New High School Principal Hired
The Fairfield Community School District is happy to welcome Mr. Art Sathoff as its new high school principal. Mr. Sathoff has been employed at Pekin the last nineteen years and has been a secondary school administrator the last eight years. This school year he has served as a part-time superintendent of schools in Fremont as well as evaluating middle school and high school teachers and leading staff development at Pekin.
Mr. Sathoff grew up in north central Iowa, in Iowa Falls, and did his undergraduate work in English education at Wartburg College. After teaching two years in Fairfax, Missouri, he returned to Iowa to work and earned his M.A. in English literature from U.N.I. Further graduate work in education leadership was completed at Drake University, including a specialist degree in 2004. Mr. Sathoff is also completing a licensed ministry program. He has been married 19 years to his wife Cindy and they have two sons, Jordan, 18, and Trey, 15.
Mr. Sathoff is impressed by the Fairfield Community School District’s commitment to education and professional development. He looks forward to being a part of a tremendous administrative team and to working with the high school staff, school board, and community to continue to improve an already excellent school. To have the opportunity to continue to grow professionally without leaving southeast Iowa is something that Mr. Sathoff prizes. His familiarity with the Fairfield community and its schools will help ensure a smooth transition.
Superintendent Achelpohl said there were 37 candidates for the position and four finalists were interviewed by three stakeholder groups. Mr. Achelpohl believes all the stakeholder groups in the interview process confirmed that they expect certain strengths and they saw those strengths in Mr. Sathoff – integrity, enthusiasm, knowledge, and expertise. Mr. Sathoff is anxious to begin his work for the district at Fairfield High School.
