A little free library sits outside Heidi Ondek’s home, and the symbolism of that little wooden box on a stand doesn’t go unnoticed by people who know Ondek, a Sewickley woman who has devoted her life to education.
“My children gave me that little library as a Christmas gift,” said Ondek, executive director and superintendent for the Western Pennsylvania School for Blind Children in Oakland. “The sentiment didn’t go unnoticed. It was such a meaningful gift. Seeing people walking by and stopping to drop off and take books puts a smile on my face.”
Education is Ondek’s passion. For more than four decades, she has walked the halls of schools. Her final school year is ending.
Ondek, 62, is officially retiring June 30. But she will never stop making sure that the library is filled with access to knowledge that comes from the pages in those books.
The desire to teach began for Ondek, who grew up in upstate New York, when she attended Slippery Rock University and earned her Bachelor of Science in education. She studied special education, elementary education and Spanish, which led to her first job in El Paso, Texas. She worked with Spanish-speaking children who had emotional and behavioral challenges.
“It was there that I found a love for working with children who disliked school, and that opened doors for me because I had the desire to work with kids who were resistant to schooling,” said Ondek. “As a child, I didn’t love school. I did love art and would often hang out in the art room.”
Throughout her 41-year career, she’s incorporated art into her curriculum.
“Art brings energy and vibrance and engagement to schools in classrooms and school communities,” she said.
She moved to Western Pennsylvania in 1989 and taught in the behavior support field and the gifted support field and worked in the high school dropout prevention program at Trinity School District in Washington County. She moved on to the Fort Cherry School District in Washington County, where she was director of special education and professional development.
Ondek was the first female principal at Northgate Elementary in 1997. In 2004, she was hired at Quaker Valley, where she became a high school principal, assistant superintendent and the first female superintendent in the district before taking the job at the Western Pennsylvania School for Blind Children seven years ago.
Former Quaker Valley School District superintendent Jerry Longo met Ondek when she was interviewing for a position at Edgeworth Elementary School — but she withdrew her application because she was expecting her third child.
Not long after that, there was an opening for a high school principal.
Longo hired her.
He said she wasn’t an in-office principal; she was in the halls talking with teachers, students, staff and parents.
“You could tell when she walked in a classroom that she’d been there before,” Long said. “Everyone knew her. She is a real people person. She is talented and she has so much to offer.”
Longo promoted her to assistant superintendent.
Longo’s neighbor, Dr. Albert Biglan, a pediatric ophthalmologist on the board at the School for the Blind, asked if Longo knew Ondek because they were about to hire her.
“I was happy at Quaker Valley and imagined I would retire from there until I was offered an opportunity to interview for the position (at the Western Pennsylvania School for Blind Children),” she said.
Ondek was a big fan of the Western Pennsylvania School for Blind Children because her 17-year-old granddaughter is a student there. Ondek had been there several times through assignments with the Bureau of Special Education that serves the Pennsylvania Department of Education. She served as a compliance monitor for the bureau.
“I fell in love with the school and dreamed that one day I might volunteer there or serve on the board or in some other way,” said Ondek.
One of the highlights of her day is getting to see her granddaughter, Leila. Ondek has two daughters – Mikaela Halaja, 39, and Mackenzie Seymour, 37. Ondek’s son Eddie Ondek, 21, is exploring various career opportunities and studying to pursue a career in real estate.
She has eight grandchildren.
Halaja and Seymour are following in their mother’s footsteps. Halaja, who spent 10 years as a Montessori pre-school teacher, is the director of marketing and communications at Winchester Thurston School. Seymour is an art teacher in the Fox Chapel School District.
Featured Local Businesses
Dr. Caroline Johns, superintendent for the Northgate School District said via email that Ondek taught her the value of relationships and taking the time to nurture them.
“School administrators are busy people, Johns said. “Our ‘to do’ list is endless and then there are always the unexpected issues that come up. It is easy to get caught up in the ‘management’ part of our jobs. While that is important, quality leadership is built on the foundation of relationships. If you want to lead well, you have to build trust with the people you are leading. Heidi not only taught me the importance of this but she also modeled it at all times.”
Ondek recalled that during her time at Northgate, she would bring her girls to the school on the weekends and set up a microphone and they would sing and dance on the school’s stage while she worked. They would play school while they were there.
“They love it as much as I do, and I’m in awe of really of them and the work that they’ve done and continue to do,” Ondek said. “It is time for me to follow their careers now.”
As their mom prepares to step into retirement, it feels like the right moment to celebrate a woman whose impact on local education has been both profound and deeply personal to so many, Halaja said.
“She has an extraordinary gift for making people feel heard, valued and seen — whether they are colleagues, students or families,” Halaja said. “I think it won’t really hit her until she sees the (school) buses in the fall.”
Ondek said she plans to relax and spend time with her children and grandchildren.
She said she trusts her successor, Rebecca Renshaw, who was executive director for Lavelle School for the Blind in New York City.
“I have great respect for Rebecca as a colleague and a leader, and I have no doubt she will do great things and take the school to the next level,” said Ondek. “It gives me peace of mind knowing I’m leaving the school in good hands. I will always love this work and I will definitely miss it. It makes it difficult to retire. But I know it’s time. I’ve had so many people who believed in me, wonderful mentors, colleagues and boards who trusted me to lead.”
“I wanted young people to meet Heidi,” said Diane Kirk, former superintendent at Peters Township School District. “Heidi is such a great role model and mentor. She is gentle but strong. She wants to change the lives of children.”
Ondek has been doing that her entire life.
“I look back and think, ‘Wow, four decades,’ ” said Ondek, who is on the board of Friends of Quaker Valley Schools, a nonprofit that supports schools and school programs. “There are so many memories that will be forever with me. I’m so grateful to have been a part of so many children’s lives and hope that I gave them as much as they gave me.”