Al Lerch
began his career in education in 1969 after he received his BA from Cleveland
State University, Cleveland, Ohio, where he majored in History and Secondary
Education.
His first
position with the Columbus Public Schools was as a teacher of Math, Social
Studies and History and coach at Monroe Junior High School (1969-1974). In 1972,
he received his M.A. in Counseling from the Ohio State University. He then went
out of the country to Brazil where he lived with his wife Patricia while she did
her fieldwork in anthropology. While there he taught statistics at the Graduate
School of Education at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul in Porto
Alegre.
Upon
returning, Al completed the requirements for his Ph.D. in Education at the Ohio
State University and resumed employment with the Columbus Public Schools both
as a teacher and a counselor at Independence High School (1975-1979). Al moved
back to Cleveland, Ohio in 1979 to assume the position of Director of Student
Development at Case Western Reserve University (CWRU). He was responsible for
Upward Bound programs for high school youth and a wide range of student support
programs for undergraduates at CWRU.
In 1981 he
moved to the Ohio State University where he became an Assistant Professor in the
Department of Aviation where he was responsible for teaching and research. Al
was able to combine his love of aviation with university teaching and
research.
After his
wife Patricia B. Lerch, Ph.D. accepted a position at the University of North
Carolina Wilmington in 1981, Al resigned his position at OSU and accepted an
entry level position as counselor at Lake Forest Junior High School in 1983.
This began his association with the New Hanover County Public Schools. Between
1983 and the present, Al has worn many hats including Unit-wide Dropout
Prevention Specialist, Director of Alternative and Student Support Programs,
and most recently, Assistant Superintendent for Student Support.
Al believes
in active involvement in the community and has served on various boards
including the Community Boys & Girls Club, the Brigade Boys & Girls Club, the
Community Action Board, and the Wilmington Health Access for Teens. He has been
a member of the Wilmington Kiwanis Club since 1985 and served as both the
President of his club and as Lt. Governor for the Southeast Kiwanis Region.
Al and his
wife have two children who are both graduates of the New Hanover County Schools
and the University of North Carolina Wilmington.
