Gordon Hahn retires after 36 years in education

Yesterday, Saco Public Schools celebrated the career of now retired superintendent Gordon Hahn, who served the school system proudly for the past eight years. Hahn was previously superintendent at Turner Public Schools from the fall of 2001 to the spring of 2007. His teaching career began in Glasgow in 1980. After 36 years of teaching, Hahn decided to retire. Hahn was also a high school basketball referee for thirty years.

"I'm just ready to be done, ready to move on, visit grandkids and retire," Hahn told the PCN. "We're (he and wife Robin) ready to do different things while we're still healthy and can do those things we want to do."

Hahn is a graduate of the University of Montana, earning a degree in Pre-Medical Sciences in 1978. In 1983 he would go on to earn a Master's Degree in Chemistry from the University of Denver. And shortly after becoming superintendent at Turner Schools, he would earn his superintendence endorsements from Montana State University in Bozeman.

When Hahn first started teaching at Glasgow High School, he taught Chemistry, Physics and Physiology. He continued to teach chemistry and physics for eleven of the thirteen years he served as superintendent.

Hahn had won several awards throughout his teaching career at Glasgow including the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science Teaching, the Disney American Teacher Award for High School Science and the Montana Physics Teacher of the Year and The National Excellence in Polymer Education Award.

"I had a real successful career in Glasgow," Hahn said. "They were really supportive and helped me develop the educational skills that I have today."

Hahn also enjoyed his tenure at Turner schools but as he was looking into his retirement, he knew he had to make a change, that change so happened to be at Saco Schools.

"Retirement is based on your last three years so Saco offered a much better financial package," Hahn said. "I knew Saco was a progressive school, always wanting to be ahead of the game instead of behind the game."

Hahn didn't just complete the minimum three years, instead he held on for eight, all the while revolutionizing the school system and implementing new tactics that have since then been welcomed by other schools up and down the Hi-Line.

For one, Saco was the first school on the Hi-Line to integrate to a four day week as well as a 1:1 student to portable computer ratio.

"When I came to Saco, we had two computers per person in the building because we had computer labs and it was hard to maintain that many computers and unnecessary," Hahn said.

Having a computer lab also hurt productivity due to the starting time of those computers and having to walk down to the lab.

"There's a lot of lost time in having a computer lab," he said. "Using your own laptop allows teachers to immediately start whatever lesson they are doing and then the kids can take that lesson wherever they go."

The idea for a four day week was triggered by poor attendance numbers among students with extracurricular activity responsibilities.

"The largest reason was to minimize absenteeism between both students and teachers," Hahn said. "I had students missing as many as forty-five days a year mostly due to school activities."

Not having school on Fridays allows students to travel with their school clubs without consequence or being left out of their scholastic responsibilities.

"We went from an average of twenty-three days missed per student, per year in high school to about seven or eight," Hahn said.

The changes didn't stop there, another key change during Hahn's run included updated housing for teachers, which has been a key selling point amongst teachers new and old to Saco.

As a high school basketball referee, Hahn proposed the mercy rule in which a running clock is triggered when a team is down by 40 or more points. It is a rule that is still used today.

There are several things Hahn will miss in retirement; one of those things he will miss is the growth of students.

"It's always rewarding to see students mature into a positive role model," Hahn said. "When I can have an input in trying to encourage kids to change their behaviors to be positive role models instead of negative, to see that happen is really fun. That's happened in all the places I've been in."

Above everything Hahn admitted he will miss the kids.

"I know that sounds odd but it's fun to watch them grow," he said. "In Saco and Turner you see these kids start kindergarten and grow into different levels of academic achievement and personal growth, its fun to watch that."

Hahn will also miss the staff he's worked with.

"There are great people in Saco and Turner," he said. "Fortunately we're going to live here so I'll still be able to see these people on a regular basis and enjoy their friendship and companionship throughout."

Both Hahn and his wife will stay busy working for the next couple of years, but Hahn's retirement will allow them a chance to travel, hunt, fish and camp.

"We intend to be able to have a more relaxed lifestyle with both of us having worked so much throughout our lives," he said.

Gordon and Robin raised two children, Parker and Andi who both are graduates of Glasgow High and went on to the US Military. Parker is a major in the military as well as a registered nurse and a father of four. Andi is a captain in the military, has a chemistry degree, and is a public affairs officer with two kids.