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Mostly Cloudy Principal retires with grace
Susan Knors says goodbye after 15 years at BHS
Susan Knors’ 15-year tenure as the principal of Baldwin High School ended on June 24, when she left the podium after giving her final farewell speech to the graduates.
She left with mixed emotions, she said, but she remained steadfast in her commitment to student achievement and her love and admiration for the thousands of students and faculty members with whom she formed relationships during her decade and a half as the school’s leader.
Knors’s speech reflected on the similarities of the challenges that she and her students faced as all began a new chapter. “Although we may be at different junctions in our lives, I can really relate to how you’re feeling today,” she said. “I sort of feel like I’m graduating with you. It’s somewhat daunting, yet at the same time, exciting. We’re all reflecting, reminiscing, and thinking about what the future has in store for us.”
It was difficult for Knors to say goodbye. “It’s been emotional for me,” she told the Herald. “On the other hand, I feel like it’s exciting as well. It’s a new chapter.”
She spent several decades of her career in secondary education, starting out as a special education teacher and coordinator of student activities at Jamaica High School in 1986. Seven years later she left to become superintendent of Queens High School. In 1994 she became an assistant principal at Flushing High School before finding her home in the Baldwin School District in 1996, first as dean at the high school. She became the assistant principal in 1998, and principal in 2001.
She said she appreciated every stop along her career path. “They were all wonderful experiences,” she said. “I think any of these positions that you do, you learn so much, and it really prepares you for what’s in store and any other position that you try.”
Knors said she was lucky that her passion and career intersected. “I feel blessed about that,” she said. “I’ve always had a job where I’m happy to get up and go to work, and I try to tell students to be mindful of doing something that you’re passionate about and that you love to do.”
Her love of education only increased with each passing year, she said, explaining that she was happiest when she could make a positive impact on her students, and that she believed that dealing with teenagers was the perfect way for her to use her teaching skills. “I just love that age group,” she said. “Working with teenagers, you stay forever young. They make sure you stay on the cutting edge of everything.”
Knors described a long list of accomplishments of her staff and students over the years, including an enrichment program for ninth-graders, pep rallies and Homecomings for all grades, and the launching of career academies for several subjects. “Those academies have afforded the students countless opportunities for career exploration,” she said. “They’ve had internships, shadow days, and all kinds of competitions for robotics, culinary and so on.”
Baldwin High has been recognized nationally for its school-to-career program, which connects with people in the business community, as well as its mentoring program, in which mentors give students a hand with their academic studies. Knors explained that she admired the high school for putting the students’ priorities first.
“What’s great about the Baldwin High School experience is that we ask ourselves, ‘What can we do to better the experience for the kids?’ and that’s why we’re successful,” she said.
There wasn’t much left that she would have liked to accomplish if she had more time, she said, adding that she had a lot of faith in Superintendent Dr. Shari L. Camhi, and believed she would continue to push for innovate programs that would keep up with technological advances in today’s society.
“Dr. Camhi is a very innovate superintendent, which is great,” Knors said. “I would like to have more state-of-the-art technology to prepare kids for a global world that they’re entering, but I think that we’ve made great strides. That’s a nice feeling, to be a small part of getting these programs off the ground, and now it’ll take off.”
Camhi acknowledged the contributions Knors has made to the community, and thanked her for her service to Baldwin schools. “Ms. Knors has been a valued member of our community for the past 20 years as dean, assistant principal and, most recently, as principal,” Camhi said. “It is with joy and much thanks that we wish her the best of luck on her retirement.”
Knors said she would miss working with her staff and students, which she described as an “amazing group of people.” But she listed a few things that she’s looking forward to tackling now that she no longer has a full-time work schedule.
“First, I think a little decompression is in order,” she said. “Then, reading, traveling, cooking, getting back in shape, and spending some overdue quality time with family and friends, because the job itself did sometimes keep me from that. I think that’s a nice feeling, to reconnect.”
Knors said she wouldn’t rule out working with adolescents in the future. She still wants to have a hand in shaping the leaders of tomorrow, she said.
