AHS in wonderful hands, says principal for a day

I want to take a moment to thank Larry Misel, principal of Agoura High School, for inviting me to be "Principal for the Day" on Feb. 6.

In my role as principal, I had the opportunity to visit a variety of classes while they were in session. In every subject, whether ninth grade English class or 12th grade computer class, I was very impressed by the quality of the teaching and the quality of the students.

I was also pleased to see that class-size reduction now exists in ninth and 11th grades. That means no more than 20 students per class, and usually less than that, from what I observed at Agoura High. What a great advantage for the student and teacher.

And though Agoura High School rates very high academically (meaning we have very smart kids and very smart teachers), I was glad to learn that in addition to the strong academic programs, classes are also offered in the arts, photography, music, dance, automotive, woodworking, ceramics, etc. Leadership at Agoura High School understands that our children are individuals with varying interests and strengths. And it’s important to help them become well-rounded adults.

I’m not sure why, but I had a preconceived notion that I was going to see overcrowded classrooms, unruly students and noisy chaos. What I saw was the complete opposite. The students were attentive, the teachers were truly teaching. There was thoughtful, interesting dialog between students and teachers. There were many classes where I wanted to stay and join in the debate of ideas.

It was exciting.

I recognize that no institution, business, or family––for that matter––is without flaws. There’s always room for improvement in everything we do or are involved in. But what counts is having the right attitude. And that’s what you’ll find in the leadership at Agoura High School. They’re always looking for ways to make things better.

Mr. Misel is extremely proud of the students and faculty and staff of Agoura High School. And he has a right to be. If anyone is interested in visiting the school during the day, I know he would be very pleased to take time for tour.

Just give him a call.

Kris Carraway-Bowman

Westlake Village