When students return to class in the fall, they'll be greeted by their new principal, Scott Carson.
Carson's appointment was made at the May 17 meeting of the ) Board of Trustees meeting. His official start date will by July 1, 2012. The district made the formal announcement on Wednesday. He comes to BRSSD from the Pacifica school district.
Carson will fill the position vacated by in February to become the district's director of educational services.
The process of finding a new principal
According to BRSSD assistant superintendent, the district sought input from Ralston staff, parents and students on the qualities and characteristics they would like in their new principal. The position was posted in March on Ed Join, a California recruiting site for educators.
Following an initial paper screening of applicants, Roy said five candidates were selected for panel interviews. The panel included teachers, support staff, a parent, an elementary school principal, a Ralston administrator and a district director.
Three candidates were then selected for a final interview, which were conducted by a panel that included the superintendent, assistant superintendents, and two board members.
Personnel began conducting reference checks as soon as the final candidates were moved forward. The board reported the appointment of Scott Carson following a closed session at its May 17 meeting.
Most recently served as principal of Cabrillo in Pacifica
For the past six years, Scott Carson has been served as principal of Cabrillo, a K-8 school in the Pacifica School District where he implemented a variety of strategies to engage the students and prepare them for the 21st century work environment.
Carson helped develop a discipline policy that improved school climate and provided consistency and improved accountability. During his tenure in Pacifica, Carson has chaired the Language Arts and Math Committees, served on the District negotiating team and as management liaison for the Pacifica Education Foundation and a successful parcel tax campaign.
The education of a principal
Carson earned his Masters of Arts in Education Administration from San Francisco State University, a Masters of Arts in English from Humboldt State University, and his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Tufts University.
His teaching experience spans the range of upper elementary, high school and university, including serving as assistant principal at Lowell High School in San Francisco where he managed the counseling office, deans, attendance, and Special Education Department.
Ready for the Rams
Impressed with the high level of student achievement, parental involvement, and talented and dedicated staff at Ralston, Carson said he believes “Strong leadership requires the ability to listen to all stakeholders, forge alliances among disparate groups, and leverage a site’s strengths to assist in areas that need development.”
When not attending all of the school functions and enthusiastically supporting students and staff, Carson said he enjoys reading, tennis, hiking, music, and following basketball.
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As to a private middle school. How much will they pay us to put up with traffic, noise, etc?
For those desiring information about the district and its administration, there are lots of resources, including the district's website and the Facebook group FOBRSS (https://www.facebook.com/groups/198483600208947/). The district has one Superintendent, and two Assistant Superintendents -- one for Educational Services and Personnel and the other for Business Services and Operations. The district office administration is very lean, and approximately 3% of the budget is for admin. An additional 8% is for maintenance and operations of schools, and the remaining 89% directly supports student achievement. There are a lot of efforts underway in the parent community to make sure that the entire community is aware of the excellence that is being achieved in our schools. We have some of the top rated schools both on the Peninsula (with schools on a par with those in more recognized districts) and the state, and the academic growth which has occurred here over the last decade exceeds those of better funded districts; facts which we should be both celebrating and looking to continue.