Indio High School principal retires after emotional ceremony celebrating 40-year education career

Former students, colleagues and city officials gathered at Indio High School Thursday for an emotional farewell ceremony honoring Principal Derrick Lawson, who retired after 40 years in education and nine years leading his alma mater.

The ceremony featured proclamations from the city of Indio, certificates from state and federal representatives, and heartfelt speeches from district officials who praised Lawson’s lasting impact on the community. Lawson, a 1980 graduate of Indio High School, became the first alumnus to return and serve as principal when he took the role in 2016.

“My goal was to shine a light on people and help them to see their potential and their promise,” Lawson said in an interview. “It’s not about me, it’s I just wanted to hear from people if I’ve helped them to reach their potential and have opportunities.”

Looking around the Indio High School gymnasium, it seemed that nearly every person had either been directly or indirectly impacted by Lawson. All night, he had a line of a dozen people waiting to talk to him and thank him for the impact he had on their life.

Former students of his grew up to become his colleagues at Indio High School or work as DSUSD administrators or even as city councilmembers, like Councilmember Oscar Ortiz. Lawson was the principal at Ortiz’s elementary school, and Ortiz eventually worked under his leadership at Indio High School when he worked there as a teacher.

The week leading up to his retirement was filled with visits from former students and parents spanning four decades. Lawson said a student from his first class 40 years ago visited him, along with a parent he taught 35 years ago whose daughter now attends the school.

Lawson’s career began in 1987 at Woodrow Wilson Middle School in the Desert Sands Unified School District. He went on to teach at Andrew Jackson, Theodore Roosevelt and James Monroe elementary schools before moving into administration. He served as principal at John F. Kennedy Elementary School and as founding principal of Lyndon B. Johnson Elementary School and Colonel Mitchell Paige Middle School.

Throughout his career, Lawson earned recognition at district, county, state and national levels. He was named District Teacher of the Year, County Principal of the Year, California Middle Grade Principal of the Year, and was a finalist for National Association of Secondary School Principals Principal of the Year for California.

Beyond his local responsibilities, Lawson has spent 11 years traveling annually to Washington, D.C., to advocate for federal education funding. He lobbied for Title I funds for schools serving students in poverty, Title II professional development funding to keep teachers current with technology and other changes, and Title IV funding for school safety and support programs.

“I go and advocate for opportunities for public school for the neediest kids,” Lawson said. “We give every kid a chance.”

Lawson also works with the Association of California School Administrators and conducts training for new principals across the state. Desert Sands Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Kelly May-Vollmar noted that Lawson is the longest-standing administrator in the district and serves as a resource for colleagues throughout the region.

“He really is a wealth of knowledge and inspiration and wisdom, and is highly regarded by his peers across the district,” May-Vollmar said during the ceremony. “There are principals all over the state of California that have been trained by Derrick Lawson.”

In retirement, Lawson plans to continue his work developing future educators. He will provide principal training and coaching through partnerships with the State Association and National Association for Principal Development, California State University San Bernardino, and Riverside County.

“We see the pipeline beginning to fill,” Lawson said about new talent entering the education field. “Now it’s providing the support, the training and coaching, so that we have a pipeline of people to be in our schools.”

Lawson reflected on his connection to Indio, where he has lived for 63 years and witnessed the city’s growth from 14,000 residents. He credited the city with supporting him throughout his career, including providing him with summer jobs as a student to keep him “off the street.”

“The city has always been good to me,” Lawson said. “I’ve always had people in the city invest in me along the way.”

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