Dr. Daniel Toberman, Collinsville High School Principal, has announced that he will resign at the end of the 2024-2025 school year.
This announcement shocked many people, and the halls of CHS were buzzing with questions about his decision.
I was given the opportunity to sit across from Dr. Toberman and ask him a few questions regarding his time at CHS as well as his decision to resign.
He talks about his past at CHS, his ideal future, and how he came up with the iconic, “Win the day” slogan.
With a background in journalism, Dr. Toberman was more than ready to be in the hot seat.
Naomi Hurst (NH): How long have you worked here at CHS as a teacher, principal, assistant principal, etc?
Dr. Toberman (DT): So, I am finishing up my seventeenth year at Collinsville High School. Eight years as an English teacher, five as an assistant principal, and my fourth as the principal.
NH: So what made you decide to resign after so many years?
DT: I loved my time here, and I love so many of the people: the students, the staff, the memories, the friendships. I just look at it as moving on, not moving out. I think I’m just at a time in my life where it’s time to take on new challenges. I’ve got a 10-year-old son, and the time commitment to be a high school principal is a lot… So, I just saw the workload and the fact that I’ve been gone a lot of evenings, and I’ve missed some of his events, so I just thought now would be the time to do something else.
NH: Of those things that you mentioned: the friendships, the memories, etc. What is one thing you think you’ll miss most about your time here at CHS?
DT: The people… The students, I love all of the students and interacting with the students is one of the best things that I got to do all the time. I got to sub an English class last week, and that was awesome. It was just for one hour, but it was great to be in the classroom again. I love being a teacher. I can’t say that I love being an administrator– I love parts of being an administrator, but overall, I definitely like being a teacher better… There’s [also] a lot of lifelong friendships that I’ve made… Just overall, the people… I’m gonna miss being at a school and the people who work in education for sure.
NH: You said that you view this experience as “moving on, not moving out,” so what exactly do you want to do in the future?
DT: I want to work at a college… Teaching for sure, but I think I would like to get into administration in college at some point… I would also like to facilitate some of the ongoing training to help principals keep their certifications. Those are called “Administrative Academies,” so perhaps do some of that.
NH: Do you want to stick around here, or are your horizons pretty open?
DT: I want to stay here at least in the short term. I gotta be honest, I don’t like the winter, so eventually, I’d like to move south where there’s no winter, or at least less of a winter.
NH: What do you want your legacy at CHS to be? What do you want people to think right away when they hear the name Dr. Toberman?
DT: That he tried his best. Every decision he made he was trying to do what’s best for the school and the students in it… I just tried to continue the legacy of Collinsville.
NH: Alright, closing out here. What do you want to say to CHS, sort of a “famous last words” of Dr. Toberman?
DT: “Win the Day,” right? It’s so much more than just a tagline… I came up with that slogan because it’s hard to find wins every day, right? Days can be hard, but if you think about just some small accomplishment every day, you can take something positive from that day. Sometimes, that’s really hard, but I bet something happened even on bad days that at least made you smile, made you feel good about it. So, that’s where “Win the Day” came from.
We wish you the best of luck on your travels, Dr. Toberman. As a member of the only graduating class to have witnessed your full career as a Principal, I thank you for your compassion and interactions with students. There will always be an open door here at CHS for you. Win the day.
