Danny Meier meets with a group of sophomores at lunchtime. Photo by Bonnie Hobbs.
Fairfax County — Robinson Secondary School still hasn’t found a new principal—but then, Danny Meier is a hard act to follow. He retired recently after serving 29 years with FCPS, the last 10 as Robinson’s leader.
“I’m proud of what we’ve done for the past 10 years,” he said. “But Robinson was an outstanding school when I got here. So I’ve had an opportunity to polish this jewel and, hopefully, enhance it.”
“I’ve tried to bring the talents and skills I have to make it even better,” continued Meier. “And that’ll be the challenge to the next principal—to make it one of the best schools in the world.”
He and his wife Annie, a secretary in the superintendent’s office, live in Fairfax Station and have four children. Mike, 24, a West Point grad, is an Army second lieutenant at Fort Sill, Okla.; Timmy, 22, and Joe, 20, are both cadets at West Point; and Mary, 18, just graduated from Robinson and, after college, plans to pursue a career in music.
There have only been five principals in Robinson’s 42 years, and Meier’s proud to have been among them. “I didn’t grow up wanting to be a principal, but I knew I wanted to work with kids,” he said. “My father always said, ‘Do something you love.’ And in 35 years in education, I’ve never had a day when I didn’t want to go to work. I stayed here five years beyond when I could have retired because I loved it so much.”
Calling it “a blessing to work with our nation’s youth and to touch the next generation,” Meier said the greatest gift a former educator, counselor or coach can receive is when former students tell them he or she made a difference in their lives. “Many of them have done this to me and it’s great,” he said.
“I tell teachers it’s not important that students like us now,” said Meier. “It’s important that they respect us, 10-15 years from now. Students remember the teachers who challenged them.”
BEFORE COMING TO ROBINSON, he was director of student services and assistant principal at Herndon High, plus principal of Rocky Run Middle School. He was also head football coach at three different high schools, coaching three teams to Virginia state championships.
“When I left coaching, I realized it was my time to give back to teachers the support of principals I’d trusted and admired for 20 years,” explained Meier. “And to be a good principal, you have to remember what it’s like to be a good teacher.”
So not surprisingly, one of his most meaningful honors came from the Fairfax Federation of Teachers, which rated him a top principal for five years. And in May 2012, the U.S. News & World Report named Robinson one of the top 100 high schools in America and in the top five in Virginia.
Still, what Meier’s proudest of, he said, is “the climate of our school—a culture of confidence. The kids, teachers and parents love it so much. If the students see us laughing and having a good time, so do they. So I looked for opportunities to get involved with the kids and have fun. We have a lot of school pride and spirit, and Robinson is the hub of this community.”
With nearly 4,000 students—2,700 in the secondary school and 1,200 in the middle school—Robinson is one of the largest schools in Virginia. But Meier did his best to get to know as many of the students as he could. He visited classrooms and kept in touch via Twitter, his blog on the school’s website and Robinson’s daily TV program.
He also attended all the school events and held regular, informal lunch meetings with different groups of students to hear their concerns. “It’s not unlike being mayor of a small town,” he said. “You’ve got to get to know your constituents and stakeholders.”
While Meier was at Robinson, the school grounds were enhanced with avenue banners on light poles, new stadium entrances, gardens, a Robinson Ram statue, new scoreboards, wall murals and a clock tower that plays songs and chimes the hours. He said they were to give “a sense of place and pride” to the school.
“But the most important thing a principal does is to hire the best and brightest teachers,” said Meier. “We have a wonderful faculty and that’s what makes a great school.” He also passed on sage advice to the students.
At a recent lunch meeting, he told them, “If the good kids step forward when the knuckleheads are doing something wrong, we don’t have to make rules that inconvenience all of you. It’s being a good citizen and it makes the school atmosphere better for all of us.”
Meier said it’s exhilarating leading such a large school, but it’s also “like having a wild animal as a pet. You may think you have it tamed, but things can happen at any time, so you always have to be prepared and never let your guard down.” He also believes in helping students learn from their mistakes “so they won’t make even bigger ones later.”
Most satisfying, he said, was “the outpouring of affection from students, faculty and staff since I announced my retirement. It’s been heartwarming to see that I’ve connected with them and made a difference and they appreciate it. I feel like I’m leaving Robinson better than I found it; I tell the seventh graders to do that, and I’ve tried doing it throughout my career.”
NOW 59, Meier retired because “I just felt it was time.” In March, he had no job plans, saying, “The Lord’s always directed me, and I have faith that a path will open and I’ll follow it. But hopefully, I’ll be working with kids again in the future; I consider it my calling.”
Then in mid-April, he was named Robinson’s interim varsity football coach, since that position was open. When a new principal is named, that person will decide whether to keep Meier in that post or hire someone else. Meanwhile, the team’s in good hands. Before going into administration, Meier coached Chantilly High to one state championship and West Potomac to two, amassing a 47-12 record at Chantilly and a 68-16 record at West Potomac.