Placer says goodbye to five teachers

Placer High School's first senior project board, "a great fight" between Placer's junior varsity basketball team and Nevada Union and his colleagues are among the things Mike Duda will remember when he retires. Duda is one of five teachers retiring from Placer High School this year. Teachers Dave Krizman, Marty Maeding, Cris Courter and Rad McCord are also retiring. "I would say the most memorable people I've known at Placer are Jug Covich, my first principal, and Bill Flake, who was the athletic director when I was hired," Duda said. "Both men love Placer and the students and worked hard every day to make it a special place for kids. I feel lucky to work with both of them."Duda, who taught at Placer for 30 years, will start his retirement years with his wife, Anne, who is also retiring this year. Anne, a Del Oro High School graduate, will retire after working for 36 years at her Alma Mater. "We plan to travel, work around the yards, and 'make it up as we go along,'" Duda said. "And, we won't be getting up at 5:45 a.m. to do any of these things!" Marty MaedingMaeding will have 24 years of teaching at Placer under his belt when he retires this year. Maeding has taught a variety of classes mostly centered around math and computer skills. He was initially hired at the high school as the machine shop teacher, where he said he made some of his most memorable memories. "When I taught machine shop, I had students who made and manufactured their own engines," Maeding said. He said he has enjoyed running into students once they have graduated. "They tend to be very, very thankful," Maeding said. Maeding said his retirement will be spent continuing to teach an engineering course at Sierra College while making time to restore the 1967 BSA motorcycle he owns. He'll also have more time for the plethora of hobbies he enjoys including bicycling, kayaking, fishing, Scuba diving and more. David KrizmanAfter 32 years at Placer High School, David Krizman will have a lot to remember. He said he's enjoyed coaching varsity football, starting the Advanced Placement English program with a group of English teachers, sponsoring a trip for Advanced Placement English students to go to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival for 25 years and working with "great teachers," including Duda. Krizman said he will spend his retirement backpacking in the Sierra, watching his son play basketball for the University of California, San Diego and "being a student again." Krizman said as retirement nears, the feeling is "bittersweet." "I will certainly miss working with so many incredible students," Krizman said. "I will also miss working with some dedicated, professional teachers. But it's time." Cris CourterThirty-three years after he was first hired, Cris Courter decided it was time to start the next venture in his life. That wasn't before spending his teaching career with special education and Title I students at Placer High School. "It was just what I wanted to do and I was able to do it," Courter said when asked why he chose teaching. He said he's enjoyed the small classrooms and individualized teaching. "The job fit my lifestyle in general and it gave me an opportunity to serve and in this case, help out kids with special needs," Courter said. Courter, who retired earlier in the year, said he's enjoyed taking on home-improvement projects and continuing work in his ministry. He said he already misses teachers, staff and students. "(My time) was filled with great memories of teachers that became my friends," Courter said. "I've enjoyed seeing kids who've graduated and seeing what they're doing. To see how they're making it in the world feels good." Rad McCord will be featured in an upcoming edition. The Journal's Jenifer Gee can be reached at jeniferg@goldcountrymedia.com or post a comment.