A familiar face around school has become a well-known figure in the school administration at Northwood High School. Thanks to a statewide grant, Zack Chutz interned in the shadows of Dr. Bartholomew last year and is currently one of the Assistant Principals at Northwood.
“I was the fortunate recipient of a state grant through the Chatham County Schools called ‘The Principal Preparation for Excellence and Equity in Rural Schools Program (PPEERS),’” Chutz said. “[This program] is a specialized, accelerated masters program for school administration that focuses on excellence equity in schools.”
Although Chutz had not always planned on becoming an Assistant Principal, he one day hopes to operate his own school and his current position should help boost him into his dream occupation.
“I have always seen myself as somewhat of a public figure in the community where I can make a change,” Chutz said.
Chutz said that he is very fortunate to be able to start off his career at Northwood because of the diversity and the school’s large student population.
“I get to get my hand into a lot of different pots and learn a lot about school administration,” Chutz said, “At a smaller school, I would not have that opportunity, so I’m very fortunate to start my career here because there is so much to learn.”
Outside of school, Chutz enjoys creating projects that he can look at. He has a big garden at home around which he has built an arbor and a fence. He has also created a treehouse for his children.
Chutz says that there isn’t much in public education where you can look at a finished product.
“In school administration, and in teaching, there are few moments when you complete something because your product is a student’s mind, so you can’t really see the outcomes of your teaching,” Chutz said. “[This is why] I like to create things that I can look at.”
Chutz has become a friendly face around school, an administrator to whom students and staff can direct their questions and concerns. He loves Northwood because of its uniqueness and he hopes to continue his career here for a while.
