After 22 years, Wes Paul has decided to retire as the principal of Oliver Ames. His retirement marks the end of an era–many in Easton can’t remember a time when he wasn’t the principal of OA. To commemorate his legacy at Oliver Ames, I talked with Mr. Paul about his time as principal and why he made his decision to retire.
From an early age, Mr. Paul was surrounded by educators. Both of his parents were teachers: his father a Psychology professor and his mother working in Special Ed. While he had always been exposed to the field of education, one particular moment stood out to him when deciding what path to take in the future. His high school biology teacher praised his ability to tell jokes and get the whole class involved in his presentations and “she said [Mr. Paul] had a gift for explaining complicated systems in a simple way.”
Mr. Paul’s love of sports, science, and teaching led him to enter college as a double Biology and Psychology major, and later a Masters in Secondary Education. “I knew fairly early that education was something that I enjoyed and could mix a couple of interests together.”
Although being a principal was not the path that Mr. Paul had in mind, he later discovered his love for not just helping his class, but the school as a whole. And the rest, they say, is history.
Mr. Paul has seen it all during his many years at OA. Jazz Band gold medals, Scholastic Art awards, soccer Hockomock championships, and even a pandemic. But when I asked him about a moment that stood out to him that he is most proud of, he had to stop for a second and think.
In the end, he couldn’t choose just one. His years at OA were not defined by the type of awards that got posted on the school website or in newspapers, though they were certainly important. “What makes me perhaps the proudest are the individuals who have success stories, who overcame the loss of a parent, who persevered, worked hard, and got into a school no one thought they could get into,” he says. The hard work of students overcoming the odds with the help of teachers, of facing adversity, was what he would remember the most.
But why stop now? Many have wondered about the cause of Mr. Paul’s retirement–at age 57 he is well below the normal retirement age. But he says the decision came down to spending more time with his family. Going to sporting or musical events takes up a lot of his time–often spending Friday and Saturday afternoons at the school. “I think after doing that for 22 years I’m ready to start having some opportunities to spend those weekends and those days with my family and my friends when I still have the opportunity.”
An organization called the Massachusetts Teacher Retirement System allows this to happen by helping teachers retire earlier than the typical age of 65 .
And he says COVID had no impact on his retirement plans. He had made the decision years prior to take an early retirement. While it has been difficult for him and the school, it wasn’t a major contributing factor in his plans. He still believes that it’s his job to do whatever possible to keep the school running smoothly, no matter the circumstances. But by announcing his retirement early, he hopes that he can give Easton public Schools more time to find a great replacement.
“It’s been a wonderful run. I’ve enjoyed every year. I get up every morning and look forward to going to school,” he says. After more than 2 decades, Mr. Paul leaves us with some parting advice. He urges students to take pride in their school, in the opportunities they’ve been given by their community, and remember “what it means to be a tiger for the rest of your life.”
From the Daily Olivian, thank you Mr. Paul, for all you’ve given to OA.