New Staff Profile: Mr. Joe Zlatnik

Story by Hunter Heier ≫

One of the faces you might see guarding the lunch line is new assistant principal, Joe Zlatnik. Born in Topeka on June 5, 1987, Mr. Zlatnik grew up in Rossville, Kansas, a town of 1,100 people.

“One of the things that drew me to Eudora was it reminded me of home,” said Mr. Zlatnik. After graduating in a class of just 55 people, Mr. Zlatnik attended the University of Kansas, where he met his wife. They’ve known each other now for nine years, and have been married for two. Mr. Zlatnik currently resides in Overland Park with his wife and cat, Layla.

“I’m a fourth generation educator,” Mr. Zlatnik said. His favorite part of the new job is the spontaneity of the work.

“You never know what is going to walk through that door,” said Mr. Zlatnik.

Most days Mr. Zlatnik can be seen walking the halls on his way to his next meeting, or interacting with students, which is one aspect that makes being  assistant principal more exciting.

Of course, this is not Mr. Zlatnik’s first job in education. Leading up to today, Mr. Zlatnik has taught at multiple schools. The first of these schools was Erie High School in Erie, Kansas, a town of about 1,000 people. Most recently, Mr. Zlatnik spent four years teaching in Basehor-Linwood. Once hired in Eudora, Mr. Zlatnik changed from being an educator of students to an educator of teachers.

One of Mr. Zlatnik’s official duties is professional development, which essentially means he helps teachers develop their career and teaching skills.

“I’m a professional problem solver,” Mr. Zlatnik said. “I’m really enjoying it.”