On March 5, Andrew Baker became the permanent principal of Lexington High School.
There were several steps that Baker had to take in order to officially become permanent principal, including interviews and surveys that were conducted by both students and staff. However, the real assessment was his undertakings as the interim principal of LHS.
“I was meeting with the PTO weekly, going to department meetings, leading leadership team meetings and being out in classrooms talking to students, so I think people got to see it in action. I didn’t get perfect feedback. Nobody would. It’s a really hard job,” Baker said.
One interview was conducted by a committee of around 20 students and staff members. Eaness Mjaied, a junior on the interview committee, explained that Baker demonstrated an inherent care for the advancement of LHS and its community.
“He was with LHS through COVID, pre-COVID, [and] post-COVID. So he understood the school and how the pandemic was affecting it. He also seemed like he really wants to get involved and talk with the students to understand their [perspective],” Mjaied said.
Baker actively took on the role of interim principal by walking around the campus and meeting with faculty and students in the classroom.
“I love the way that if I go to a science classroom, students are debating what an answer might be, rather than just asking, you know, demanding of the teacher to put it on the board, testing their thinking. There’s still something valuable about getting to meet students,” Baker said.
However, the role of principal comes with additional challenges and responsibilities. One issue that Baker specifically hopes to address in the future is students’ mental health.
“I’ve read in the newspaper some really hard articles this weekend about teenagers and adolescents continuing to really be struggling with feelings of hopelessness and despair,” Baker said.
As a result, Baker is actively trying to find new ways to improve the school environment so there is less stress within the student body.
“I think some of the things that can solve it are community, meaningful relationships with friends, and adults having fun every once in a while,” Baker said.
Like those surrounding mental health, Baker has big ambitions for the future. He emphasizes that LHS is still a work in progress.
“The district has four big goals that they’re working on. One goal is around equity access, sort of living up to our values of belonging and inclusion. I want to continue a lot of that work,” Baker said.
