Fox School District administrators Dan and Angie Baker will retire at the end of this school year. The married couple have worked in the district for a combined 56 years.
Dan, 53, is the Seckman Elementary School principal, and Angie, 55, is the Ridgewood Middle School assistant principal.
“I think it is time to try something different and let somebody else lead (Seckman Elementary),” Dan said.
“I want to spend more time with my family, and let the next generation start leading things in the district,” Angie said.
Dan began working for the Fox district in 1994 and has been the Seckman Elementary principal since 2015. He is being paid a salary of $141,087 this school year.
Angie has worked for the district since 2000 and has been the Ridgewood Middle assistant principal since 2019. Her salary for this school year is $115,384
The two first met when they were teachers at Fox Elementary School, and they got married in July 2012. They have a blended family of five adult children, as well as three grandchildren.
The Bakers’ official last day with the district will be June 30.
Dan Baker
Dan said it was a tough call to retire after working in education for 13 years, especially because of how much he has enjoyed the last decade at Seckman Elementary.
“It is just easy to work with the parents, staff and students,” he said. “It is hard to walk away from that.”
Dan started his career as a special education teacher at Fox and Sherwood elementary schools during the 1994-1995 school year. The next year, he taught only at Fox Elementary, where he remained until June 2004. He was named the Missouri Special Education Teacher of the Year in 2003.
“That was neat, just to know you are kind of on the right path as far as doing something good for the kids,” he said of the award. “That was a highlight.”
Dan was promoted to assistant principal and worked at Guffey, Lone Dell and Meramec Heights elementary schools for the 2004-2005 school year.
“We only had three (elementary) assistant principals in the district at that time,” he said. “I don’t know how much we helped, but it was good to see the different buildings.”
In August 2005, Dan was named the principal at Hodge Elementary before being promoted to assistant superintendent of elementary education in July 2007.
Then, in July 2015, he left the Central Office and became the Seckman Elementary principal.
“I am very thankful for my time at (Fox C-6),” he said. “I was able to grow professionally and personally in the district. I was able to go to school for 31 years, and I didn’t always consider it a job because it was very rewarding. I hope I made some sort of impact on a positive note for the kids and families.”
Dan said he is not sure what he will do in retirement.
“I will find something to do, but it will be a little less stressful,” he said. “I love the outdoors. I don’t have any plans, but I want to do something outside, if I can.”
Angie Baker
Angie taught at Fox Elementary from August 2000 through June 2006 before being named an assistant principal.
She split her time between Sherwood and Simpson elementary schools during the 2006-2007 school year before moving over to Meramec Heights Elementary for the 2007-2008 school year, remaining in that job until June 2010, when she became the assistant principal at Antonia and Fox middle schools.
Then, Angie was named the director of federal programs in January 2011 and continued in that role through June 2019. While serving as a director, Angie also worked as an assistant principal at Clyde Hamrick Elementary for the 2014-2015 school year and was the Parents as Teacher coordinator.
In July 2019, she became the assistant principal at Ridgewood Middle.
“I am really thankful I got to work in some of the programs that helped those who need the help the most, particularly my time working as the foster care liaison and homeless liaison,” Angie said. “I just always wanted God to put me wherever people needed me the most. I have a strong faith and believe God puts me where he wants me.”
Angie said she plans to sell plants she grows at home after retirement from the district, adding that she will sell them through a website and various farmers markets and arts and craft fairs.
“It will be called From a Seed,” she said of the business. “I have been working to get things set up. I have the domain name. I just have to put the website together.”
Angie said she also will look for volunteer opportunities to work with children.
“I will miss being around kids a lot, but I plan on volunteering to be able to stay around the younger generation,” she said.
Angie said she is thankful she worked for the Fox district.
“I loved it and every opportunity and person I got to work with,” she said. “I am just super thankful that I had this opportunity to have this great career, and I love the people in this community very much.”