‘I made it my home': PJMS teacher retiring after 34 years with the school

For more than three decades, Linda Jo Klapperich has called Palmer Junior Middle School her second home. But the longtime teacher has decided it’s time to take the next step in her journey. After 34 years at PJMS, Klapperich will retire in the spring following the 2024-25 school year.

“My life has revolved around Palmer Middle School. It was a big decision for me,” Klapperich said. “But you’ve got to say no to some things to say yes to other things.”

Once she made her final decision, Klapperich said she shared her news with PJMS principal Ryan Geagel, and her friends and colleagues soon after.

“I was very surprised,” Geagel said. “I didn’t know if she’d ever retire.”

Geagel has worked with Klapperich for 12 years, the last 10 as a principal.

“She’s just caring,” he said. “She’s always the first one to notify me of a staff member’s birthday or someone having a hard time. She’s just helpful, caring and compassionate.”

Klapperich has taught just about every subject at every grade level at the school in her 34 years, since Dr. Larry Jacobsen hired the Wisconsin native Aug. 28, 1990.

“I made it my home,” Klapperich said. “If anyone was going to tell me I was going to be there until now, I wouldn’t have believed them.”

Teaching at the school has not been just a livelihood, the school has been a central part of her life.

“I invested a lot of time and effort,” Klapperich said.

And when her daughter, Angelina, was born in 1994, that didn’t change. Angelina was along for the ride.

“I brought her into school, came in a lot on the weekends,” Klapperich said.

Angelina Klapperich said she has many happy memories, spending time with her mom at the school.

“I certainly spent a lot of time there growing up,” Angelina said. “She would talk about me as a toddler crawling around on the floor. I spent all kinds of time at nights and on the weekends hanging out in her classroom.”

As she got older, Angelina said she would help her mom organize, sharpen pencils or with the long list of extracurricular activities her mom was involved with.

“I felt part of the PJMS family even before I went to middle school there,” Angelina said.

Klapperich shared more memories built there with her daughter.

“Every year for the last 20 years, the day after Thanksgiving, Angelina and I would go decorate the school,” Klapperich said.

Geagel said that’s another example of just how much the school means to Klapperich and Klapperich means to the school.

“She gets you ready for the season,” Geagel said. “You come in from the weekend and it looks like all of Santa’s little elves are around making Christmas happen at the school. And it’s L.J.”

MaryAnn Regan worked with Klapperich for about nine years and has known her for nearly 20.

“I think L.J.’s life has centered around, one, her daughter without a doubt, but also the kids at school,” Regan said. “What a testament to her to be doing it as long as she has been.”

Klapperich’s impact has gone far beyond the standard school day, with her involvement in a variety of clubs and activities.

Junior Achievement, spelling bees, geography bees, talent shows, cheerleading, speech club, Special Santa, food drives and Sunshine Club are all part of the long list.

“What I really enjoyed most was getting my students involved in other activities,” Klapperich said.

Among her favorites was Junior Achievement, which teaches students how to invest in their future.

“That was a huge part of my life,” Klapperich said. “I loved Junior Achievement.”

She said she was involved for about 10 years, and helped connect students to programs such as Job Corps and members of the local business community. Students learned interviewing skills and the economics of staying in school. One of her former students was asked to speak at a statewide event.

“She really created a legacy at Palmer Middle for a lot of reasons,” Regan said.

A highlight during her career came in 2010 when Klapperich was named the Teacher of the Year for the Mat-Su Borough School District and a finalist for the state award. Gene Stone, a former PJMS principal who would later become the district’s superintendent, nominated Klapperich.

“She makes sure every teacher’s birthdays are remembered, get-well cards are sent and baby gifts are purchased. She is Palmer Junior Middle School’s Ms. Sunshine. These acts of kindness and support are done in the name of making education the greatest and most honorable profession. I guarantee there is no teacher in this state who has given more to education than Ms. Klapperich,” Stone wrote in the nomination letter.

Stone worked with Klapperich during his five years as principal at PJMS, starting in 2006.

“She’s a great advocate for her colleagues, her kids, the administration. You couldn’t ask for a more positive, strong advocate for kids,” Stone said. “You have to have a Linda Jo to have a strong school climate, set the tone for all of the things the principal, administration and staff hope to have in terms of strong morale.”

The Teacher of the Year honor included an Alaska Legislature proclamation sponsored by then Sen. Linda Menard and then Rep. Wes Keller.

“Linda Jo inspires us all by living life unreservedly, doing what she loves,” the proclamation read. “Her passion and conviction that teaching remains one of the greatest professions in this world have generated countless academic, community and activity accomplishments that have benefited many.”

Other highlights, Klapperich said, are invitations by former superintendents to speak to district staff.

Dr. Kenneth Burnely asked Klapperich to speak to 2,000 staff employees.

“I wasn’t going to bring up data and testing. It was the connection with the kids. That’s what it’s all about,” Klapperich said.

Dr. Deena (Paramo) Bishop asked Klapperich to be a part of an event at the Menard Center attended by staff from all of the schools in the district. Bishop asked Klapperich to dress up as Flo, the character from the Progressive Insurance commercials.

“The whole Menard Center is full, and she goes, ‘do I see Flo?” Klapperich said. “And I said, Dr. Paramo, Dr, Paramo, you have such a progressive district. I had the white apron on. People still remember me as Flo.”

“That was pretty memorable. She really did that character amazingly well. People still associate her with Flo,” Stone said.

Stone also recalled the school readathons. Klapperich would don the cow costume, and ask the kids if they were in “the moooood” for reading.

“Very contagious joy for whatever it was she was doing,” Stone said. “She gets everyone inspired.”

Klapperich was an inspiration for so many students and her daughter, who now has her own place in the district. Angelina is a school counselor at Tanaina Elementary.

“That definitely impacted my career choice, seeing how she was able to make a difference every day,” Angelina said. “I always knew I wanted to help others, help people in some form or fashion. Public schools, you get a little bit of everybody. You really get to touch the community in such a unique way.”

Angelina said she’s partly modeled her approach to her job after watching her mom for so many years.

“With her approach to kids, she just has a ton of compassion for families that are struggling,” Angelina said. “Always reaching out and involving the family, going above and beyond. I feel like I try to do that myself. Trying to go above the job description and what is required at the school, and really try to support families as much as we can.”

Angelina grew up helping her mom with the Palmer Junior events. Now Klapperich is helping Angelina with her own events at Tanaina, such as the school’s annual culture night and talent shows.

“That has been really cool,” Angelina said. “Sometimes I still go to Palmer Middle to help her out with some things. Many times she comes over to Tanaina to help me out. It’s a really unique thing we can bond over because she gets it.”

Klapperich said she has thought realistically about retirement for about a year.

“Right now I felt I just wanted to say yes to other things,” Klapperich said.

Klapperich is not just content with the decision, but happy and excited to see what comes next.

“I really am grateful for this time. I am so thankful for my health, that I can keep going. I still have the energy and passion I had when I started in 1990,” Klapperich said. “I am very grateful, very thankful. It’s been extremely positive and rewarding for me. I’m going to finish strong. I feel great.”

As for what is next?

Klapperich said it could be more time spent with the United Way, HeartReach Center or her church. She said she’s already been asked to continue to help organize district and state spelling bees.

“She doesn’t have any decision about what it will look like yet. Anyone who knows L.J. Klapperich, they know that she likes to keep her hands into a little bit of everything in the community.”

Contact Frontiersman managing editor Jeremiah Bartz at editor@frontiersman.com.