New Hamilton Southeastern High School Principal Chad Cripe Focuses On Building Relationships
Photographer / Ron Wise
As he settles into his second semester as principal of Hamilton Southeastern High School, Chad Cripe is both grateful and full of enthusiasm.
“I appreciate the opportunity to serve the community, teachers and the students,” Cripe says. “I can’t wait to see how we will build on the tradition of excellence that is here, and how far we can go by all working together.”
Last spring, after a thorough search process and a series of interviews, the Hamilton Southeastern Board of School Trustees selected Cripe to take on the school’s main leadership role. Cripe began serving as principal in July. Although he is new to the school district, he has been an educator since 2002, when he began teaching government, geography, AP geography and U.S. history at Perry Meridian High School in Indianapolis.
Cripe brings several years of administrative experience to the position. He has been both a principal and an assistant principal at secondary schools in Indiana. While Cripe was principal of Tippecanoe Valley High School in Akron, Indiana, the school earned an A rating from the Indiana Department of Education and the United States Department of Education. He was also assistant principal at Manchester Junior-Senior High School in North Manchester, Indiana.
“I have four children ages 21 to 7,” Cripe says. “I’m now a proud Fishers homeowner.”
Currently working on a doctorate degree from Ball State University, Cripe also holds school safety specialist, building level administration, and superintendent licenses. The focus of his doctorate dissertation is the effect that e-learning has on student achievement. E-learning is online learning facilitated by devices like computers or tablets. Cripe is especially interested in the usefulness of e-learning during weather-related school closings.
“I am hoping to be done with my doctorate by December of 2020, but at the latest it will be May of 2021,” Cripe explains. “I am almost ready to send surveys out to school districts to gather data. I want to see if there is a correlation between letter grades and using e-learning on bad-weather days. I’m researching if students follow through with online learning, or refuse to use it at all. I’m also interested in looking at the decision-making process of declaring a bad-weather day.”
When asked if he would like to introduce any new policies or initiatives, Cripe says he is currently focused on understanding the culture of excellence at Hamilton Southeastern High School.
“I want to build on that tradition and build relationships,” he says. “I’m striving to understand what has led to the continued success of the school. I enjoy helping kids be successful in their high school years and beyond. Everyone here has been fantastic. I’ve had a great start and I’m ready for it to continue. I’m humbled by what a great opportunity this is.”
