La Vista

By Iktae Park
Web News Editor

Dr. Michael Matthews, MBUSD’s new district superintendent, visited Mira Costa High School to speak to La Vista staff on September 3, 2010.

Will Goodwin/ La Vista

The new administrator spoke for about 35 minutes responding to questions from Mira Costa’s student journalists. He was candid, relaxed, and even humorous at times.

“I like being a geek. I’m proud to be a geek,” said Matthews when asked about his use of Twitter.

Matthews discussed various topics with the staff, including: the budget, the possibility of using teacher evaluation by test scores, and transparency with the students and parents of Manhattan Beach Unified School District.

“Transparency is a huge thing in evaluation right now. We have a twitter page now. It allows people who wants information to get snippets here and there,” said Matthews.

He showed strong support for Mira Costa Programs and planned to attend the pep rally several upcoming sports games.

“It is my job to let everyone know how good this school is. The fact that you received Six-year [WASC] recognition shows not only are you a great school but you are a school that will continue to improve,” said Matthews.

Regan Estes
Staff Writer

Mira Costa High School’s new principal, Ben Dale, held a press conference with the La Vista staff  to discuss his opinions about the school, the lock down and various other topics on Sept. 10.

Dale gave examples of positives and negatives that he had felt of the school. As an example of a positive impression, he commented that the attitude of the staff and the students as “very welcoming and polite.”

“In terms of cons, we have a perception issue. The perception outside our community is that this is a cold, business like environment. All we care about is winning. That’s so untrue,” Dale said.

Will Goodwin/ La Vista

Dale also explained the reasons behind the Wednesday’s lock downs.

“A backpack was found underneath the staircase that contained four to six boxes of matches, a can of lighter fluid and a can of tennis balls. The Manhattan Beach Police Department felt those materials could be used to put together a small explosive device,” Dale said.

Dale spoke about many other topics including health, schedules, technology and what he loves best about Mira Costa.

“Technology is my first priority. I see that as a point of emphasis. I want you to be academically competitive but I also want you to be healthy. I want what’s best for kids in school. I want students to find balance,” Dale said.