Every month for the past two years, Mrs. Basinger has arranged for ADM Superintendent Greg Dufoe to come in and meet with the Black & Redgister news staff for a press conference. With his hefty involvement throughout the community and the state of Iowa, he not only has a lot of insight, but he also has lots of wisdom throughout his years as superintendent. I have compiled a list of his top 10 best quotes over the last two years of press conferences that resonated with me and spoke to the character and humanity of our school superintendent.

1. “Some folks that aren’t in administration will use the expression ‘you crossed over to the dark side’ if you move from a teacher to an administrator role…that expression has never resonated well with me from the moment I decided to stop teaching.”
2. “There is a danger is comparison. That is something that affects adults’ mental health well, and I think it’s a significant issue that is harmful to our relative mental health. When we compare ourselves to others and we find ourselves lacking it’s pretty dangerous. We do that with how we look, what clothes we wear, what grades we get, how we perform in our activities. And you know what’s true–is that there is always going to be somebody who is smarter, more handsome, plays better, etc., etc., so it’s really all about being the best person I can be.”
3.  After being asked the question “What is the process after a teacher resigns?” Dufoe responded with “The real answer is that when principals and superintendents, when we get those, we go kick the waste basket and we cry a little bit, and we pout.”
4. Kelsey Dalin, a now graduated Black and Register journalist asked Dufoe about his student interaction and his response was “[That question] hurts me right now. Less than I want right now the last few months, I haven’t been in the buildings as much as I’d like, but when I am it’s the best time of my day and week. It needs to be a higher priority for me.”
5. “I want kids to know me. You know, I want them to not be surprised when they see me out and about. That’s really important to me.”
6. In regards to the creation of the 2024-2025 school calendar, he said, “We are attempting to create conditions which teachers can effectively do what they’re asked to do. And oftentimes what we’re trying to be sensitive to is putting teachers in conditions in which they can’t really do that based on things like lack of time.”

Nothing can compare to the wisdom and insights our news staff has gotten to hear from Mr. Dufoe. As I move into my senior year, and final year, in this class I am excited for one last year of press conferences and sharing more of Mr. Dufoe’s wisdom and personality with you.