Joshua Ringling said his first order of business as the new principal of Osborne Elementary School is building relationships with students, staff, administrators and Quaker Valley-area families.
Welcomed with cards, posters, a paper hat and other odds and ends, the Greensburg native recently moved back to the area to start what he described as a dream job Feb. 2.
Ringling, 37, was still full of excitement the following day when he talked about joining the district about halfway through the school year.
“I’m absolutely thrilled to be here,” he said. “There’s been a warm outpouring of support. I’ve been fortunate with my experiences so far out of state in Virginia. When you see a school district like Quaker Valley have a job opening, you know it’s a place you can only dream of working.
“To go through the process, which was extremely rigorous, and be the one selected, it’s an exciting thing — I think a big responsibility as well for the students, the families and the teachers of our building. I’m excited.”
Resume and background
Ringling graduated from Greensburg Central Catholic in 2006. He went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in elementary education Pre K-6 from Wheeling Jesuit University, now called Wheeling University. He also played lacrosse for four years at the university.
Ringling said he had a change of heart his sophomore year and shifted from finance and accounting to education.
“It’s always been about community, helping people and supporting them is kind of how I viewed it,” he said. “I’m happy with my decision as I look back. … I switched to something I was passionate about versus something I knew would be lucrative.”
Ringling also comes from a family of educators. He has several aunts and uncles, as well as a sister and a cousin teaching at various schools in Western Pennsylvania.
“All of my family has been instrumental in shaping me as the individual I’ve become,” Ringling said.
Other educational accomplishments include a master’s degree and a doctorate in school administration from Old Dominion University and a reading specialist certification from the University of Pittsburgh.
Ringling’s first taste in the educational field was as a volunteer for one of his aunts in the Greensburg Salem School District. He also worked as a reading specialist intern there before becoming a reading specialist and elementary teacher for Hampton City Schools in Virginia.
Ringling served as an assistant principal at W.T. Cooke Elementary School and Thoroughgood Elementary School, both in Virginia Beach, and as principal of Christopher Farms Elementary School for the Virginia Beach City Public Schools.
He said he was grateful for his time at those schools and is happy to be back in his old stomping grounds.
“No matter what, my pull is still to here,” Ringling said. “Western Pa. as a whole has shaped me in who I’ve become as a person. It was always in the peripheral of if an opportunity presented itself, I wanted to take it.”
Ringling left a school of about 600 students for one with about 400 students.
He does not plan to introduce any programs or initiatives from Virginia Beach at this time. Those discussions may take place after the school year.
“My biggest responsibility right now is to listen and learn, being a mid-year transition and not shaking things up,” Ringling said.
“As the principal, I’m in charge of steering where we go and things like that. It wouldn’t be right to come in here and completely try and reinvent the wheel or change course of what’s going on right now.”
Finding a new administrator
The district launched an extensive search for a new principal last year after learning of the projected departure of then-Principal Benjamin Canan.
Canan was hired in August 2022.
The board accepted Canan’s resignation in November. His last day was Jan. 5.
He left to take a position with the Allegheny Intermediate Unit but remains the voice of certain Quaker Valley sports.
“We are grateful for his leadership and positive impact he has had on the school community,” district spokesperson Michelle Dietz said Feb. 2.
“We are excited to continue (to) see and hear him as he announces Quaker Valley football and basketball games.”
Michael Allison filled in as interim principal last month. He previously was the principal of Hopewell High School from 2000-24. Allison’s service was made possible through the Pennsylvania Principals Association, which provides experienced educational leaders to support schools during periods of transition.
District officials announced Ringling’s hiring in early January. The school board voted to make it official Jan. 21.
Ringling’s prorated salary is $123,850. He was selected out of more than 30 applicants.
“Dr. Ringling emerged as the successful candidate following a rigorous search process,” Superintendent Tammy Andreyko said in a district release. “His experience, passion for education and genuine enthusiasm for supporting both students and teachers make him an excellent fit for Osborne Elementary. We are excited for the energy and leadership he will bring to the school.”