This year seemed to be the year of retirements for many teachers and some administrators in area school districts, and Southmoreland was no exception.
Brian Miller, principal of Ruffsdale and Alverton elementary schools, was one of the more than 20 individuals who retired from the local district.
Miller hails from the Allegheny Valley. He attended Duquesne University, where he earned his bachelor's degree and later his master's degree in music and an additional master's degree in education administration.
"I was always involved in music, both at school and at home, when I was growing up," he said. "I played the piano and trombone and was in a number of bands and choirs."
After graduating from college, Miller started teaching music to students in kindergarten through grade six in the Oakmont School District. For the next 12 years, he continued to teach music and then changed gears, spending the next 12 years as an elementary classroom teacher.
It wasn't long, however, before Miller wanted to take yet another route in his career -- the role of principal.
"I had the opportunity to take what I believed as an educator and work to share that belief or vision with a community of educators," he said.
Miller spent the next nine years as a principal with the Southmoreland School District, and he saw several differences in his new position.
"You don't have the immediate contact with the students and the chance to get to know their needs, problems and strengths, but you also don't necessarily have a daily schedule to follow," he said. "There's always a crisis of the moment that needs attention."
Miller also had the added challenge of serving as principal in two different schools at the same time.
"That did have its challenges," Miller said of his duties at Ruffsdale and Alverton, "because the nature and personality of each building was different and each had to be treated accordingly. It often seemed that I was in the wrong building at the wrong time and that I was urgently needed at the other one."
Reflecting on his career, Miller said the best part was "working hard as a principal to encourage and support the kids to do their best and take advantage of the tremendous learning opportunities that will be so important to them for their future."
The hardest part was trying to please everyone.
"You can't make everybody happy all the time," Miller said. "Sometimes what the teacher needed was not what the parent wanted. Dealing with unhappy parents and teachers was always a challenge."
With his retirement, Miller hopes to be able to finally start and complete several home projects.
"But I'll miss the kids," he said. "Working with kids is the best job a person could ever have. It has been wonderful. I'll miss it terribly and I'll never forget it."
Superintendent John Halfhill said Miller is "a very intelligent, child-centered, quick-witted individual with unlimited energy and a great sense of humor" and will be missed.
"Brian (Miller) genuinely cared about what was best for the students in the district and would take every effort to work toward improving their achievement in each area of the curriculum," he said. "With specific regard to curricular issues, he is without a doubt, one of the most well versed educators with whom I have ever worked."
Halfhill said that Miller will be hard to replace because of the fresh ideas that he brought to the district.
"The district is definitely stronger as a result of Brian's influence," he said.
