When Michael Stieren introduced himself on InFocus at the start of the year, he wasn’t just the new assistant principal on camera. He was a newcomer eager to discover what he calls “the Paly way.”
Before coming to Paly, Stieren worked at Wilcox High School in Santa Clara as an assistant principal, something Principal Brent Kline said is valuable to Stieren’s current role.
“His background as an assistant principal and district-level special education leader brings valuable expertise that will strengthen both our admin team and the entire Paly community,” Kline said in an email to The Campanile.
Stieren said what he looks forward to the most is learning the unique parts of Paly while discovering the best ways to make an impact.
“I’ve been at three different high schools,” Stieren said. “I think my job is really to learn the Paly way, to immerse myself into the Palo Alto community, get to know students, get to know the families, get to know the culture of the school.”
He also said an essential part of his learning process involves talking to students about the history of Paly.
“It’s the subtle conversations out in a parking lot or passing between classes where somebody tells me something that happened here 25 years ago,” Stieren said. “That’s really going to help me know and understand this place, and the better I know and understand it, the better I can support the people who come to school here, the people who work here.”
Reflecting on what excites him the most about working with Paly students, Stieren points to the school’s reputation of academic rigor and support for students who go above and beyond in their extracurriculars.
“I really like to hear from kids about the things that they like to do outside of school,” Stieren said. “Obviously, you have to take the math classes and the science classes, and you’re all looking to apply to elite colleges. That’s great and wonderful, but that’s just a small fraction of who you are as a person.”
More specifically, Stieren said niche programs at Paly, including glassblowing and the award-winning journalism program, set the school apart from others.
“(It is important to see) who is involved in those activities, learning from them about why they’re interested in it, why it’s a good thing and how you can either preserve it or make it better,” Stieren said.
Sophomore and ASB president Katie Kim said she is impressed with Stieren’s positivity.
“From what I have seen, he is really approachable and genuinely interested in connecting with students. Because of him, I have high hopes for this year’s school community,” Kim said.
Stieren, originally from the San Mateo/Burlingame area, attended UC Santa Barbara for his undergraduate degree and got his start in education when he answered a random job posting for a fourth-grade tutor. At the time, Stieren didn’t realize he would tutor a student with autism.
“I ended up working with that kid for two years, and that spring-boarded me into becoming a paraeducator in the Santa Barbara school district,” Stieren said. “I was a teacher there for a little while before moving into administration.”
After working in administration, Stieren said he realized his heart belonged in a high school setting.
“High schools are like small cities, and the students are always doing really interesting things, whether it’s athletics, theater productions, choir performances or auto class,” Stieren said.
Although Stieren has only just begun working at Paly, Kline said he is already making an impact.
“I’ve already been impressed by his curiosity and thoughtful approach as he learns how things work at Paly and supports our students, staff and families,” Kline said. “I look forward to learning from his experiences while also supporting his continued growth here at Paly.”
