The coronavirus forcing online learning, and a delay in re-opening the campus has amplified some of the challenges that Catalina High School faces. Still, new Principal Geoff Parks remains upbeat.
Parks wanted to be part of a school that’s high in diversity and picked up on some of Catalina’s other strong points right away. “I’m just really excited about being a Trojan,” he says. “I’ve already met a lot of great people, and I can tell that it’s a good fit for me.”
While below average results on mandated state testing loom large, Parks notes that the growth data for the school is encouraging. “We have talented people here who can really make a difference, who have already made huge strides in the past three years that I’ve noticed just looking at the data,” he explains.
Parks has a strong background in education and grew up attending small rural schools in Washington State. He’s taught a variety of sciences at Willapa Valley High in Washington and here at Vail’s Cienega High. Parks has also been a middle school teacher and coach, a student achievement adviser, an assistant principal, a principal; and most recently the superintendent of the Napavine School District before returning to Tucson.
As a superintendent, he says he missed interacting with students and was hopeful when he learned that the Catalina post was available after being vacated by Antasio Holley, who recently moved to the East Coast.
“Granted, it’s going to be kind of funky this (school) year, with the whole pandemic, but the climate and the culture at Catalina is good. It’s caring—people really care about the kids. They have a lot of great systems in place already at Catalina that I’ve been looking at, and a lot of resources that will help,” Parks notes. “And I think that’s why you’re seeing the graduation numbers increase. I think they’re on the right path. Just keep persevering!”
Parks is concerned that starting off with students not on campus could affect enrollment, be an additional struggle for families who lack internet access or a suitable computer or tablet, and could keep students from accessing on-campus resources.
He looks forward to helping the school become more successful academically, and in its extracurricular activities. He also hopes to reduce Catalina’s high teacher turnover. “Just start building that success a little bit at a time—once you get on the escalator of success, you’re going to get rid of those failing or D labels.”
We also announced the 2020 Centurion Awards. The faculty awardee for 2020 is Jennifer Miranda, a terrific college and career counselor who is an expert at college applications and the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA); and is a wizard at helping students find the grants and scholarships that make a college career possible. 
The student Centurion awardee is Timber Bedorehfar. He is a youth on his own and someone who always encourages other students to meet their goals and overcome obstacles. He is on the football team and completed his lifeguard certification at Catalina, so can lifeguard at city pools in Tucson during the summers.