Who is Thomas Smith?

Aug 22, 2022 I had an interview with Principal Thomas Smith. During the interview I asked him Seven questions. I asked him “How would you say you changed Chaparral?”He said “I have tried to establish a culture of mutual respect.” He explained that he and his team have tried to interview teachers that show up to interviews no matter how long it’s scheduled for. He’s trying to change Chaparral by getting teachers students can be comfortable with. I asked “Do you think this year will be better than the last?” He said “Absolutely, They gave students an extra class which may help a student who has fallen behind.” He wanted to make sure that students know what to expect when it comes to him. I asked, “What made you want to be an administrator at Chaparral?” He explained that he had mentors and people to help him because he didn’t believe he could do it. “I never thought in my wildest dream that I’d be principal of high school.” Principal Smith said it was a hardship to figure out but then thought he could do it. I asked, “Have you ever wanted to leave Chaparral?” He said he’s never wants to leave Chaparral because there is so much work to be done. I asked, “What’s one thing you wish you would have done differently last year?” He said he wished he would have constantly communicated where things had to go. I asked, “Do you believe the dress code is fair?” He explained that his daughter who is in the 6th grade had gotten dress-coded in her school. In his thoughts he was upset that the school didn’t have a change of clothes so they had to send her home. In his opinion he thinks that it’s better to give out clean shirts to students. For the last and final question I asked him “ Do you take action when a student comes to you about their opinion about the school or a teacher?” He responded by saying that a lot of things there is a whole lot he can do when there is an issue in a classroom. He believes that equality shows how things work. So he tries his best to make students feel understood and heard.