Sanger Unified superintendent connects with students through 'Dr. Wiechmann Challenge'

SANGER, Calif. (KFSN) -- Walking the halls at Madison Elementary School, Sanger Unified Superintendent Dr. Dennis Wiechmann is hit with high fives and sugary treats.

But it's in the classrooms where Wiechmann is making true connections through what he calls the 'Dr. Weichmann Challenge.'

The 'Dr. Wiechmann Challenge' really evolved as a way to interact with the students and honor the learning that's happening in the classroom.

The idea sparked from a principal in the school district who did something similar on their own campus.

Wiechmann took the idea and ran with it.

Instead of his previous classroom visits that would be only a couple minutes, now, he's sticking around and allowing students to test him with questions connected to the lesson.

Wiechmann works through the problem step by step and asks for help along the way.

He also admits to the students if he's made a mistake.

That's something sixth-grade student Aubrey Martin said she enjoyed seeing.

"He was like a real person and wasn't just like hiding himself for the camera," Martin said.

Teacher Jackie Billings says she enjoyed seeing the confidence in her students.

"It was fun today to see that kind of role reversal where they were trying to teach him, stump him and support him," Billings said.

She says many of the students don't necessarily understand what the superintendent does, but they know he's important and that is important to them.

"That face, that body in that room, the kids - they long for those connections. They want to be made to feel special," Billings said.

Before he leaves, the superintendent always spends time answering questions unrelated to the lesson.

He says he gets just as much out of the visit.

He often times leaves feeling fired up and proud of the teachers and students.

"Sanger Unified, we have done amazing things, but being able to walk through the classrooms and then interact with that learning that's going on really reaffirms just the amount of work that all of our staff do to make sure that our students are successful," Wiechmann said.

Superintendent Wiechmann says he hopes to make the visit to every classroom in the district this year.

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