Teacher Says Retirement Makes Him Feel Old

James Tatro taught large animal science at W.B. Saul High School in Roxborough for over 30 years, and now that he’s retired he’s afraid he’s going to start feeling old.

“You come here everyday, and you get to be around young people all the time so you feel young yourself,” Tatro said.  “I don’t want to start hanging out with old people because I’m afraid I’ll start feeling old.”

W.B. Saul is one of two urban high schools in the country that is specifically geared around agriculture.  Students spend three hours a day “out in the field” learning animal science, plant science and veterinary skills.

“We have kids who raise their own animals from the time they’re born.  Then they show those animals at the farm show, and they sell them,” Tatro said.  “You should see the tears in their eyes the first time they go through that.”

Tatro tells that story to illustrate the uniqueness of the programs at Saul.  No one cries at the end of the year when they turn in their math book.

“We have a 98 percent daily attendance rate,” Tatro said.  “These programs make students want to come here.”

Saul features a neighborhood diverse population.  The school has at least one student from every neighborhood in the city.

“Some kids ride two or three buses for two hours to get here,” Tatro said.

“We’re also a very racially, gender and sexually oriented diverse school,” Tatro said. 

He added, “I’m going to miss it.  It’s like the end of a marriage.”