This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Schools

Six Questions for a San Marino Local: SMHS Principal Keith Derrick

New San Marino High School principal takes on the San Marino six.

School is back in session for new principal, Keith Derrick.

After 19 years at John Marshall Fundamental School in Pasadena, Derrick when former principal .

“The question is, after 19 years at the same institution I was principal at, why would I actually want to leave when everyone knows me so well?” said Derrick. “The simple answer is San Marino. is the number one school district in the state of California. The high school is one of the top high schools, non-magnet schools in the state. This is one of the few jobs I would leave for.”

Find out what's happening in San Marinowith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Derrick officially began work July 13, but spent most of the summer shuffling back and forth between San Marino High School and John Marshall Fundamental School.

 “I couldn’t wait for students to get back on campus,” said Derrick. “How do I know how the school functions when I’m sitting here by myself in the summer? When school started Tuesday, it was great to have kids back in class because I saw how the school operates, how kids move and how parents interact with the school.”

Find out what's happening in San Marinowith free, real-time updates from Patch.

With a full week under his belt, the Altadena resident was impressed with how smoothly the high school ran.

“Kids are in class working. The impression is that this school functions really well,” said Derrick. “It’s a really quiet campus--not at lunch though.”

Derrick grew up in the neighboring town of Arcadia. After graduating from , Derrick attended UC Irvine where he planned to study to become an attorney. A college baseball player, Derrick suffered a game-changing injury that left him considering a future in education.

“Through sports it became apparent that I liked working with kids. When I couldn’t play baseball anymore, I thought teaching may be the right thing for me,” said Derrick. “During my senior year, I took teaching classes for my remaining electives and went to Cal State Fullerton to get my teaching credentials.”

While Derrick won’t be taking on any coaching duties at San Marino High, he does plan on cheering from the sidelines.

“I’m a pretty visible principal. I like to be in classes and I like to be at events,” said Derrick. “I don’t like sitting in an office. The facilities are wonderful here.”

What do you like most about San Marino?

The community.

What is your favorite restaurant in San Marino? 

I haven’t eaten a lot in San Marino. I’m still trying all the restaurants out. has been here forever. When I went to Arcadia High School, we used to go to Tony’s.

What is your favorite place in San Marino to take a stroll or go for a run?

.

What is a little known fact about you?

I play guitar.

What is your favorite ice cream flavor?

Mint chocolate chip.

What excites you most about the upcoming school year?

Getting to know the community, teachers and students and building new relationships. I don’t think you come in at San Marino and make grand changes right away. The first thing I need to do is establish relationships with parents, kids, teachers and the school district. If you can’t develop those relationships then you can’t do anything.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?