Administrator Leaving with Mixed Emotions After Nearly 40 Years

You could call her Special K.

But after this school year, for the first time in close to four decades, you won't be able to call her an employee of the .

Karen Klingerman, the district's supervisor of professional development, is retiring  along with her husband, William, who has been a district teacher nine years.

“It's with mixed emotions but I have two aging in-laws requiring a lot of assistance,” she said.

Klingerman began working for the district in 1974 as an eighth-grade teacher at Cecilia Snyder Middle School. She stayed there until 1979 and spent a year away to have the first of her two sons. She returned to the brand-new Robert K. Shafer Middle School, where she remained as an eighth-grade English teacher until 1992 when she started teaching in the gifted program.

In 2002 she accepted a special assignment to improve student writing throughout the district. Two years later she became coordinator of professional development, planning all training and workshops for teachers. And then in 2008 she moved up to supervisor, becoming part of the administration.

“I've been most inspired by her versatility and her true knowledge of how to teach children at various levels,” said Superintendent Bill Gretzula.

Klingerman, 58, was asked what kept her so long with the local district.

“I feel I'm still a cheerleader for Bensalem,” she said. “I stayed because I liked it here. I liked the kids, the families, the supportive administrators and colleagues who are willing to do whatever they could.”

Gretzula acknowledges the district is losing a lot of institutional knowledge this year, as 35-45 teachers alone are expected to retire. He has concerns about that, and so does Klingerman, who has spent a lot of time helping teachers.

“A lot of knowledge is walking out the door,” she said. “My husband can teach his financial management class standing on his head, and it's a very popular class. I hope someone else can do that. While the new teachers are ready, willing and able, they still have a lot of learning to do.”

Klingerman says she plans to stay in touch with many of her colleagues.

“I established long-term relationships and it's the people I'll miss,” she said.

She said she and her husband plan to do some work on their home in Richboro and spend more time at their shore house. They'll also do some traveling, including a visit to friends in Australia.

Klingerman added that she doesn't see herself heading to a retirement community any time soon.

“I can't picture myself in 55-plus community because I've been around kids my whole life.”