Eben Looks Forward To Setting The Tone For Case Students

When Principal Jeff Eben leaves next month for his new job at Case High School, he’ll say good-bye to Gifford Elementary School – for now.

“I would say to the kids (at Gifford), ‘I plan on still seeing them,’” said Eben, 49, who was recently appointed principal at Case after one year at Gifford. “We’ve got to continue this relationship. Our kids at Case need to be at Gifford. And our other high schools need to be involved.”

The transition from Gifford to Case wasn’t entirely unexpected for Eben, who said he left his native California and came to the Racine Unified School District partly because of the opportunity to contribute to change districtwide.

“I came to Gifford knowing we would talk about how in the future I could best help,” Eben said.

For Eben, that meant coming full circle from position as the first principal of the then-new Clovis East High School in Clovis, Calif., to taking the lead role at Case – even though that’s not a role he would have necessarily envisioned for himself.

“Had you told me at the time, had you said to me in August, I’d be back at a high school, I would have said, ‘I’ve done that,’ ” Eben said.

But Eben was excited at the opportunity to once again se the tone at a high school – and possibly, if the trickle down theory holds, the rest of the district – and share with students his “Feel the Love” philosophy of competence, connectedness and compassion.

Eben honed those ideas with inspiration from a high school coach, who guided Eben, an aspiring college-caliber football player, after a water skiing accident left him in a wheelchair at age 16.

Eben spoke at schools throughout California about his experience and, later, developed “Feel the Love,” which he has shared in speaking engagements around the country.

“It’s all about competence, connectedness and compassion,” Eben said.

At Case High School, he plans to gather a core group of 20 to 25 students to talk about those ideals and develop ways to get students involved, whether that means starting new student organizations or doing something as simple as inviting students to the big game.

“I want to test some of the things that I’ve learned,” Eben said. “I really believe that it’s about the student experience. I hope to come in and really push the student engagement piece.”

Not that he’ll be leaving Gifford behind.

Eben met this week with Principal Les Hunt, who will take over at Gifford when Eben leaves.

“We’ll be talking on almost a daily basis,” Hunt said he walked down the hall beside Eben.