On Tuesday, December 22, the Associate Principal of Curriculum and Instruction, Andrew Addington, entered Northwest for the last time. Addington, who has worked as an educator in the district for over a decade, said he plans to pursue other careers outside of education. 

Addington said he initially became interested  in pursuing a new career during the time he spent at home because of COVID-19. 

“The time I was able to have with my family, that experience definitely opened my eyes to what other possibilities could be out there that allow me to maximize what I get the most joy out of,” Addington said. 

Principal Amy Pressly explained she and Addington had been talking about the potential of him exploring non-education work throughout the school year. Addington added to this, saying though the two had been discussing the possibility of his departure, the new job opportunity arose rather rapidly. 

“From the time I found out about the opportunity to the multiple interviews [I had] only spanned a couple of weeks. So [the process] moved really quickly,” Addington said. 

While Addington is moving away from the educational field, he said his new job will still incorporate teaching skills. 

“My new position is essentially all about helping people maximize their abilities and grow as professionals,” Addington said. “So I’m looking forward to continuing being an educator, even though I’m not in public education as a field.”

Reflecting on the past two years Addington spent at Northwest, he said he has been heavily impacted by the students and staff.

“I am shaped by all the people I’ve worked with over this decade,” Addington said. “There are parts of every supervisor, mentor and colleague that I’ve taken to craft into who I am as a professional and a person.”

As Addington transitions out of his old position, Pressly has been looking for alternative replacements.

“We’re not gonna find a permanent replacement now,” Pressly said.  “Educators usually hire in the spring and summer for the next school year. So everybody is under contract right now.”

Pressly opted to find temporary help from Val Jennings and Sean Reilly, who will be helping out with the day-to-day operations of BVNW for the remainder of the year.