Meet East High’s New Assistant Principal

By Giselle Arechiga and Anna  Velasquez, September 20th 2024

Are assistant principals merely school officials without personality wandering through our hallways? I got the chance to talk to our new assistant principal, Justin Spencer, and I have to say with his unwavering passion for student success and commitment, Mr. Spencer is eager to prove these misconceptions wrong. 

  Before joining East, Mr. Spencer was the assistant principal at one of our rival schools, West High. However, he was quick the share his preference towards the E. “I think East is a little bit smaller, so it's easier. It's been easier to navigate the building itself, but it's also easier to get to know and see individual students.” In addition to the prior roles of serving as assistant principal, Mr. Spencer has been an administrator for six years and has an impressive 18 years of experience as a teacher.  

  Teaching at Kearns High school, West High School, and Wood Cross High School, Mr Spencer had the privilege to have been apart of three different school districts, gaining experience from them all. Primarily teaching Spanish and health, Mr. Spencer is able to bring a wealthy amount of assistance and support towards East students. Not only for those whose first language is Spanish, but those who are English learners of any kind. His experience in teaching English Language Development (ELD) further enhances his ability to assist students in their language journey here at East. 

  Along with having an impressive amount of teaching experience, Mr. Spencer has had an outstanding amount of history with coaching. Coaching soccer for 5 years, basketball for 8, and football for 18. Mr. Spencer had a lot to say about our very own football team. “I think our football team is awesome! They're really athletic and They're pretty big. They're also getting better at being disciplined, which I think is a sign of us making progress.” Even he will tell you himself that although he may not look the part, he was a football player during his time in high school.  

When asked why he decided to become assistant principal for East, Mr. Spencer shared his strong belief in collaborating with both teachers and students to create a positive school environment. After retiring from coaching, Mr. Spencer felt a calling. “I felt like I had something that I could add into the world of education. And I actually really loved working with teachers, and so having an opportunity to become an administrator has given me the chance to mentor and work with teachers and students, and it's been really fun.” 

  During just the past few first weeks of school, Mr. Spencer opened up on his own thoughts of our hallway situation. With an immense group of 600 freshman, keeping the hallways clear and lessening traffic has been a huge struggle for many. “I firmly believe that kids need to make progress towards graduation, and the only way we can make progress is if were in our classes.” Encouraging students to get to class is not only a way to ensure progress towards graduating but a way to keep students safe. Mr. Spencer states, “it's something that I'm very passionate about, I oversee school security, and I truly believe in safety, and as long as our students are feeling safe, then they have a chance to do well in their classes.” 

  With midterms being this week, I got the privilege to ask Mr. Spencer for advice for the different grades. One major piece of guidance that Mr. Spencer thinks is essential for help getting through midterms for any grade is getting to class. “Advice number one, for sure be in class, if you're not in class, you're basically sacrificing your opportunity to get credits, and those credits have to be made up.” Credits that are going to have to be made up sooner than later. Mr. Spencer also spoke on his last year at West spending the whole time working with seniors and trying to get them to graduate.  

  Driven by his commitment to creating a positive and supportive community for both student and teacher it is evident that his approach to his new role here is welcomed by many. Known for his warm smile and approachable demeanor, Mr. Spencer is able to ensure students feelings of being heard and safe.