MONTE VISTA - During Monte Vista schools last school board meeting, Superintendent Scott Wiedeman took an opportunity to thank Thomas Tichy for all that he had done for the Monte Vista School District. Tichy is stepping down as the district’s middle school principal. “I want to make a special thank you and give time for a young man that has been in our district for 20 years and served our kids and our community for quite some time. Everybody knows that he’s leaving and we hope we can keep him around in some other capacities,” said Wiedeman who then gave Tichy a chance to say a few words.
Tichy started by thanking everybody saying, “I really want to thank the staff I’ve worked with over the years. The students and the community.” Tichy went on to say how much he appreciated the Monte Vista school district and how they took care of their own sharing, “I’ve always felt that we’ve had school board members and we’ve had administrators that had not only what’s best for the students in mind but always were really looking out (for) and taking care of their staff.”
Tichy shared further the importance he feels about education saying, “One of the big things that I’ve always felt when I came into Monte, and I still do feel, is that I think education especially in communities such as ours saves lives. It’s that important. I’ve always felt that. I’ve worked especially in the leadership team over 11 years. Nine as a principal and two as the instructional coach and then previous I don’t know how many years as the association president. I feel that the vast majority of the people that I worked with take education as seriously as I do. And do realize that we do save lives with this. I want to thank specifically the leadership team I’ve been working with for the last like I said 11 plus years. We’ve accomplished a hell of a lot. I love the direction we’re going. I do want to ensure that we never forget that not only do we have what’s best with relationships but really we need to make sure that we’re not afraid of achievement. That academic achievement will get the kids where they need to be and be that transformational benefit to their outcomes. Lifelong outcomes not just educational outcomes.”
According to a bio from the Monte Vista Middle school’s website Tichy has been working with young adults as a professional educator since 1996. Tichy is a native to Colorado and grew up in Jefferson County. He went to Fort Lewis College and has a master’s degree in Secondary Education and Educational Leadership from Adams State University. Tichy spent two years teaching high school Science in North Carolina as a member of Teach for America, before he moved to the San Luis Valley in 1998. His first job in the Valley from 1998-2001 was as the director of the San Luis Valley Environmental Youth Corps based in Monte Vista. Tichy eventually joined the staff at Monte Vista Middle School in August 2001. Tichy has served the district in the role of 8th grade science teacher, president of the MVCEA, intern principal the spring of 2010, district Instructional coach and Middle School Principal. Andrew Hawkins has been hired to step in as the new Monte Vista Middle School Principal, as Tichy leaves after nearly two decades of serving the district.