Scott Barton has been principal of the Preuss School for only one year, but he’s been with the school since day one. He started as a founding faculty member, served as Dean of Students for eight years and stepped in as acting principal before he was named as the permanent principal last year. He watched as the charter school grew from 150 students in grades 6-8 to 760 students in grades 6-12, and rose in the ranks to become one of the best high schools in the nation. He’s also contributed to the impressive track record of graduating students going on to four-year colleges and universities. Now he’s celebrating the 10-year anniversary of the school, all of its accomplishments and the success of its students.
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What do you enjoy most about your job? What are you most proud of as the principal of the Preuss School? |
Barton: I enjoy working with the most dedicated and passionate staff, and with motivated and determined students who are the future of our country and our world. I am most proud of the fact that for six years more than 90 percent of our graduates have been admitted to four-year colleges.
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You started as Dean of Students and a founding faculty member at the Preuss School a decade ago. Why did you want to work at the then brand-new charter school? |
Barton: Being a founding faculty member at the Preuss School was a fantastic opportunity to develop the curriculum and to form the culture of the school. The founding staff also developed the Code of Conduct and the Discipline Policy. As the Dean of Students, my responsibilities were those of an assistant principal as well as the Student Government Advisor (ASB) for our first year.
Everybody was excited about the school and about our first year. I remember the excitement at our orientation in August 1999. Students, parents, faculty and staff participated in a two-day orientation that included a sleepover in a dorm room! Our first year was spent in portable classrooms on the Marshall College campus.
The support from the community has been strong from the beginning, and continues to be a factor in our success. It is wonderful to see Preuss graduates finish college and begin their careers. The true success of our school will be when Preuss School college graduates return to their communities, start families and raise their children with the notion that they WILL attend college.
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How did your career path evolve and lead you to become principal? And why did you want to make the transition from teaching to administration? |
Barton: I had been a classroom teacher for 17 years and I was also a resource teacher for nine of those years. As a resource teacher, I was tasked with many administrative duties that translated well to my job as Dean of Students, such as managing programs and a budget, and supervising teachers. I was excited to open Preuss and become the Dean of Students; I was able to help shape the development of the school with the administrative team. Working collaboratively with all of our stakeholders — the Preuss School faculty, staff, students, parents, the Board of Directors, UC San Diego and the community — is challenging and rewarding. I enjoy my job and it’s the best place to work because I am doing what I love! It is wonderful to be a part of this amazing school. Students come into the school as 6th graders, go through those exciting years of 7th and 8th grade, mature to seniors in high school, and then are rewarded by being accepted to the finest colleges and universities in the nation.
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How do you see the Preuss School growing and evolving over the next 10 years? |
Barton: I am proud of the Preuss School’s academic success and stellar ranking among the nation’s best high schools, and we will continue to strive to send 100 percent of our students to four-year colleges and universities, while also being a support system for Preuss graduates who are currently in college. We now have an official alumni organization which will allow us to keep in touch with all of our graduates. It is important that we track our graduates in college and after college so that we have the data to support our success.
We have been extremely successful in the education of hundreds of first-generation students from low-income families and historically underrepresented groups, and we are working on ways to disseminate the best practices of the Preuss School to other schools across the county, state and nation. This is part of our charter and continues to be a focus of our outreach.
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What challenges do you face and how do you meet those challenges? |
Barton:
The budget cuts that we are all facing are our biggest challenge. Our class size has increased and we haven’t been able to hire more faculty. These fiscal challenges will be met by working collaboratively with my staff, UC San Diego, our Board and the community.
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What advice do you have for students on their first day at Preuss and what one important thing do you say to them as they leave? |
Barton:
I tell students that there are no guarantees but, if they work hard and remain dedicated to the school’s mission, they will be successful. I tell our graduates that they have earned their Preuss School diploma and the opportunity to attend a four-year college, and that they deserve all of the accolades they receive.
Favorite place on the Preuss campus: Visiting classrooms or socializing with students in the Preuss Amphitheater before school and during lunch
Favorite place on UCSD campus: Main Gym watching a Preuss basketball game
Favorite place on Earth: The beach and Yosemite
Favorite food: Italian sausage sandwich with provolone and green and red peppers
Favorite subject in college: Geology
Favorite subject to teach: Student Government
Favorite hobby: Body surfing
Favorite words to live by: Ordinary people do extraordinary things.
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