Dr. John Kuntz, Principal of St. Gertrude Elementary

No Limits, No Excuses by Lara Laero

With 24 years of teaching and coaching, five years as a principal, and five years in various administrative roles, Dr. John Kuntz comes to St. Gertrude Elementary School in Vandergrift with a wealth of experience. Having worked with Father Thaddeus several years ago, he made it a goal to come back to St. Gertrude sometime in the future. The school needed a principal, and Father Chad, the new liaison, was pleased to welcome John to the post. With vision, resolute determination, and a commitment to excellence, John is propelling his school forward to great heights of accomplishment.

John received his B. S. and a Master of Education and Curriculum degree at Slippery Rock University. He taught physical education and coached football, wrestling, gymnastics, and track at Avonworth School District near Pittsburgh for over two decades. Attending Duquesne University he earned another Master’s degree in Educational Leadership as well as his principal certification. He found that he thoroughly enjoyed working with curriculum development.

After serving in several positions as an elementary principal, he became the State Curriculum Coordinator at the Pennsylvania Department of Correction Education. It was here that he honed his skill as a bridge builder, connecting universities with prisons. Under his direction many in the prisons gained the opportunity to earn an associates degree. Next, John became the Director of Special Education and Assessment at the Western Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School. Each of these experiences afforded John the challenge of forging ahead to new levels of achievement. While serving as the director at a charter school in Erie, the students’ levels of academic of performance were raised by 26 percent. John relates, “I like to take people where they want to go. I enjoy fixing things and putting them back on the shelf.” In June 2001, he earned a Doctorate of Education degree from the University of Pittsburgh.

John is proud to be a part of the St. Gertrude community. “We have a real team.” He notes the closeness of the teachers and staff, mentioning that without any prodding, they go out to lunch as one big group. He’s also thrilled with the devotion of the parents. He applauds them for upholding high expectations for their children as well as committing to helping them achieve those goals. Commenting on what makes St. Gertrude unique, he explains, “It’s the expectations of the students and parents. It’s what they perceive to be excellence, and how they work together.”

Mentoring students is one of John’s strengths. When he served as the principal of the Cyber Charter School in Midland, he was also the Director of Special Education. At this time, a junior at the school, named Michelle, was struggling both academically and emotionally. Imagine being deaf and suddenly facing the possibility of going blind! This was her challenge, and she was on the verge of giving up. John took her under his wing with the goal of helping her graduate from high school. Her grades steadily improved, and not only did she graduate, but she achieved the prestigious honor of being valedictorian of her class! With great courage she gave her valedictorian speech using a Power Point presentation.

Next John invested the time to help Michelle get accepted into Slippery Rock University. Special arrangements had to be made to accommodate her dog, Cricket, one similar to a Seeing Eye dog. In addition, the university provided her with a special phone in her room, specifically for deaf students. Each week John kept in touch with her to cheer her on. Both she and Cricket adjusted to college life and did very well. In December, Michelle is graduating with a 3.75 grade point average with a Bachelor of Science in Special Education!

With only three months under his belt as principal, the goals for St. Gertrude Elementary are still developing, but John has greatness in his sights. He hopes to help the school offer kindergarten through 12th grade someday. Currently the faculty is developing an IAP or individual academic plan for each child. In addition, they have just instituted a complete hot lunch program, and the full day kindergarten has been a great success. John is working to reinforce curriculum and raise standardized test scores, as well as to reestablish community relationships.

In his experience of teaching, he coached gymnastics, wrestling, football, girls’ basketball and softball. Currently his hobbies include spending time with his wife and three grown children, kayaking, fishing, and gardening.

Holding high standards for himself, John leads by example. His motto is, “No limits, no excuses.” He invests his time to help individual students overcome difficulties and reach their goals. To meet Dr. John Kuntz in person watch the video @ http://www.allekiskitoday.com/webcasts/1608