Home
Greetings Hollywood High School students, families, and community,
I am extremely proud and honored to be the new principal at Hollywood High School. While this past year has been extremely challenging, I look to the future with renewed optimism for better and brighter days. Our school community is ready to rebound, renew, and reinvent what is needed as we safely return to campus and activities in Fall 2021. Having studied education through the social justice lens at UCLA, I firmly believe that education is the great equalizer in our society. The love of learning new things, applying prior knowledge, and the act of creating is a fundamental skill and desire everyone is born with. Schools should be a place where we encourage and cultivate this curiosity, risk, and understanding. My experience as an ELA and AP English teacher, Magnet Coordinator, Work-based Learning Coordinator, and Assistant Principal has led me to believe that action-oriented leadership, ethics & values, and inquiry-based instruction will foster a conducive environment to meet the needs of our cultural and soci-economically diverse student population. I look forward to working with all stakeholders in order to support the academic and social-emotional goals of all students this school year.
As a social justice leader, I am eager to support and collaborate with teachers, students, parents, and community members to fulfill Hollywood High School’s mission and vision that all students can learn in a transparent, creative, and inviting environment that provides a strong academic curriculum, and real world experiences in preparation for college and careers. We will continue to respect and carry on this school community’s rich history, culture, and tradition in our Small Learning Communities; in our Magnet Programs; in our Athletic Program; in our shows and performances; and in our classrooms and hallways.
If we heed the statesmen Kofi Annan’s words that “Knowledge is power. Information is liberating [and] Education is the premise of progress, in every society, in every family,” we must begin with the most important person in the classroom--the student--and give them equal access to the knowledge, tools, support, guidance, training, and feedback so that they may achieve the very best no matter what their socioeconomic or cultural background. Let us take advantage of Hollywood High School’s rich history, wealth of knowledge, active alumni association, and community participation to guide our students to be moral and ethical contributing members of the global society.
A few areas of focus for my administration this school year will be: 1. addressing our attendance rate—it seems we have a strong start at the beginning of every school year, let’s keep it strong all year long; 2. focusing on Black Student Achievement—we will implement resources, training, and guidance from district to address the inequities that adversely affect all students of color and low socio-economic status; 3. implementing Restorative Justice Practices and Tiered Intervention in order to hear student voice and tackle the root cause of social/emotional/economic concerns before they turn into problems; 4. creating high-quality rigorous lessons and opportunities for students to engage with academics and the arts to show their mastery of content standards; and 5. ensuring our facilities are kept clean, safe, and conducive to learning for students and adults on campus.
As the adults on campus and in our communities, making wise decisions and acting as exemplar role models is the best thing we can do for our young impressionable youth whose minds, science tells us, are still developing until the age of 25. Let us come together to embrace the power we have as a community to understand our students and one another, learn from one another, share with one another, and celebrate with one another.
Currently, the world of education is an exciting field experiencing a wave of influences from policies and exponential innovation and growth from learning technologies. Our students are at the center of this influence and innovation. They are the future leaders of our schools, communities, and nation. As the adults in the community, we must direct and guide our youth to use these technologies in a positive way.
I look forward to meeting you as partners in supporting our students’ success and bringing the community together to celebrate our academics, arts, and athletics.
Sincerely,
Mr. Samuel Dovlatian
