The Doerrers

In the rush of passing period, two new teachers jostle past each other, one exiting and one entering Room 108, the classroom they share. Exchanging only a few words as they rotate classes, neither would have guessed that six years later they would be married.

Chas Doerrer, an AP Psychology teacher and football and track and field coach, laughs remembering that year of sharing a classroom with his wife, Jennifer (King) Doerrer.

“With coaching and everything else, I was probably always rushing,” he said. “I don’t think I made a good impression.”

Despite this unconventional introduction, they reconnected a few years later and have not looked back since.

“She overcame my horrible first impression,” Chas joked.

While they no longer share a classroom or even a hallway, the Doerrers find time in their days to support each other on campus.

Early on in their relationship, Jennifer, an art teacher and the cochair of the Visual & Performing Arts Department, often developed her art curriculum with Chas.

“We used to be night owls … so we would just paint sometimes,” Chas said. “She would be doing her art lesson and I would do whatever the lesson was. [At] one in the morning, we’d still be painting.”

While this routine ended when they started their family, Chas still appreciates Jennifer’s creativity; he often incorporates art into his psychology class and during breaks, will email her art inspiration.

Though their days remain separate, these email exchanges and check-ins during lunch, create treasured moments throughout the day.

“We’re a serious cardinal and gold family,” Chas, also a former TPHS student, said.

With this dedication to their campus, the Doerrers have worked to find a balance between their shared career and their family life.

“There are pluses and minuses to sharing the same job because it’s sometimes harder to find a boundary,” Chas said. “You have to find the right balance in your life.”

For 15 years, the Doerrers have practiced finding that balance. While they may no longer be passing each other in the doorway of Room 108, a quick email exchange about a local art installation or a knock at a door to signal a lunch delivery are reminders of the role TPHS played in their relationship.

by Anna Opalsky