High Road’s Valerie Quackenbush Retires After 41 Years

Valerie Quackenbush Leaves a Lasting Legacy

After 41 years in education, Valerie Quackenbush, fondly known to students simply as “Ms. Quack” or “Quack,” will retire this June, closing the chapter on an extraordinary career devoted to teaching. Of those four decades, the last was spent at the High Road School of Germantown, where she became a beloved and respected presence.

Throughout her career, Quackenbush taught a wide range of subjects, but during her time at Germantown, she served exclusively as an English teacher for students in grades 6–12. She worked primarily in multi-age and multi-grade classrooms. There, she embraced the challenges and rewards of supporting diverse academic, emotional, and behavioral needs. In several cases, she taught students over many years, watching some grow from middle schoolers into graduating seniors.

Her dedication and talent were recognized repeatedly when she received the Teacher of the Year award three times: 2018, 2024, and 2026. These honors reflect her deep commitment to her students’ growth as learners and as people.

A Career Built on Creativity and Connection

Quackenbush’s initial passion was writing, but she transitioned into teaching early in her career. She was originally drawn to the idea of a “summer-friendly” profession that allowed time to write and spend summers on the New Hampshire coast, where she grew up. It didn’t take long, however, for teaching to become far more than a practical choice. After her first position in a transitional bilingual program in Massachusetts, she became deeply invested in her students and their success. She worked with students from a wide range of cultural backgrounds. Teaching quickly became her lifelong calling.

Motivated to better serve her students, Quackenbush earned her certification in special education. She recognized that many of her ESL students also required additional support. This expanded expertise allowed her to better serve a unique and often overlooked group of learners with empathy and understanding.

Creativity has always been a hallmark of Quack’s teaching style. Her lessons frequently began with games, hands-on projects, and interactive experiences, sometimes with students only realizing afterward how much they had learned. She embraced technology as a powerful engagement tool and incorporated digital resources into her lessons. She also taught vocabulary through hip hop and rhythm-based learning, blending context clues, music, and memorability. Over the years, her classroom evolved alongside technology. Activities shifted from index-card games and scavenger hunts to interactive, computer-based vocabulary and review games. Throughout those changes, student connection remained at the center.

Building Community Inside the Classroom

One of the most beloved parts of her classroom was Freddie, her class mascot, also known affectionately as Baby Yoda. Freddie became an important member of the classroom community, offering comfort and calm to students who needed it. Many students found reassurance simply holding him, and he frequently appeared in class photos. The bond the students formed with Freddie was something Quackenbush never expected but deeply appreciated.

When asked what kept her going for more than four decades in education, Quack doesn’t point to grand moments or sweeping success stories, but rather to small victories: a student making progress, taking responsibility for their behavior, completing a journal entry for the first time, or discovering confidence they didn’t know they had. Watching a student go from barely recognizing letters to confidently reading challenging texts remains one of the most rewarding parts of her work.

Her philosophy of teaching emphasized community, joy, and humanity. She often challenged the old-school mindset of “never smile until December,” believing instead that laughter, connection and shared moments are essential ingredients for meaningful learning. Building a classroom community where students felt welcomed, valued, and supported was always central to her approach.

Over the course of her career, Quackenbush estimates she has taught close to 1,000 students, many of whom have stayed in touch over the years. She continues to celebrate their milestones, watching former students grow into productive, fulfilled adults.

Looking Ahead to Retirement

As she looks ahead to retirement, Quackenbush is excited about the freedom to travel outside of school vacation schedules. She has already booked an October cruise, which she fondly calls her “just because I can” trip. Retirement will also allow her to spend more time with family.

While she won’t miss early mornings, Quackenbush says she will deeply miss interacting with her students, the daily conversations, laughter and even the playful confusion of new students hearing classmates “quack” at her in the hallways.

When reflecting on her legacy, Quack hopes she will be remembered as someone who was demanding because she cared about her students’ education, personal growth and futures beyond the classroom.