The Superintendent of the Hanover School Division has officially retired… but not entirely.

After spending seven years as the HSD superintendent and over three decades in education, this past Tuesday was technically Randy Dueck’s final day on the job. However, the self-proclaimed “adventurer” and “teacher at heart” insists his journey in the world of academics is far from over.

ding those horizons. Eager as he is to venture outward, Dueck says his time within the Hanover School Division was one he will not easily forget. He readily recollects a moment from earlier in his career that guided his trajectory.

“Years ago, somebody at a conference challenged me to have an educational dream, one that is really out there, but worth pursuing,” he explains, “and my dream, for years now, has been that every student in the Hanover School Division would love learning. I’m convinced that if we can get them to the point where they love learning, learning is going to happen.”

Dueck says that dream has been the impetus behind many of the projects he has had a hand in, from initiatives like Deeper Learning to the way new schools and classrooms have been designed. He says it has also been his focus as societal shifts brought to light the prevalence of mental health concerns as well as issues of racism and gender inequality that needed to be addressed in both HSD schools and the local community at large.

“I think we have done a lot of hard work not only just accepting, but embracing, and loving one another,” comments Dueck, “and I think we still have a lot of hard work ahead of us.”

Meanwhile, he acknowledges that challenges of another kind loom in the near future. With the COVID-19 pandemic and the Provincial K-12 Education Review sure to impact next year’s proceedings, Dueck foresees a few difficult semesters for his division.

“Who could have expected this?” questions Dueck, who refers to recent months as the most unique time and place of his educational career. Though he expects some of the uncertainty will continue, the former superintendent remains confident the division will continue to thrive and throws unwavering support at Shelley Amos who now sits at the helm.

“I am really excited for the Hanover School Division and what it will look like under Shelley Amos," he says. "She is smart, very organized, and a leader well-suited for the challenging times that lay ahead.”