After years of Mrs. Charlton guiding Hempfield Area Senior High School, a change in leadership is bound to impact the school at its core and inspire a new era. With Dr. David Palmer being at the forefront of the change at Hempfield High, it leaves us wondering. Who is he, what does he want, and what does the future of Hempfield look like with him in it?
Dr. Palmer is a proud father of two daughters and 3 dogs, and he has been married to his wife, Nancy, for over 20 years. Second to his family, but equally important, is Palmer’s career. He has been in education for 23 years as a teacher, a principal, and a superintendent.
Palmer’s experience in a scholarly environment has given him an idea of what he wants for himself and where he works. At this moment in time, he plans for Hempfield to be the last stop in his career. Though he was once a superintendent at Burgettstown, Palmer wishes to stay a principal at Hempfield. He explains that faculty within a school develop bonds and relationships with each other along with students within the building. As a superintendent, however, there is a lack of connection with people within the building, and in the words of Palmer, “That just didn’t do it for me.” He is a hands-on person who enjoys working with people and creating solutions to the problems he discovers.
When asked what his goals and aspirations for Hempfield are, Palmer stated, “I want to leave this school in a much better place than I found it.” He goes on to say that he wishes to make Hempfield the “crown jewel” of high schools, and that he wants it to be the model school in Pennsylvania. As Palmer has said to every student in the building, “A school’s purpose is to prepare students for a life outside of high school.” Ultimately, he wants students to be able to look back and appreciate the value of a Hempfield education.
When asked what bothered him the most in an educational setting, Palmer expressed that “It’s just the way things are done” is not valid reasoning. Palmer believes in having logic behind every rule, action, and decision. He carries this philosophy into the way that he leads and the way he plans to transform the school.
Furthermore, Palmer believes in incorporating a myriad of views to have a better lens of the school. He uses his outlook as a father as well as the views of students to make the school a better place. Palmer has articulated that a school should cater to the needs of its students, and that he plans to make changes within the school to make students more well rounded and better equipped with the soft skills needed to flourish in a life after high school. Palmer believes that manners are key to a successful career. He plans to achieve this colossal goal by incorporating the 4 Ps, Pride, Prompt, Prepare, and Polite, to instill an element of citizenship in the building.
With the leadership of Dr. Palmer, comes a new era and an emerging generation of Hempfield students ready to take on the world. Only time will show what legacy David Palmer leaves behind.
