New HHS Administrative Principal Byron Hopkins
Aug. 15, 2018 -- Byron Hopkins is the new Administrative Principal of Heights High. Previously, he was the principal at Buchtel High School in Akron.
“I wanted to come to Heights for several reasons,” he said. “There is great work being done here to reach the scholars. I’ve looked very closely at the data and I think we can make significant improvements,” he said.
But there is another reason he was drawn to this position. “I grew up in Cleveland, I went to St. Joseph High School and I married a Heights High alum,” he continued. “I have always admired the Heights schools and I am so happy to be part of this District.”
His path to being an educator began when he was studying business administration at Thiel College in Pennsylvania. He was a member of the track team and president of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity and the Black Collegiates organization. One of the service projects that he organized had a lasting impact on him.
“I wanted our Alpha chapter to do something important so we volunteered in an elementary school as classroom aides,” he said. “That is when I fell in love with education and the kids,” he said.
After completing his undergraduate business management degree at Thiel, he entered Kent State University and earned a master of arts in vocational education, currently known as Career and Technical Education or CTE.
“The CTE programs are an important part of high school,” he said. “And Heights High has a strong program. The CTE courses are specific and challenging, they give our scholars more options for life after high school.”
He wants all high school students to be prepared for one of four options after graduation: enter the workforce with a skill, attend a two year community college or trade school, attend a four year college or university or enter the military.
“Our job is to provide options for students and to make sure that they can pursue their first choice when they leave here,” he said.
Part of Mr. Hopkins’ role as Administrative Principal will be to oversee the CTE program. Also, the grade level assistant principals report to him.
Before serving as the principal at Buchtel he was the principal at East Tech Success Academy and John Marshall High School, both part of the Cleveland Metropolitan School District.
Prior to becoming a principal, Hopkins was a business teacher in the South Euclid Lyndhurst School District.
Hopkins replaces Interim High School Principal Dr. Brian Williams. Dr. Williams returned to his role as Coordinator of Alternative Programming at the Delisle Options Center in 2018-2019.