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Health & Fitness

Principal Savage on Education

Greetings to all! This is my first official post as principal at Capistrano Connections Academy, a free virtual public school serving students in grades K-12 in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, and San Diego counties. I am ecstatic to be part of this school, and one of my first priorities upon becoming principal was to learn more about the teachers who excel in the online teaching environment. Along with assistant principals Heather Tamayo and Marcus White, I’ve met with every Capistrano Connections Academy teacher and have been thoroughly impressed with their enthusiasm and commitment to educating the students. 

As online educators, one of the questions most commonly asked about our school structure is whether teacher-student communication suffers given the online setting, and prior to joining Connections Academy, I wondered that myself. However, teacher after teacher told me what they love most about Connections Academy is the opportunity to get to know their students on a much deeper level. Most of our teachers taught in traditional “brick and mortar” schools before coming to Connections Academy, and while they enjoyed their experiences, they all commented that their student-teacher relationships flourished at Connections Academy because they have the opportunity to connect one-on-one via email, direct message, phone calls, etc. whenever the student needs to.

With nearly 15 years in education, I can say without a doubt that the most important part of a child’s education is the student-teacher relationship. The old adage, “students do not care how much the teacher knows until they know how much the teacher cares,” is so very true! In just my first month at Connections Academy, I have seen how poignant and powerful these relationships are. I have witnessed students expressing heartfelt gratitude toward their teachers through emails, on the phone and in person. It is evident that the connection between our teachers and students is a vital component to their academic success.

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Although summer only just began, I am already looking forward to next school year with Connections Academy! What’s your best memory of a teacher?

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