On Tuesday morning, Principal Mike Sanchez sat at his desk
starring at a graduation announcement with a huge grin on his
face.
On Tuesday morning, Principal Mike Sanchez sat at his desk starring at a graduation announcement with a huge grin on his face.
“This is from one of my old students who is graduating from the police academy and wants me to attend his graduation,” he said.
For the last 30 years, Sanchez has been adjusting attitudes for his students and helping them become capable community members.
As principal of San Andreas Continuation Education High School, Santa Ana Opportunity School, Pinnacles Community School and Pinnacles Court School and Juvenile Hall, Sanchez is introduced to students who for some reason or another, have been removed from the regular school districts and placed into his schools. As he sits in his office Monday through Friday, surrounded by positive posters with words of encouragement like “success ends when the trying stops” and “you are responsible for your own actions,” Sanchez builds relationships with students, and attempts to get at the root of their problems.
“Leadership is not about choosing sides, it’s about bringing them together,” he said. “You absolutely need to be service oriented and student-focused for this job. If you make them (the students) the focus and let them know you’re willing to help, they’ll feel supported.”
Part of the reason Sanchez loves his work so much is the ability to take a student, who may not come from the best living or family situation, and make a positive change in their lives.
“The toughest part of this job is to see students with little or no support because of circumstances they may be living in,” he said. “What we really try to do is look at why the student was brought here in the first place and then try to redirect them. I always say we can point them in the right direction but they have to look at where we’re pointing.”
Sanchez said when the student succeeds, the family succeeds and the community succeeds. After endless hours of conflict resolution, meeting with parents, students and carrying around his non-stop chattering, walkie-talkie, Sanchez said the reward of seeing his students go on after school is worth it all.
“The real joy of this job is to see a student get out in the world and have choices,” he said.
