Knaack Has a Knack For Connecting With Students
by Tim Froberg
Learning and laughing are a wonderful combination.
Just ask Jack Knaack.
Knaack has been the principal at Richmond Elementary School in Appleton for the past 14 years and has a leadership style that promotes both. He does everything in his power to create and cultivate a culture that puts a high priority on education but makes learning fun for the students and teaching enjoyable for the instructors.
Knaack — pronounced ‘Ka-nock’ — isn’t the type of administrator who barricades himself in an office. He’s all about engagement and interaction with Richmond’s students and staff. And if that means looking silly through his apparel, words, or actions, that’s just fine with Knaack, provided it benefits the students educationally.
UP ON A ROOF
This is the same man who has twice slept overnight on the school roof to support a school reading program. He has also dyed his hair different colors and dressed as a world globe, an atlas, Mr. Potato Head, and a six-foot leprechaun — all to promote various school learning initiatives or reward the students for their efforts and accomplishments.
“My boss has banned me from that (sleeping on the roof),” said Knaack with a laugh. “Part of this is who I am. I don’t take myself too seriously. If everyone can have a good laugh at my expense while we’re celebrating something the students did, that’s great.
“On one occasion, I wore a crazy costume and dyed my hair red to celebrate us hitting a really high goal to benefit our library. We raised almost $40,000 for our library. That’s a huge amount for a school of 250 kids. So I’m happy to do whatever will help our school.”
Knaack has also been known to sing “Happy Birthday” to students during lunch, produce snow day music videos, take a pie in the face, and lead everyone in the Chicken Dance to celebrate a school accomplishment.
“Whatever little bit I can do (to help a school program), I will do,” said Knaack. “I have a closet full of silly hats and costumes. I like to laugh. I like to have fun. I like to engage with the kids.
“All of that helps you build a foundation. I believe you have to have a culture that lets you feel safe, comfortable, and ready to go to work. We have a great staff here at Richmond, and that’s a huge part of it. I got lucky because it was a veteran staff when I started, and we’ve been able to get the right people to fit our culture.
“We’ve created the type of culture — at least I hope we have — where people feel good about coming to work here. They want to work here because they know it’s a good place to work.”
NOMINATED FOR A TOP AWARD
Knaack is far more than just a cutup. He’s a smart, creative leader who maintains a well-structured and supportive learning environment. He sets specific boundaries and has come up with several school programs that promote academic growth and student safety. Through programs like “Character Counts,” he’s able to instill values such as caring, kindness, respect, and responsibility.
“All Family Read,” “Math Bingo,” “Art Night,” and “Read-A-Thon” are additional enrichment programs he has introduced with the help of his staff and the Parent Teacher Organization (PTO). These programs promote problem-solving, the joy of learning, and collaboration among students and families.
He’s launched a Winter Olympics program — staff versus students — a Kindergarten Book Character Parade (in which he’s always dressed in costume), and a Gingerbread Chase. He adds a personal touch with pretty much everything he does on the job, including his weekly video announcements that keep the Richmond school community connected.
“My job allows me to be who I am,” Knaack said. “I like people, and I like kids. I enjoy connecting with them. Being around these young kids and seeing the energy they bring, it just changes how you see things.”
Knaack is such an effective leader that he has been nominated and is a finalist for the Herb Kohl Educational Foundation Principal Leadership Award.
“Jack is a highly engaged principal,” said Sarah Peterson, a parent and PTO member who has had four children attend Richmond. “If you visit his office, you may find it unoccupied — not due to his absence, but because he is out interacting with students and staff.
“Each morning and afternoon, he can be found on the playground, greeting students and conversing with parents. Throughout the day, he is frequently present in the hallways, lunchroom, and classrooms.
“What truly sets him apart is his dynamic personality. Once you get to know him, you’ll quickly realize that he is one of the most enjoyable principals you will ever encounter. His creativity and sense of humor have become beloved by students and parents at Richmond. Jack exemplifies the values he teaches while engaging with parents, staff, and students, extending kindness and respect to everyone in the school community.”
CONNECTING WITH TODAY’S YOUTH
Knaack enjoys the enthusiasm and personalities of his young students. He’s full of stories involving quirky conversations with his students.
“There was this one little kindergarten kid, and he was sitting in his area one day,” Knaack said. “He looks up at me and says, ‘You know, Mr. Knaack. You and me are a lot alike. You’re funny. I’m funny. You’re chubby. I’m chubby. And we both like milk.”
“We decided to call ourselves ‘The Funny Brothers’ and that no one else could get into our group unless we thought they were funny enough.”
STARTING OUT ON THE TEACHING TRAIL
Knaack loves to teach — which should come as no surprise considering that he launched his professional career in 1998 and worked for five years as a high school teacher at New London High School.
Knaack grew up and attended school in the Menasha Joint School District. The 1992 Menasha High School graduate received his bachelor’s degree in secondary education and teaching from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh in 1997 and eventually obtained his master’s in educational leadership and administration from Marion University.
“I started out wanting to be a dentist, but I think I was just chasing the money,” said Knaack with a chuckle. “Then things just happened. I always loved school. Back in high school, I was a music guy. I played the trumpet and was in school musicals. But I also played football and did some track and baseball. I really liked being part of a school, so yeah, that was a big part of me going into teaching.”
After five years of teaching, Knaack entered school administration, working three years as an associate principal at Kaukauna High School and four years as an associate principal in the Appleton Area School District.
“My years teaching in New London were really important and helped prepare me for my current job,” said Knaack. “I was teaching world history to high school kids, and I would ask myself, ‘Now how can I make this interesting to a 14-year-old?’
“My methods those first couple years were probably a little questionable. But I was learning how to teach. Fortunately, I had help. Sometimes, a new teacher comes into a school and gets the classes that no other teachers want. But my mentor teacher there (Andy Kolosso) helped me out a great deal by setting me up classes that really helped me.”
When he started his principal’s job at Richmond, Knaack experienced some incredible irony. The principal he replaced, Bobbie Schmidt, was his former second-grade teacher in the Menasha school district.
“Bobbie had everything in place when I took over,” Knaack said. “She was very supportive, and they already had such a great staff. That made it so much easier for me.”
Knaack says that he has always followed three core concepts at Richmond: responsibility, respect, and caring.
“We’ve been saying those words for 14 years,” said Knaack. “We’ve also said, ‘Let’s make them who we are.’ We’ve been able to build a culture here, and the kids have bought into the culture.”
FOSTERING A FAMILY ATMOSPHERE
One of Knaack’s favorite days of the year is when Richmond Elementary alumni visit the school on their high school graduation day and reminisce about their experiences at the school.
“They come back, walk the hallways, and we just celebrate,” Knaack said. “They will smile, give me a hug, share their words of wisdom, and let me know that Richmond was a special place for them. There is something really special about those moments.”
Knaack feels the school offers a family-type atmosphere, and it’s reflected in the teachers and students. When he started at the school in 2011, Cathy Schwanke was one of Knaack’s teachers on the staff. She has since retired, but her daughter, Maggie, now teaches at Richmond. To complete a third-generation scenario, Maggie’s daughter, Nora, is a Richmond kindergarten student.
“That’s the definition of family and what we’ve created here,” Knaack said. “It’s important that people want to come here. They want to teach here and have their children attend school here.”
Knaack is a family man outside the office who enjoys reading, traveling, and supporting Wisconsin’s sports teams. He and his wife, Natalie, who is also a Menasha High graduate, have two children: Riley, 25, a teacher in the Kaukauna Area School District, and Carter, 21, who is training to become an electrician.
This article was originally published in the March 2026 issue of Appleton Monthly Magazine.
