Former math teacher hired as Deputy Principal
New Deputy Principal Nathan Meinert is using his math skills to find the perfect equation for ways to improve Bearcat Country. Transferring from SLO High School as a math teacher, Meinert is eager to start his first year being a Deputy Principal.
Rather than a Head Principal, a Deputy Principal’s duty is mainly focused on creating a positive impact on student and teacher learning, along with supporting PRHS’s campus and educational success. A Deputy Principal bureaucrats instruction, curriculum, and assessments in regards to those for both teachers and students. The ambitions and aspirations of Meinert’s job is to precisely focus on the roles of progress and advancement of PRHS’s principles that “every student will have success.”
“There is nothing more fun than working with teenagers,”
stated Meinert. His passion for teaching and helping students is his motivation to do well in the works of others.
Math was his gateway to a career and his way of “helping all students achieve their dreams, figure out who they want to be, learn how to think for themselves and grow into being young adults.”
Meinert decided to go to Cal Poly and become a Mustang ten years ago and received his Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and his Teaching Credential six years ago. Not long after, he became a math teacher and after five years he made a return to Cal Poly to receive his Masters in Educational Leadership and Administration.
The roles of leadership play a significant factor in his life. He knew that he was a natural leader and when the job opportunity came, Meinert stated that he “knew it was the right fit.” With two other applicants competing for former Deputy Principal, Kristen Shouse’s job, Meinert was the most qualified candidate.
Prior to his new job, he was also head of the math department chair at Slo High from 2014 to 2017 and was also an athletic director for two years. With the variety of leadership fortuities that Meinert seized, he states that he enjoys the aspects that come with a leadership role.
“Paso has an abundance of school spirit and unity that most other schools don’t offer,” stated Meinert when comparing Paso to SLO HS.
The spirit and friendliness on campus is Meinert’s favorite aspect to the school. Seeing new faces everyday, along with working with staff members such as Eric Martinez, Dan Sharon, Tom Harrington, and Jennifer Clayton, encourages Meinert everyday and pushes him to work tenaciously for PRHS.
Meinert believes he was born a natural leader. He said he believes that his faith in The Lord gives him the strength to do the job he has.
With such a positive campus already, Meinert stated that he believes “there is never an end point with improvement and even just a simple smile can make the campus a better place.”
