New Assistant Principal
Not Her First Rodeo
By Itzel Jimenez
Ms. Elizabeth Baltazar is the new Assistant Principal at Greenfield High School. You may have seen her walking around campus at lunch, wondered who she is, or maybe even gone to pick up your phone from her office. Well, she's more than just a person who sets rules in place. She can also be someone you can go to if you have an issue or even just talk to.
Get to know the new AP
Ms. Baltazar has been working at King City High School in the South Monterey County Joint Union district for seven years and has come to our school site to help us. She is a first-generation college graduate who wants to make sure that students are heard. Baltazar admits to not being the best student in high school but after going back to college she fell in love with teaching and eventually rose to the administrative level. Some of Baltzar’s strengths include being a good listener, solution-based, and transparent. Fun facts about her include her playing roller derby for two years in the past and her dual citizenship with the U.S. and England.
Ms. Baltazar told The Bruins Eye that the most enjoyable part of her job was “watching students hold themselves accountable for their actions [and] watching them succeed as well.” She also believes that being transparent, student-centered, and having honest communication are what makes a good Assistant Principal. A day in Ms. Baltazar's job is, “Exciting! You never know what's going to happen so you must be on your top game.” She also states that the toughest part of her job is sometimes getting her ideas shut down, but she gets to learn to compromise.
“Motivation [to succeed] can only come from the student.” Ms. Baltazar believes that she can help students to some extent to make good choices, learn from their mistakes, and persevere. However, Baltazar insists that ultimately “You are your only motivation.” She also wants to create policies and procedures as a school rather than creating them herself and then enforcing them on her own. Are we welcome in her office? Ms. Baltazar says yes! She wants students, staff, and our community to know that she has an open-door policy. She is always available to listen to anyone in Greenfield who needs to be heard.
What does our staff think of Ms. Baltazar?
As many of you may know, Mrs. Matos is the principal of Greenfield High School who previously worked with Ms. Baltazar at King City High. When asked what some of Baltazar's strengths are, Matos discloses that, “She is a hard worker, she is dedicated, and she is loyal. Matos also believes that Baltazar is a good team player and that she possesses high morals and a strong work ethic. Mrs. Matos divulged to The Bruin’s Eye that Baltazar was an avid rollerblader until she broke her ankle. In fact, Matos declares that her colleague is an athletic person who loves to exercise, do cardio workouts, and lift weights. Plus, Baltazar is a “dog mom” to two cute pugs named Millie and Shorty.
The Bruin’s Eye also spoke with teachers about our new Assistant Principal hire. “Being able to connect with students on a personal level,” is one of the many strengths that GHS teacher, Ms. Gray stated Baltazar has. Is she a good fit for our school? “Absolutely!” says Ms. Gray, “She is an excellent addition to GHS and has made herself known to students and staff.” Some fun facts Gray shared about Baltazar were that she has the best snacks and that she is a HUGE fan of the show Supernatural. Ms. Gray wants our readers to know that if you see Ms. Baltazar on campus, then we should say hi, and adds “She’s here to help us, not just to discipline.”
What are our students’ thoughts?
After researching with students, it was clear that they know what they want to see here at Greenfield High School. A G.H.S. senior Jesus Arroyo believes, “an Assistant principal should check up on her students [and] not show favoritism.” As we can see, what students want to see on our campus from administrators is a positive change. Specifically, we want a person who can set boundaries but also communicate well with students. Junior Alexis Lomeli adds that he likes how Baltazar is more involved than some of our previous staff. Lomeli also likes how she “makes an effort to get to know students.”
To all our readers, including G.H.S. students and staff and anyone in the Greenfield community at large, please know that Ms. Baltazar is a warm and kind person. She has an open-door policy, and she is always available to listen to whoever needs to be heard.