On the Job: Just Call This Principal a 'Helper'

As principal at , Andrew Johnston says he likes “to be the face of the place.”

He doesn’t want to spend his day behind his desk, doing paperwork or secluded in meetings. That’s all necessary, of course, but he’d prefer to pop in and out of classrooms all day long, connect with teachers and cruise here, there and everywhere.

“A perfect day would be to be in classrooms all day,” he says.

That’s not always possible, so he makes a point to see and be seen.

Each morning and afternoon, he likes to be out front, greeting and saying goodbye to parents and students. And at lunch, he can sometimes be found playing foursquare with students.

While Johnston says, “there are many, many nuts and bolts to this job,” it’s still that one-on-one connection to kids, parents and staff – the face time – he relishes most.

On one recent morning, as kids quietly and efficiently filed out of classrooms with their teachers during an , kids waved, made hand signals and smiled at Johnston, who was patrolling the grounds to make certain everything was progressing as it should.

As he walked back to his office he was smiling, confident every member of the staff – and every student – was doing his or her job.

“Sometimes people don’t realize what a good job this is,” he said later. “What a really cool gig this is.”

From Canada to Santee

Johnston, 43, is in his fourth year as principal at Chet F. Harritt, a kindergarten-through-eighth grade school on Arlette Street, across the street from .

He grew up in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, right across the river from downtown Detroit. From his home, he says, he could see Tiger Stadium.

After playing college basketball and earning double undergraduate degrees (education and human kinetics) and a master’s in educational administration at Western Ontario University and Windsor University in Canada, Johnston taught for 10 years in Ontario and Michigan, then worked another six years as a vice principal or principal.

When his wife, a doctor, had a chance to come to San Diego, he was able to land the job at Chet F. Harritt.

For him, it’s been a good move professionally and personally. He loves the San Diego area – he, his wife and three daughters live in Scripps Ranch – and he was familiar with the , having already worked in a similar system.

“I’ve fallen in love with the area,” says Johnston. “The people are wonderful and there’s so many things to do, from the mountains to the beaches.”

And, whether it’s Ontario, Michigan or Santee, “kids are kids,” he says.

As he sits in his office, his Michigan sports allegiances are everywhere – Detroit Pistons curtains, a 1984 World Series pennant (from when the Tigers beat the Padres) and a University of Michigan logo.

He celebrated the Tigers victory back then, but says he’s now adopted the Padres. He still misses his Red Wings hockey team, though, along with friends and family.

He and his wife – also Canadian – are permanent U.S. residents who have applied for U.S. citizenship.

That’s something he shares with his students, when he talks to them about government and the .

“I talk to the kids about the , and I share that I can’t vote,” he says. “I don’t have a voice, but they will.”

‘A really good match’

Chet F. Harritt was built in 1966, and recently went through a . Today, the school – home to about 580 students and 25 staff – looks clean, fresh and up-to-date, with well-groomed playing fields, modern playground equipment for the younger students and a new multipurpose media room/library.

In recent years, students from the school have tested well, with the school receiving a score of 853 – anything over 800 is considered high-performing, Johnston says – on the state’s . It’s a tribute, he says, to teachers, staff and families working together.

He adds that “Chet,” as it’s known to many, has the feel of a community school, one in which parents often walk their young children through the neighborhood to class each morning.

“I feel very fortunate to have come here,” says Johnston. “It’s a really good match.”

Kristina Hansen, the president of the PTA at Chet, says Johnston has tried to foster a sense of community, and often can be seen directing traffic and looking out for children’s safety in the mornings.

“He’s a great principal, and we’re lucky to have him,” says Hansen, who has two daughters at Chet. “He truly is a hands-on principal who really cares about the well-being of all the kids.”

So, what is it a principal does?

The answer is a little bit of everything and a lot of administration. When he talks to his youngest students, he puts his job in the simplest of terms.

“When I tell kindergartners what my job is, I say I’m a helper,” he says. “I allow people to do their best jobs.”

First and foremost, Johnston says he’s responsible for ensuring safety and security, while also being the “institutional leader” for learning.

For the big picture, he’s involved in planning, professional development for teachers, data analysis and assessment of performance.

Meanwhile, he’s also responsible for discipline, maintaining good communication and having “difficult conversations” when they’re required.

Ultimately, if it happens at Chet, he’s responsible for it.

He says he’s also fortunate to have landed in a school with a K-through-8 format. To him, it’s the best of both worlds because he can spend time with middle-school boys and girls who are getting ready for high school, while also watching 5-year-olds.

“I like to have it all,” he says, laughing, “on the same day.”

The hardest part of his job – or the job of any teacher – is not being able to help troubled kids.

“Seeing kids in situations they don’t want to be in,” he says. “Knowing they’re going to be in difficult situations no matter how hard you try to fix them. It’s just not always possible. So many educators have such big hearts and would try to take them all in, but just can’t.”

Education, he says, has been a terrific, rewarding career. Even though he says, “I’d be lying if I said I didn’t miss being in the classroom sometimes,” he knows he can make an even bigger impact being responsible for more than 600 people, every day.

“It’s a good profession,” he says. “Education is a good, rewarding life.”