Longtime Transfiguration Catholic School Principal to Retire, Replacement Selected

Just before Principal Ted Zarembski came to Transfiguration Catholic School 33 years ago, the area’s Catholic church leadership had publicly announced that the school would be closing down without telling the people of the parish, he said.

The parishioners wouldn’t accept it, he said.

“They said, ‘Wait a minute, you’re not closing our parish school,’” he said.

And so, the bishop at the time told Zarembski to go ahead and take a job as the school’s principal—he’d have job security, because the archdiocese would never be able to close the school, he said.

“I guess it was true,” he said. “I’ve become an old man.”

At 66, Zarembski said it’s time to retire, and he said he’s comfortable leaving the school where he’s been for more than three decades in the hands of Jan Heuman, the current principal at All Saints Catholic School in Lakeville, who has been chosen to succeed him, effective June 15.

“She has a very nice, outstanding reputation,” he said. “Change is good.”

Heuman also cited the value in change, saying that’s why she sought the new job after being principal in Lakeville for 12 years.

“It just seemed like the right time to look for new challenges and start a new journey,” she said.

Heuman brings the school experience, as well as creativity, said the Rev. William Baer, pastor at Oakdale’s .

Use of technology is one area where her creativit shows, he said. She has ideas for using technology to train children and communicate with the community, Baer said.

 “She has an outstanding record of keeping in touch on a weekly basis with parents and also with staff, and also with others in the community,” Baer said.

Heuman started her career as a religion and music teacher at St. Luke School in St. Paul in 1969, and held similar positions at other catholic schools in the Twin Cities until taking her current job at All Saints Catholic School in 1999, according to her resume. 

She said respect for all students is key to her leadership style.

“I love the students and that’s one of the things I love the most about my job as a principal—that I get 360 students, instead of a class of just 25,” she said. “I want the students to feel like they really want to be there and like people care about them.”

She also highly values collaboration and partnership, she said.

“I really believe in listening a lot—listening to the parents, listening to the teachers.”

Heuman said she’s still learning about the school, and but the curriculum, Catholic emphasis and grade levels offered are the same as those at her current school.

She said it’s too soon to tell what she might change about the school.

“Change takes awhile,” she said.