After 27 years of teaching, P.E. teacher suddenly retires
February 27, 2023
Despite not having a class with P.E. and health teacher Robert Bryan for two years, senior Dashiell Caloroso was one of the only students Bryan confided in about his retirement.
“I had a feeling it was coming,” Caloroso said. “He kept referencing to me, and I think a few others too, that he was trying to find a new job.”
Bryan’s last day at Daniel Pearl Magnet High School (DPMHS) was Feb. 9, his retirement officially starting the next day. To the surprise of many students and faculty members, he left without a proper goodbye. Bryan did not respond to an email request for an interview.
“I’ve been absent for the last week and the week before,” said senior Kayla Lopez, who worked as a T.A. for Bryan last semester. “When (I was told he left), I thought (they) were joking. I didn’t want to believe it.”
Bryan first started teaching at DPMHS in the 2011-2012 school year. Prior to that, he started teaching for the Los Angeles Unified School District in 1996 and found himself in different positions. He taught kindergarten and elementary school students and was a middle school P.E. teacher for a short time.
“You have to give everyone their due,” Principal Armen Petrossian said. “I’ve only worked with Mr. Bryan for two years but it takes dedication to work at a school for (so long).”
Steps are already in place to hire a replacement for Bryan’s joint position as a career awareness, health and P.E. teacher. For the remainder of the school year, various substitutes will watch over the classes. Petrossian noted that his full intention is to find someone who fills both roles just as Bryan did.
“I can’t guarantee it,” Petrossian said. “But I can say it’s very probable that we’ll have Mr. Bryan’s replacement by August 2023.”
