As Lee Romero steps into his new position as principal at Bonita Vista High (BVH) on Nov. 14, he takes some of his first steps in the role by arranging a meeting with the staff members and surveying students. The surveys and meetings were offered by Romero to get a sense of students’ and staffs’ perceptions and criticisms of BVH. Some of Romero’s questions included what the students and staff loved most about attending BVH, as well as their perspectives on what could be improved.

“I ask these three questions. ‘What do you love about the school? What would you change? And how can we make that change,’” Romero said. “I’m getting a lot of response from students and there are some really good comments about what they want to see in our school.”

Not only has Romero surveyed students, he has also sought feedback from the staff members on campus. According to BVH Assistant Principal Carlos Siragusa, the surveys and meetings are intended to get more insight on the perception of BVH from both demographics—students and staff.

“He’s talking to everyone and [finding out] what Bonita means to them and what it looks like through their lens. So, he can see what people are seeing and feeling, and get a better understanding of our school, so that he can formulate our thinking and what direction he wants the school to go in,” Siragusa said

Among the staff members who spoke with Romero in one of his offered one-on-one meetings, is Forensics and Biology teacher Joseph Szakovits. Szakovits shares that his experience meeting with Romero was extremely positive. Furthermore, it showcased Romero’s commitment to BVH and his role as the principal.

“Mr. Romero, he’s very personable. You really get the sense that he wants to be here and that he’s excited to be part of this. I think that he genuinely does want to improve our community and leave a positive mark on it.” Szakovoits said.

The meetings between Romero and BVH staff members are also for the purpose of gaining deeper insight from the experiences of various teachers and staff in their time at the school. Szakovits shares the significance this adds to the meetings, because of the importance of valuing the staff’s opinios. 

“I think that a good administration recognizes the importance of the people working here. We’re the ones who are on the front lines, who are working with students and all of that, and I think that receiving input from us about how things look on the ground. I really appreciated him showing that commitment,” Szakovits said.

One way that Romero is making use of the staff’s experiences is by learning from long-time staff members at BVH who have witnessed the development of BVH. According to Siragusa, listening to the experiences of staff members with extensive history at BVH allows him to determine what has worked and not worked well for the school.

“We have some staff members that have been here for over thirty-seven years, so they’ve seen a lot. They’ve seen Bonita grow from wherever it started to where it is now,” Siragusa said. “ I think Mr. Romero is tapping into the hearts of people who’ve been here so long to find out the heart of Bonita Vista, so that he can learn from its history.”

Part of Romero’s efforts to gain a better understanding of the staff was acquiring a sense of what changes staff wish to see at BVH. Siragusa says that while he and Romero do not know the direct changes that will result from the feedback, the staff is open and willing to make whatever changes are deemed necessary to improve the school.

“We don’t know what’s going to come up from this, but whatever the decision is, we will do it with fidelity and keeping in mind what is best for the students,” Siragusa said. “The staff here is very open to change and willing to move in whatever direction we need to make this a better school for our students and our community.”

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