Ever since his first day teaching at Whitman in 1995, James Kuhn has devoted every second of his career to educating. Both in the classroom and on the field, his encouraging smile and positive attitude always leave a lasting impression on students and staff. Whether it be as a coach, department head or math teacher, Kuhn’s teaching has inspired many students to succeed inside and outside the classroom. After 28 years at Whitman, he will retire at the end of the 2022-2023 school year. 

Kuhn took on his first teaching job as a PE teacher at Rosemont and Bel Pre-Elementary School in 1991. That same year, he became the co-ed volleyball coach at Whitman and led the team to a county title. He later transferred to Gaithersburg Middle School in 1993, where he taught seventh and eighth-grade math, along with Algebra 1. However, as he continued to coach volleyball, he realized he wanted to teach and coach at the same school, leading Kuhn to accept a position as a football coach, baseball coach and math teacher at Whitman in 1995. 

Kuhn taught most of the math courses offered at Whitman, but he spent the majority of his time teaching AP Calculus AB. He taught that class for 17 years before accepting his current position as the Math Department Head in 2017. Kuhn cherished the connections with students, parents and teachers developed throughout his time in the math department.

“Whether it’s working with kids or working with families or colleagues at work here, I’ve always felt a really close bond with everybody,” Kuhn said.

As the head of the math department, Kuhn ran department meetings, evaluated teachers and gave them feedback to guarantee that students received the best education possible. He also connected math teachers to administrators and the central office to ensure everything functioned smoothly in the math department. 

For Kuhn, coaching was an important part of life that resulted in many great memories. One of the best was beating Churchill High School’s football team in the last minutes of the game to secure a playoff spot while coaching his eldest son. Kuhn also enjoyed the connections with his players and loved how committed students were to the sports they played. 

“We would have workouts at six in the morning in the summer and kids would show up and do whatever they could do to be successful,” Kuhn said. “We all got really close and would have a good time.”

Math teacher and colleague Ralph Hisle met Kuhn in 2003 while teaching summer school at BCC and Wootton, but it wasn’t until 2013 that Hisle and Kuhn became coworkers during the school year.

“My favorite part of working with him is first and foremost our friendship; that he is a fantastic person and a tremendous friend,” Hisle said. “He is also an extraordinary teacher, coach and administrator.”

Math teacher Michael Stebbins has worked with Kuhn for 22 years and appreciates his organized and responsible nature. He admires all of Kuhn’s qualities, including his dedication to coaching and teaching, he said. 

“If you need something done, he’ll get it done,” Stebbins said. “He checks all the boxes, always does everything to perfection.”

After retirement, Kuhn plans to move to Ann Arbor, Michigan with his wife. His son is expecting a baby, and he plans on devoting most of his time to being a grandparent. 

Kuhn looks back at his time at Whitman with satisfaction and fulfillment. He is glad to have had the opportunity to work with incredible people and is thankful for Whitman’s positive environment, he said. 

“It’s been a dreamy job as a public school teacher,” Kuhn said. “I couldn’t have asked for a better school to work in for my career.”