Pali’s New Principal has Franciscan Background

After Martin Griffin graduated from college, he became a teacher through his membership in the Conventional Franciscan, a Catholic religious order. Griffin had not considered teaching as a career path, but the Franciscans assigned him to St. Francis High School in Athol Springs, New York, in 1989. Franciscans work in soup kitchens, hospitals, parishes, homeless shelters, schools and universities as part of a commitment to care for all members of society. ‘Once in the classroom, I thought ‘This is supposed to be work, but it’s not work,” Griffin said in an interview last Wednesday. ‘It was fun. I loved working with young people and watching them take the information I shared with them in the classroom and make it their own. I enjoyed watching them grow not only intellectually, but socially.’ Griffin, who has worked in the education field ever since, will bring his passion to Palisades Charter High School this fall as the new principal. He replaces interim principal Marcia Haskin, who came out of retirement to fill the position last fall. ‘I am really excited and happy about being here,’ said Griffin, who was most recently an administrator for the Escondido Union High School District. ‘I hope to get myself up to speed quickly, so that I can truly be a support and a guide. I think it’s going to be a great year.’ Griffin, 45, began his first day of work on June 23. Among his job duties, he will evaluate teachers’ performance in the classroom and assist parents with their concerns. He will work closely with Executive Director Amy Dresser-Held, who is on maternity leave until this fall. ‘I am very happy that Mr. Griffin accepted the position,’ said Rene Rodman, board chair. ‘With Ms. Held’s solid leadership at the helm and Mr. Griffin’s extensive experience as a principal, Pali has the top leadership in place to make great strides in reaching its full potential as an independent charter school.’ This past year for Escondido UHSD, Griffin oversaw the development of Learning Centers that emphasize computer-aided educational programs and independent study. He was principal of San Pasqual High School in Escondido from 2003-07 and Mount Miguel High School in Spring Valley from 2000-03. Griffin, who is single, is living with relatives in Los Angeles until he can find a place to live. Before taking the job, he was working toward his doctorate in administration in an urban setting from UC San Diego/San Diego University/Cal State San Marcos. He will now take time off from his studies in order to focus fully on PaliHi. One of his main goals will be to develop a relationship with parents. ‘I want to learn what their needs are and how I can best be supportive,’ he said. Griffin earned his bachelor’s degree in philosophy from St. Hyacinth College and Seminary in Massachusetts, a master’s degree in theology from Xavier University in Ohio and a master’s degree in secondary administration from the University of Akron. For 10 years, he was a member of the Conventional Franciscan, which follows the gospel of Jesus Christ in the spirit of St. Francis of Assisi. He left the religious order to become an independent Catholic priest with the American Catholic Church, and he is still active as a priest. His last teaching assignment through the Franciscan brought him to Los Angeles in 1993. ‘I loved it out here, and I never wanted to go back,’ said Griffin, who grew up in Ohio. In his six years as a teacher, he taught English, psychology, religious studies and theology. A principal at Junipero Serra High School in Gardena encouraged him to pursue administration. ‘At first, I thought it pulled me away from the kids, but then I realized that I would have a greater effect on students. By helping their teachers, I could affect the students in all their classrooms and not just my classroom. I also found that by being a coach to teachers, I could be helping my colleagues.’ Griffin applied to PaliHi because he was excited about the school’s academic progress since it became an independent charter school. During the interview process, ‘I discovered a school where all constituents work together to do good things for kids,’ he said, adding that teamwork is important to him. Now onboard, Griffin will help to hire a whole new cast of administrators: the director of instruction, the director of student services and the operations manager. The school started conducting interviews for those positions last Thursday. The new administrators will replace Lauren Allen, director of instruction, Margaret Evans, director of admissions and attendance, and Charlotte Atlas, director of compliance, discipline and facilities. With all the transitions occurring, Griffin said it will be important to develop a collaborative and congenial working environment. Haskin has also agreed to stay to mentor the new leadership, but the details of her work schedule are still being finalized. ‘I am very pleased with Ms. Haskin’s performance this year,’ Rodman said. ‘She tackled the interim principal job with an incredible level of commitment.’ Griffin hopes to continue to improve the small learning communities in the ninth grade, where freshmen have a core group of teachers throughout the school year. He believes it’s important to have freshman transition programs because a large number of students drop out after the eighth grade. He also plans to continue to ‘evaluate the school’s system and structures with those who have been here for a long time, such as Rose Gilbert [a teacher at the school since 1961], as well as those who are new and have fresh lenses,’ he said. ‘PaliHi does good things, but any school can always improve.’