CHS welcomes new principal
With multiple years of experience under his belt, Principal Dr. Matt Steitz prepares to wholeheartedly embrace Carlsbad and face the stress of the construction and upcoming addition of a second high school head on.
Steitz plans on relying on knowledge gained from his years as a football coach, biology teacher and assistant principal to effectively bond to the students and faculty improving CHS’s struggling culture.
Throughout his career, Steitz has continually striven to improve his connection to students by increasing his own education. Steitz received a doctorate degree in education from UCSD and Cal State San Marcos where he focused on proactive campus supervision.
“My belief is every student contact, whether a negative or positive thing, creates culture,” Steitz said.
He plans to employ his experience and education further with the upcoming split into CHS and Sage Creek High School. Steitz is familiar with the chaos and pressure of managing such an ordeal, having had a role in the San Marcos High School and Mission Hills High School split.
Along with easing tensions of the split, he wants to help restore campus culture.
“We have a unique opportunity to split,” Steitz said. “We can change culture. Construction ripped down culture. Returning us to that position, we are going to rise the expectation level.”
Steitz recognizes the opportunity students have to excel. After the completion of the construction, distraction to the learning environment will minimize, allowing students to reach their full potential.
“We are the best,” Steitz said. “I really believe CHS is one of the premiere schools in San Diego County.”
During his eight years as the assistant principal at San Marcos High School, CST scores increased from 670 to over 850. Steitz’s background, along with students’ and faculty’s desire to promote learning, inspires him to set the goal of becoming a top notch school academically.
“You’re putting CHS on your transcript when you go to college,” Steitz said. “That should mean something.”
To reflect Carlsbad’s prestigious reputation, Steitz wants to increase test scores to compete with schools such as La Costa Canyon and Torrey Pines.
“It’s about raising our expectations,” Steitz said. “It’s about looking at the data and asking why. We need to do the best we can every day.”
Students should recognize that Steitz has no immediate intentions of altering current policies and guidelines but does plan on enforcing those policies already in place.
“CHS is not broken,” Steitz said. “I’m not here to fix it.”
A new principal does not mean a complete change for students. Steitz only plans on enhancing Carlsbad’s current status as a reputable school.
“My vision for CHS is to be the number one school along the coast of San Diego,” Steitz said.“We have the teachers, the facilities and the students. Excuses are done.”
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