East’s new assistant principal, Dr. David Francis-Maurer, who moved to the United States five years ago from the United Kingdom, has already made an impact among students as he brings a new philosophy and perspective to the role that those before had not.
Francis-Maurer was inspired to pursue a position in education to provide students and teachers with resources they may not have had in the past.
“One of the goals of my leadership is to help teachers be their full authentic self…students don’t really care who’s in front of them as long as that person knows who they are and they feel they are able to learn,” said Francis-Maurer.
Francis-Maurer wants teachers to connect with their students in order to create a better learning environment for all, and he believes that the relationships between students and teachers are the most important thing to achieving this. Students want to be heard and recognized for who they are as individuals, especially by those who will help them learn and set them up for success in the future.
Coming from South London, there is a very large culture gap in comparison to American culture whether that be in terms of educational culture or the culture of society. A large difference pertaining to education is testing. In England, students from the ages of 16 to 18, you take tests that are blind to the school. These tests are some of the most important tests a student will take as they determine where a student will attend university and who will employ them after the fact.
“The [purpose] of the school is to help the students learn in order to pass the tests.”
Francis-Maurer recognizes the impact this has on students and although American students go through a very different process, they still experience the same pressure as English students. He notes that a student’s record on paper is not always reflective of their capabilities, and many fail to recognize students’ potential based only on records or report cards. This is something that he hopes to change.
“When students come and talk to me about their work, they immediately want to show me their transcript, they immediately want to show me Genesis…I want to see their notes, I want to see their homework, I want to see if they can do these things.”
The school needs an administrator like Francis-Maurer: East has an abundance of staff and counselors to offer help to students, but sometimes they don’t know who to look to first. Francis-Maurer offers a helping hand to those in need and is not shy to make sure every student feels catered to.
When asked about what inspires him in his role as a vice principal, Francis-Maurer believes that multiple minor changes can lead to something great within the East community.
“The goal is to get everyone to be successful. That’s the kind of intensity I bring to the work, and I love that link to the community,” said Francis-Maurer.
East students and staff will always have a figure of guidance in Dr. Francis-Maurer as his door is always open to those who need it. As Francis-Maurer says, “The school is not the building or the office — it’s the humanity and the connectivity.”
The East community is excited to have Dr. Francis-Maurer among the new administration staff and looks forward to seeing the changes he will bring to East in the coming years.
