Randy Foos will retire from the district at the end of the school year. His wife, Lori, will stay for another four years.
In the mornings, Randy Foos greets students with high fives, fist bumps and big smiles as they enter the elementary school.
But this will be his last year working in the building after spending almost 40 years in the district.
“I feel that the kids that I’ve worked with, every student that has come into my classroom over the years, has molded me as an educator,” he said.
He’ll be missed for his daily chats, humor, kind nature, encouraging spirit and humility, Principal Seth Heide said.
He taught at the elementary school, then taught health, PE and coached at the middle school until retiring from that role 10 years ago. He subbed for a year after that and then was approached about moving to a para position. He worked in the life skills class at the middle school, and then moved to the elementary school.
Foos followed in the footsteps of his father, who was a teacher, coach and principal during his career. It was never his initial plan, but it’s just how it happened, he said.
His decision to retire now feels right, he said. His dad died at 56, and his parents never had the chance to spend time together after he was retired, which is a lot of the reason he’s deciding to leave now, Foos said.
It’s been 37 years now, and his body and mind are telling him it’s time, he said. His wife, Lori, also works in the elementary school, and she’ll retire in four years. They plan to travel and spend time together. He’ll also be able to spend more time with his almost 90-year-old mother.
The decision is full of mixed emotions. He’s excited to have free time, but it’s hard knowing he’s been walking into the schools for decades and that everything is changing.
Eudora has always shown him how much it cares about students whether it’s building connections with kids or other staff members. What kept him in the district was his desire to be part of that community, he said.
“I’ve seen the growth that we’ve made over the time, and I really, truly believe that the betterment of the child is the number one priority in this district, and now that is definitely my goal, to make sure that the kids in our community are nurtured and made to be ready for the outside world,” Foos said.
Even if he feels low some days when he comes to school, he knows that he gets a quick change as soon as he starts getting high fives, hugs, fist bumps and smiles from kids entering school.
At the end of the day, he’s able to talk to grandparents, aunts, uncles and parents as they pick up students, so he’s seen the happy family, togetherness within the district, he said.
Being a para has given Foos the chance to do what he really loves – working with kids. He’s no longer in charge of getting a classroom in order, but he still can have fun and joke around with students.
“I still have the ability to work with the kids, and that is what brings joy to my heart,” he said.
He’s learned over the years that people can share, love and discipline and still have a good relationship.
Foos is originally from Perry, but is a firm believer of living where he teaches because he wants to be a part of the community. Eudora has become his home, and he and his wife plan to stay in town.
He’s looked at every student he’s taught or worked with as an individual with different personalities and strengths, which has allowed him to help each student find a positive outlook. Every student brings something special to the table, he said.
During his first year of teaching in Emporia, he had a bubbly girl in his class who always came to class with a smile. Years later, he had a student come up to him while he was sitting at the table in the gym in Eudora and say, “My grandma knows you.”
He wasn’t sure who she was talking about, but then she said Foos taught her aunt. The prior little girl in his class was that student’s aunt, and she had gone on to become a teacher herself, and now Foos was teaching her niece in Eudora.
Connections like those make the job special, he said.
Foos wants to thank the community for the support, and for making him feel a part of their families. Seeing new generations of students he used to teach touches him, and it’s a reason he has stayed.
“Seth kept telling me I was a legend. I don’t consider myself a legend. I’m just old and fortunate enough that I’ve been able to work in one place for all these years,” he said.
Being able to say he worked in the district as long as he did and made all the connections he did makes him feel content.
It never dawned on him just how long it’s been because it just flew by in the day-to-day routine of it all, he said.
His wife, Lori, is happy for him and looking forward to when they are both retired.
“He’s done a lot for the community and done a lot for the school,” she said. “I think it’s time for him to hang it up and enjoy the rest of his life.”
She started working in Eudora after the two had met, and has now been a kindergarten aide for 20 years.
They’re about to celebrate their 20th anniversary, which has also flown by, they agreed.
Lori is excited for him to do whatever he wants with his days – and that he won’t have to wake up early for school every day.
Heide has always seen Foos as an encouragement to him. Not only is he great in a professional sense, but also as a friend, he said.
Foos also taught Heide’s wife, as well as kids in middle school, so he has a special place in Heide’s heart, he said.
Heide first thought Foos was going to retire last year, and then he decided to stay another year, so Heide’s been able to treasure the additional time.
He’s gentle, kind and never judgmental. He talks with kids like he’s a friend, and that’s how he acts with adults too, Heide said. He cares about getting to know people on a personal level.
“He’s a good man to have around all the time,” he said.
Whenever possible, he’s connecting with second-generation students and building connections from the sheer time he’s spent in the district, Heide said.
“He has really good insights and thoughts and, again, always in a humble and kind way,” he said. “He’s there for you. He’s praying for you.”