Greater Latrobe OKs superintendent's retirement, promotion of assistant

Greater Latrobe School District’s top administrative leaders passed the baton this week, as the school board approved Superintendent Georgia Teppert’s retirement and promoted Assistant Superintendent Michael Porembka to succeed her.

The transition will happenat the beginning of 2022, with Teppert departing on Jan. 3 and Porembka picking up where she left off the following day.

The board approved a 5-year agreement with Porembka in his new role, which comes with a starting salary of $170,000.

Porembka and Teppert have worked together over the past decade as each has held various administrative positions at the district.

“My goals are her goals,” he said. “She and I work together so much on everything.

“She set the table perfectly for us to move into the next two to three decades. I look forward to accomplishing her goals and moving forward with the vision that she’s had for the district.”

As noted in a proposed 2021-2025 Future Ready Comprehensive Plan for the district, those shared goals include focusing on project-based, collaborative learning for students with a balance among academics, the arts and athletics. Greater Latrobe also is looking to promote a “growth mindset” that acknowledges students learn at their own pace and should have the opportunity for remediation when it comes to academic topics they initially may fail to master.

Teppert is wrapping up a career in education that has stretched over more than 34 years, including 23 years at Greater Latrobe.

She appreciates the support she has received through the years from the school board, staff and community, she said.

In retirement, she’s planning on “spending more time with my family and maybe just having a little more time for my personal well being,” she said.

That includes more time with a daughter who is a junior at Greater Latrobe Senior High.

“I’m looking forward to being a mom and watching her activities,” Teppert said.

She is most proud of how the district has met the challenge of providing its students an education during the covid-19 pandemic, Teppert said.

“Our students were in school probably more than many other districts,” she said. “That’s a credit to our entire staff, our teachers, our administrative team. As rough as that was, it definitely has been an accomplishment.”

“My goal is to see the district through the end of the pandemic and well beyond,” Porembka said.

One of the challenges ahead, he said, will be maintaining the physical spaces where students come to learn.

“We have multiple buildings in the district that are due for renovation,” he said. “When you do a renovation, you’re not just looking at today. You’re looking at a building that’s got to sustain for 25 or 30 years.”

School board member Susan Mains praised Teppert and Porembka as strong leaders. She said Teppert has had “great ideas for education” while Porembka is “someone people can look up to and count on in any situation.”

Teppert started her career as a teacher, at the Valley School of Ligonier, in Ligonier Township, and then at Southmoreland High School. After completing assistant principal stints at Richland and Ligonier Valley high schools, she served as principal at Laurel Valley High School.

She joined Greater Latrobe as assistant senior high principal and then was promoted to senior high principal, director of support services and assistant superintendent. She has served as superintendent since August 2019.

Porembka became assistant superintendent at about the same time and has served as director of safety and security since July 2013.

He began his education career at Greater Latrobe in August 1998, as a secondary social studies teacher.He has held various administrative posts since 2005 including principal of Baggaley Elementary, assistant junior high principal, interim director of facilities and director of teaching and learning.