technology. He specializes in architectural planning and administrative technology, areas of expertise in which he gained a reputation during his school district days.

"I'm a super type-A," he says. "The idea of sitting around and watching 'Oprah' is not my idea of retirement. I know how to work. I don't know how to play as well as I should."

But some find that even after a well-planned decision, they face the unexpected: the death of a spouse or a sudden shift in finances. Dennis Rectenwald left his job as superintendent in Port Clinton, Ohio, two years ago to find that the premiums for health insurance he took for granted as a negotiated benefit had skyrocketed.

Ted Rokicki found himself looking for new purpose just six years into retirement from the top schools position in Berlin, Conn., after his wife suddenly became ill and died.

Those who decide to make a clean break from the working world say the decision ultimately is worth it. Their best advice: Stay moderately busy while doing something worthwhile. Make new friends. Don't sit around the house. With time, patience and concentration, the result can be a new sense of self-security.

Balancing Act

Jerry Gordon doesn't mind helping Speer Financial rope in some education clients. He gets to see a lot of old friends across Illinois. But his part-time work with the Chicago-based bond dealer comes with a caveat: Golf season is sacred.