New PHS Principal Takes Hands-On Approach

Former assistant principal Richard Kitchens was bumped up to the principal slot at Piedmont High School in June when his popular predecessor, Randy Booker, was promoted to a assistant superintendent job in the Piedmont Unified School District. Though he undoubtedly has some big shoes to fill, with the school year starting Wednesday, Kitchens is prepared. He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to his new post, having worked as an educator in Piedmont for more than thirty years.

What do you see as the biggest challenge for students at Piedmont High School?

Balance.

Students have to balance their time among many competing choices of what to do with their time. They have to learn to engage in solid, mature decision-making. This is an evolving process with 14 to 18 year olds—some are ready to make these decisions at 14, but some never quite learn it.

This is part of learning to become life-long learners, and we stress this in our classes as students learn to make appropriate decisions regarding such things as, among others, academic integrity, cooperative working, and time management. Our teachers take these things seriously and they are on the front lines with our students.

What do you see as your greatest challenge in your new role as principal?

I've been in the educational "game" now for 35 years or so, and this is the absolute worst time in terms of resources and morale for teachers. Teachers are, as research tells us, the key determinant in the students' educational success, and they struggle to teach with less time, less money for their classes, and the continued high expectations that are self-imposed and also put upon them. My job is to give them the support they need in whatever ways I can.

What aspects of Randy Booker's approach do you plan to carry on?

I admire the way Mr. Booker truly cared about the students. I learned a lot from him along these lines. He made the Wellness Center happen, and I hope to continue that support.

What new direction do you plan to take?

I might try to be proactive in the classroom, but this is my goal. People tell me it is unattainable to be in the classroom as much as I want to be. We shall see. I am pretty stubborn. 

Do you have a specific issue that you plan to shine the spotlight on?

If I could be part of teachers getting into one another's classrooms on a consistent basis, learning the great things they do, building on this incredible knowledge base, of upping the "professionalism" of the group [I would]. If when I was done that happened more than it does now, I would retire a happy person.

What's your teaching philosophy?

Oh don't get me started. I believe in high standards, academic integrity (that also includes the integrity of staff, not just the student piece).

I tell each student that I get a chance to interact with to "learn something in every class." You want to come out of the 90 minutes smarter, more skilled, or more thoughtful, than when you went into that classroom. … It is the job of the teacher to make this happen of course, and it is your job [as a student] to get it done!

That's a start.

What is your strategy for dealing with overzealous parents?

Overzealous parents? Here? Surely you are mistaken. Seriously, I found very few, much less than I thought I would find in my job in the counseling arena the last five years. I received many fewer phone calls than I was told I would; or maybe that had something to do with my office phone number being incorrectly printed.