Derek Handel is a teacher with the CCEOC program. The CCEOC program has recently relocated to the high school building. He is new to the high school but very involved and supports the extracurricular activities.
Handel began working for the Atlantic School District in August 2022. He had many jobs on his journey before becoming a high school teacher. The places he has worked include Casey’s, Best Buy, an insurance company, Iowa Beverage Vatterott College, and ITT Tech College. He has been a cashier, sold insurance, managed accounts, and been a regional manager before settling down as a softball coach and teacher. He returned to school at Northwest Missouri State University, where he completed his degree and secured a job as a softball coach for Atlantic. He was subsequently hired as a teacher for the CCEOC program here.
Handel has been married to his wife Jessica for 26 years, and they have four children. All daughters, McKayle, Alexis, Haylie, and Reese. He also has three grandchildren, Maverick, Marshall, and Van. The family does not stop there, as Handel has an English Mastiff named Harper.
Handel said, “I teach because I enjoy working with kids and hopefully help guide them to be great citizens after high school.” The CCEOC program was designed to help teens who need a different learning environment and a non-traditional school. While it is rather new, they graduated over 20 students last year.
He said, “What I love about teaching is being able to help students who struggle in the normal classroom setting and helping them overcome their challenges to graduate and to prepare them for the real world.” The program has been a great success for the students and teachers of Atlantic.
Some fun facts about Handel are that he placed 5th place in High Jump at the Iowa high school state track meet, his freshman year, and he is an avid Iowa Hawkeyes fan. In his free time, he enjoys coaching, camping, golfing, grilling, watching sports on my deck while smoking food, and hanging out with his family. You can catch Handel at the many high school events, at the softball field, or at the batting cages, where he spends his entire summer.
