Gonzaga Prep promotes Duchesne to principal: ‘I feel called to the next level in support of the mission of the school’

Gonzaga Preparatory School’s search for a new principal didn’t go far – the selection committee is picking current academic vice president Derek Duchesne to lead the Jesuit school beginning July 1.

Duchesne, who has been at the school since 1999, was selected by a committee that included faculty, staff, board members, alumni and parents.

“We look forward with great anticipation to the gifts and talents that Derek will bring to this new role and the impact his leadership will have on the future of Gonzaga Prep,” said school president Michael Dougherty.

Duchesne has local roots, having grown up in the area and graduated from University High School in 1993. He left Spokane to earn a degree in chemistry and teaching at Washington State University. “I was always drawn to the sciences,” he said.

He took his first job as a teacher at Prep, spending eight years teaching chemistry and math while also coaching football and baseball. His wife, Elizabeth, is also a teacher, now at Hutton Elementary.

After his first eight years of teaching, Duchesne decided to shift into administration because he wanted to have more of a leadership role in the school. He spent two years as Dean of Students before becoming the academic vice president in 2009. At the time, he wanted to focus more on professional development for the school’s teachers and curriculum.

“I thought I had a better skill set for this position for a curriculum perspective,” he said.

He earned a Master’s degree in education with a focus on curriculum and instruction in 2002, followed by his principal’s certification in 2008, both from Eastern Washington University.

During his lengthy tenure at Gonzaga Prep, Duchesne said he never thought of going to any other schools. He has talked to friends who are teachers about their experience in their schools and said he realized he didn’t want to be anywhere else.

“It’s been a great place to build a career,” he said. “I’m spoiled by the people I work with. I’m spoiled by the students who walk in the door.”

He likes that the school is focused on a college preparatory experience with an emphasis on character formation.

Duchesne is replacing Principal Cindy Reopelle, who took on the role in 2012 and has announced she is leaving Prep to take on a leadership position in a Jesuit ministry at St. Aloysius Parish. Duchesne said he considered applying for the position back in 2012, but he had two small children at the time and was wary of the increased time commitment. His youngest is a junior, and he has more time available for the role now.

“Professionally, I feel called to that next level in support of the mission of the school,” he said. “I’m looking forward to being a part of the larger vision of the school.”

Duchesne said he appreciates that his job allows him to “talk faith” on a daily basis with staff and students. He has completed the Jesuit Schools Network’s Ignatian Leadership seminars and the Spiritual Exercises in Everyday Life to assist his work in a religious school.

These days, it is not unusual for a Jesuit high school to be led by someone who is not a Jesuit priest, Duchesne said. He said while it used to be that all Jesuit school leadership positions were filled by Jesuits and most of the teachers were also Jesuits, that simply doesn’t happen anymore because there aren’t enough Jesuits to go around. Prep currently only has two Jesuit teachers on staff.

“It’s our new reality,” he said. “Over time, the Jesuits further collaborated with laypeople to essentially hand the schools off to them. My career has been watching that change happen.”