Partnership Principal
Catherine Guy

Listen to Catherine!

     As a former Advanced Placement science teacher, Elk Grove (CA) High School Principal Catherine Guy believes that AP classes benefit teachers and all students in her school. And since she became principal of the school three years ago, she’s brought a focus to making AP courses available to any student who wants to enter them.

    “I’ve found that when a teacher develops curriculum for an AP class that teacher becomes a more effective curriculum planner and instructional coach for students,” Guy says. “The teacher sees the key points that have to be emphasized with the students and becomes more efficient in the classroom.

     “Students, including middle of the road youngsters, succeed in a more rigorous environment when they are encouraged to take challenging classes and receive the necessary support to achieve success.”

   That focus on AP has put Elk Grove High, a comprehensive 9-12 school of just under 2,100 students, in the national spotlight the past two years, being named one of America’s best high schools by Newsweek magazine. Both the percent of students taking an AP exam (26.7 percent) and the percent of passed AP exams (33.5 percent) have increased.

   “We believe AP should be a priority for all students,” Guy said. “Our job is to recruit and support those youngsters and give them the confidence to try and succeed.”

    But the AP program isn’t the only bright spot at Elk Gove High. Sitting about 20 miles south of the California capital, it is the oldest high school in the district and once focused on agriculture. Today that history is still intact with a strong career and vocational ed program. Elk Grove agriculture students annually win state and national awards and attend the national Future Farmers of America conference. Some of the ag grads go into family farming business, but the vast majority move onto four-year institutions where they major in agricultural related areas.

   The school also has a strong athletic program with the football, basketball, wrestling, and baseball teams achieving regional and state recognition.

    “A successful high school athletic program adds to the sense of community at a school,” Guy says. “Kids feel more connected to the school, discipline problems diminish, and, most importantly, the students feel good about themselves and that often translates to academic success into the classroom.”

    ‘A sense of the community” is an important aspect of Elk Grove High, ranging from the students to parents to the business community, according to Guy.

   “We have a phenomenal amount of parent involvement,” she reports. “Since ours is the first high school in the district, many parents, grandparents and other family members attended Elk Grove High. This creates a sense of pride and tradition. We also have some of the traditional ceremonies such as a homecoming parade through town. Parents, younger children, and members of the business community watch and participate in the parade. All this leads to tremendous parent and community support.”

   Guy is also proud of her 100-plus teaching staff, many of whom started their teaching careers at Elk Grove and never left. This creates a stable base of people who “know what they’re doing.” With the school’s reputation, vacancies that do occur are easy to fill.

   Guy, a two-year member of The Partnership, sees her biggest challenge being to do everything possible to assist each Elk Grove student in succeeding.

   “We have an expectation that every student here will pass our state high school exit exam and be proficient or advanced on the California Standards Test. As a result, we must strive to assure that we have everything in place so that all students can achieve those goals.”

  She is finding that The Partnership is helping her maintain the high standards established at Elk Grove High.

   “The speakers at the Summer Leadership Institute are always of such high caliber and provide ideas that I can bring back to the school. The Summer Institute recharges my battery and reaffirms why I do this job.

   Guy can be contacted at cguy@egusd.net, and more information about Elk Grove High School can be found at http://www.egusd.k12.ca.us/ELKGROVEHIGH/

  
Past Focus Principals:

Focus- Bob Rodriguez
Focus- John Brumley
Focus- Nancy York
Focus- Jerrylyn Jones
Focus- Gloria Erkins
Focus- Ron Sing
Focus- Bill Hittman
Focus- Jeanene Sampson
Focus- David Gilligan
Focus - Joy Walton
Focus- William Roberts
Focus- Franklyn Wesley
Focus- Magdalena Gutierrez
Focus- Kent Bergum
Focus- William "Rick" Johnson
Focus- Ken Ball
Focus- Dan Tenuta
Focus- Charlesetta Deason
Focus- Rene Posey
Focus- Stuart Baker
Focus- Paul Smith
Focus- Christie Gestvang
Focus- John A. Butterfield
Focus- Janie Hill Hatton
Focus- Steve Warmack
Focus- Glen Clark
Focus- Kittie D. Weston-Knauer
Focus- William Dunn
Focus - Richard Pemberton
Focus- Dr. Anthony Spivey
Focus - John Weigel