Partnership Principal Stuart Baker

    When Stuart Baker became principal of University High School in Tucson a year and a half ago, his daughter, Elizabeth, was a step ahead of him—she had already been there for a year.

     It can be tough having a parent for a principal, and Stuart remembers that she didn’t talk to him at school for about a month. Then one day, she said to me, “Hi, Dad; I forgot my lunch money.”

     Elizabeth and the 650 other students at University High, a college-prep school that requires an admission process, have since thrived. The school recently received an award from The College Board as the best high school in the world for scores on the U.S. History, English, and Comparative Politics AP classes. And for the past four years, 100 percent of the University High student body has passed the Arizona high stakes test.

     Last year Elizabeth placed second in the International Science Fair for her project on chimpanzee communication. “We believe she identified a new sound among the 30 different sounds chimps make,” Baker said, admitting he likes to brag on his daughter.

     University High, which was started in 1976 as a special projects high school, offers 24 different AP classes. Students must pass a test to be admitted into the 9-12 school along with having a high middle school gpa. Sixty percent of the student body is Anglo, 20 percent Hispanic, and 15 percent Asian.

     “Limited admission schools such as University are becoming more popular,” points out Baker, citing another half dozen in Chicago.

     While University attracts students who are academically focused since it is the only public high school of its kind in Tucson, there are pluses and minuses being a principal in such a setting.

     “Highly motivated students tend to be very creative sometimes in ways that you don’t want them to be,” reports Baker. “And their parents can be very vocal in seeing that their students’ needs are met.”

     But there are plenty of positives.

     “One of the senior projects that I look forward to each year is the government project. We have five government classes, and each one becomes a political party for two months. They write platforms, design campaigns, create ads, and make speeches. The project culminates with an on-stage debate watched by the entire student body, where creativity is featured as parties attempt to deliver their message. One party recently created a replica of the Scooby-Doo car and all members dressed as Scooby-Doo characters.”

     University shares its campus with Rincon High, a more traditional high school, and moved to that campus in the mid 80s. Being with the 1,150 Rincon students allows the two schools to have enough students to provide a full array of fine arts programs and student activities.

     One of the early decisions made at University long before Baker arrived was determining a mascot, and it’s a decision that the current principal truly appreciates.

     “The school colors were black and white, and they were considering a zebra, skunk or penguin as mascot. Thank goodness the penguin won.”

     Being a principal is never boring, and that’s what makes the job interesting, according to Baker.

     “You always have something new and different, and usually it’s something that you really aren’t prepared for and you have to be creative and thoughtful. One recent example is the day one of my assistants was out and within 15 minutes I had to talk with students about two different problems and get ready for a meeting with another set of parents—all within 15 minutes. It was a challenge, but I like those challenges.”

    Baker believes participating in The Principals’ Partnership gives a real boost to principals dealing with those demands.

     “The Partnership is outstanding on two levels,” he states. “First, I truly appreciate the commitment Union Pacific is making to education and updating the skills of public high school principals. It’s a tough job, and any and all help is appreciated. Secondly, it’s great to have someone treat us as if we are special. Many days we start work at 7 a.m. and aren’t done until 9 or 10 at night after attending a school event. Then early the next morning you get a parent call asking why you weren’t at a different event.”

     Being a school leader requires many skills, according to Baker, not the least of which is having a sense of politics.

    “You have to have good insight into human behavior and be able to handle the politics of the principalship. You have to balance dealing with parents, the school board, the teachers union, students, and staff. All can have various self-centered issues that are tremendously important to them.

    “Unfortunately, sometimes you have to develop the knack of dealing effectively with people on the job. Some comes naturally and some you can learn as a teacher, but you don’t learn everything you need until you are a principal. Sometimes that means you make mistakes and earn enemies. That’s one more reason it’s great to be able to network with other principals through The Partnership.”

     More information about University High School can be found at edweb.tusd.k12.az.us/uhs, and Baker can be contacted at [email protected].