Dr. Doug Schuch, Regional School District 13’s Superintendent, has been in the position for a little over a year now. On Monday, March 7th, Coginchuag’s senior journalism class and members of the Devil’s Advocate newspaper had the opportunity to sit down with Dr. Schuch for an hour-long interview. While Dr. Schuch often attends school and community events, and can be seen talking to students, parents and community members, here are some facts you might not know about him.

Dr. Schuch served in the Navy during Operation Desert Storm, the 1990 campaign against Iraq in response to the Iraqi invasion and annexation of Kuwait.  Dr. Schuch worked as a meteorologist and oceanologist. He has said that his leadership experience in the military was very valuable to his career as an administrator. He said that some people may look to administrative work as an extension of teaching but it’s “less about being a teacher, and more about being a leader.”

He said he “had an engineering degree but did not want to be an engineer.” When he figured that out he was “too far into [his] undergrad to change.” His command “adopted” an elementary school, where they read to, tutored and interacted with students. When he left the navy, they were sad to see him go but encouraged his “passion about education and leadership.”  Dr. Schuch obtained a Bachelor’s degree in engineering from Duke University but then got a Master’s in Education in Curriculum and Instruction from George Mason University.

Dr. Schuch was originally a science teacher and varsity track coach. He taught for seven years before becoming an administrator. He hasn’t coached in awhile but led one of his former school districts to “two team state championships” and still enjoys going to track meets. 

One of his hobbies in the past has been endurance fitness. He has done marathons, two Ironmans™, ultramarathons and did the Bimbler’s Bluff 50k (a race in Guilford) in the past year. He finds that the races have not been about where you finish, but the endurance you put yourself through to finish. He said he found it “strangely addicting.”

Dr. Schuch’s last district, Bedford County Public Schools in Bedford Virginia, was significantly larger than Regional 13. He said “he’s loved everywhere he worked” but his last district was so large that it was hard for him to balance events. Though, when his daughters were in school, he noted that he tried to go to most things they were in. Schuch said that he loved that in our town, it was “the high school” so he didn’t have to pick and choose events to attend. 

Schuch mentioned that he enjoys a lot of the community events in our school and town. Last spring “stood out,” because it was “our first unmasked, outdoor event and so it was my first time to be with people, not just school people but community people.” Similarly, he also enjoyed the graduations because it was the first time he got to “address the public in person.”