Assistant principal wears many hats during school day

Jan. 26, 2007

SHARON G. McBRIDE

Frontiersman

WASILLA - He's a cop, a social worker, an educator, a lawyer and sometimes a stand-in for mom or dad.

No he's not a super hero. Mark Okeson is just an assistant principal at Wasilla High School.

&#8220I am a lot of different things to a lot of different people,” Okeson said.

With a student population around 1,300, Okeson said, the school sees a little bit of everything from students - both the good and the bad.

&#8220The one thing I can tell you about my job is that we conduct a tremendous amount of supervision,” said Okeson, who is teamed with two other administrators at the school because of the large number of students.

WHS has a head principal and two assistant principals. There are also 40 full-time teachers and more than 100 other staff members at the school.

&#8220This high school is a big system,” he said. &#8220I refer to it as our own little city.”

Because of its size, he said, sometimes parents can get overwhelmed. That's where the team of principals provides that vital link between parents and the teachers who educate their kids.

Having been an educator himself, Okeson said, he knows how to speak their language, and it enables him to act as an interpreter for the parents with sometimes complicated situations with their kids.

&#8220We say we are the most approachable principals in America,” not only for parents but for kids, too.

Most students know his favorite saying as, &#8220Can you read my mind?”

Take one young man who had parked his car in the wrong place, blocking the nutrition services truck from access to the building.

&#8220Are you walking today?” asked Okeson, when the young man entered his office.

&#8220No,” said the young man with a profoundly confused look on his face. &#8220I have a car.”

&#8220Read my mind. Why would I be asking if you walked today when you have a car?” Okeson asked.

The light bulb suddenly appeared above the young man's head with blinding brilliance.

&#8220There's a problem where I parked, huh?” he said.

Okeson let the young man off with a warning, but told him that the next time he parks there, someone, either him or his parents, would pay a towing fee.

Unfortunately, not every meeting with a student is that easy.

&#8220Not every situation with a student ends up like an after-school special where they see the light,” he said. &#8220But we have our fair share.”

Sometimes, just positive affirmation from a well-meaning adult is all it takes to get kids back on the right track, he said.

Sometimes not.

What definitely helps the odds is maintaining a partnership with the parents, he said. Okeson explained that he has approximately 960 e-mail addresses for parents, and he sends out a mass e-mail filled with preventative information almost every day.

&#8220The idea is to help their kids stay out of bad situations,” Okeson said. &#8220The more information we put out empowers the parents to start discussions at home. They have the ultimate say-so on what happens with their children.”

It's a tough job, he said. But it's one that he enjoys.

&#8220As an assistant principal, you learn to take satisfaction in more quiet, subtle ways,” he said. &#8220My job is to be in the background, while the teachers are in the foreground. When the office works well, teachers feel great enough to teach well.

&#8220When teachers and students don't feel safe, that is not the best environment.

&#8220Teachers can't teach and kids can't learn. As principals, we try not to forget our potential power to make our students and teachers feel great in some small way. That's just what we do.”

Contact Sharon G. McBride at 352-2252 or sharon.mcbride

@frontiersman.com.