– OCP photo
Pirate News is a presentation of Hart Public Schools in partnership with Oceana County Press.
HART — After 25 years, Hart High School teacher Brett Ramseyer will retire at the end of the school year at the age of 48.
When Ramseyer first came on board, he replaced his mother, the late Joan Ramseyer, who retired in 2000. “She taught in the Hart Public Schools for 28 years. It’s been 53 years of a Ramseyer teaching in Hart, but that comes to an end this June,” said Ramseyer.
Teaching DNA apparently flows through his veins. “Both of my parents were teachers; I had a bunch of aunts and uncles who were teachers; and my sister was a teacher before me. I’ve had a lot of educational background within the family.”
His dad, Harry “Hack” Ramseyer, taught at Fremont Public Schools for nearly 30 years. His sister Aimee retired after a decades-long teaching career and is now a field instructor at MSU where she teaches new instructors the ropes. In addition to decades of teaching, his mom Joan also served many years on the Hart Public Schools Board of Education as president.
Ramseyer’s wife, Heather, is also an educator. A teacher at Mason County Central’s Scottville Elementary School, Heather is also retiring at the end of the school year after a 25-year career. She plans to serve as an online instructor in other states during her retirement, he said.
– OCP file photo
Ramseyer leads a practice with his 2023-24 Quiz Bowl team.
A 1995 Hart High School graduate, Ramseyer obtained his bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University in 1999 with a bachelor’s degree in English and a minor in history. “I did my internship in the year 1999-2000 and was hired here in 2000.”
The educator fills vital roles in extracurricular activities, overseeing HHS’s chapter of the National Honor Society for 21 years and serving as the Pirates’ Quiz Bowl coach for the last eight years.
At the beginning of his career, he coached freshman and varsity boys basketball. As a Hart student, he played golf, basketball and baseball.
“My short answer is — I don’t know,” Ramseyer said when asked what he plans to do during his retirement. “I may start a small business. I might write. I might even do some handyman type work.” The teacher performed most of the finish work on his own home, and he is a published book author.
He and his wife have three children — son Jaymeson, 22, daughter Avery, 20, and son Carter, 17, who graduates from HHS this spring. “The Ramseyers will be out of Hart Public Schools completely,” he said of the upcoming milestone for his youngest child that coincides with his retirement.
Ramseyer said he will miss the relationships he has with the staff and students. “Not seeing my colleagues on a daily basis and knowing how the school year is going in an intimate way that I do now I will probably miss a lot.
Known for being a “tough” teacher, Ramseyer sets high standards for his students.
“I think that kids actually want to be challenged. Even though they moan and groan and complain, I think they really do appreciate it — especially later. In the moment, sometimes they don’t. But, long-term, they appreciate the challenge. If they know they can care enough about what you’re doing, and the challenge is there, most kids will come around and gravitate to it. If not giving their best — at least trying to give you more than they normally do. That’s kind of how I’ve approached things my whole career.
“I’m the ‘tough’ one, but I also think kids view me as fair. I don’t think they just think I’m lowering the boom on people.
“As I’ve grown older, I’ve gotten much better at saying, ‘Alright, I’m going to be tough, but this is why I’m tough and I don’t want you to do poorly. I want you to do well. So work with me and I will help you do well. But I’m not going to let you get a good grade when you didn’t do well and you didn’t put some effort in.”
His goal has always been to prepare his students for college and post high school endeavors.
“I told them early in my career, ‘I don’t care if you like me now. I care if you like me in five years.’ Then I know if I’ve done my job.”
“In the short time I have gotten to know Mr. Ramseyer, I can honestly say that he is one of the best teachers I have ever had a chance to work with,” said Hart High School Principal Ken Byard who was hired in 2024. “His drive to have high standards for students and dedication to having them meet those standards is second to none. He will certainly be missed by the students, staff and community.”
“He remained one of — if not the most — impactful instructors of my life even after college,” said HHS 2015 graduate Sydney Scarbrough, who had Ramseyer as a teacher three times — for history both freshman and junior years and honors English, during which time the class collectively wrote a book that Ramseyer had published. “I knew that even as a high school student. With 10 years of reflection, it’s even more apparent.”
In addition to his parents and sister, Ramseyer has had some great mentors at Hart High School including the late Jim Newkirk, Neil Marshall and Jim Cunningham.
“I wish Hart all the success that it can have. I’ve loved working here. I’ve loved the relationships and things that I’ve built here. I really want to see them continue to do well. When I started, we were kind of in a tough place academically, sports-wise and building-wise, and since then, a lot of those things have taken off and flourished. And I think the community has put in a lot of time, effort and tax dollars into making this a better place to be, and I appreciated being a part of that.”
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