Ficken Finds Focus as First Year Principal.

Mr. Anthony Ficken, High school Principal, started his teaching career to spend more time with his wife. After they got their teaching degrees, his wife decided not to become a teacher. Ficken, though, liked working with kids and teaching history. In 2015, his first year teaching, he started working at Liberal High School as a history teacher. He worked there for a year until he moved to Joplin High School. He worked there as a history teacher for the next six years. Then in the  2021-2022 school year, he started his first year at Diamond. Instead of applying for a history teacher position, he became Dean Of Students for the elementary, middle and high school. While he was Dean of Students, Ficken helped teachers develop educational and behavioral systems for students. After that in the 2022-2023 school year he started his ninth year of working in a school setting, it is also first year as principal of Diamond High School. Now that Ficken is principal of the high school, his main plan or focus is on having the students know they are loved by staff. He wants the kids to be happy, while being taught a curriculum that aligns with state standards. Since Ficken has started his position as principal, he has noticed that teachers are happier. Not only this, but there has been little trouble from students, as most have intentional rigor for higher levels of learning.