Saratoga News
Education
Photograph by George Sakkestad
Alex Chapman is stepping in to fill the shoes of Argonaut Elementary School's retiring principal, Sue Brooks. Chapman is a former science teacher and assistant principal at Redwood Middle School. He has been with the Saratoga Union School District since 1997.
Alex Chapman takes over for Brooks at Argonaut
By Michele Leung
The principal of Argonaut Elementary School, Sue Brooks, has been a fixture at the school for 12 years, but when students return in the fall there will be a new face to greet them.
Alex Chapman, currently the assistant principal at Redwood Middle School, will step into her shoes as the new leader at Argonaut.
"I'm extremely excited," Chapman said. "I consider myself extremely lucky to be principal at Argonaut. I'm stepping into what is great about California public education. I'm looking forward to it."
Chapman was a science teacher before becoming a school administrator and has been with the district since 1997. He spent the last three years as assistant principal at Redwood, and before that he was a sixth- and seventh-grade science teacher and the district's K-5 science coordinator. For six summers, he was also one of the directors of the Redwood science and sports camp, which featured sports such as lacrosse and badminton.
"I do miss being a teacher and having the minute-by-minute contact with students," he said. "But as an administrator, I have an opportunity to enact change on a wider scale. It's a way to apply leadership skills."
At 35, Chapman is a young principal, and with two earrings looks even younger, but he said he can use his youthfulness to build a rapport with students. Challenging players to a game of four-square, that perennial favorite blacktop activity, could be a possibility, he said.
"I don't want to be a principal students fear, like some bad guy in the office," he said. "I hope that I come across as a down-to-earth person. I hope they come to talk to me because I respect them."
Chapman calls himself a silly guy with a penchant for goofy things. He's been known to play dress-up games with his 5-year-old daughter, according to Saratoga Union School District Superintendent Lane Weiss. Chapman's hobbies include art, sports and especially music. Chapman gets his musical kicks from his iPod and XM satellite radio when he's not playing guitar or bass.
"He's in touch with what's hip," said Weiss, who shares a love of music with Chapman. "We both like music that is considered old--'60s, '70s--and current stuff. We appreciate the roots of rock and pop and modern day stuff as well."
Chapman's "kid at heart" demeanor mirrors the attitude of the students he will be overseeing. He will enjoy being enveloped in that perspective, he said.
"I look forward to the youthful sense of exploration that exist in K-5 students," Chapman said. "They're still exploring the world and not quite ready to make judgments about it yet."
Chapman said he expects to take a year to become familiar with his new job and has drawn up "pages" of questions to ask Brooks, his predecessor, before she retires to Las Vegas. He is curious to know how students are assigned to classrooms, what the issues are concerning school facilities and what process is to be followed in case of an emergency.
"Because Argonaut is so organized, there will be no need to create drastic changes," he said. "There are no huge gaps that need immediate attention."
Chapman seems to have the support of parents already, and at least one parent was excited at the news of Chapman's appointment.
"He listens and communicates with parents. That's something we wanted in a good principal," said Happy Ho, who has one child at Argonaut and another at Redwood.
While she said she is sorry to see Brooks leave the Argonaut community, Ho is looking forward to the new year to see what Chapman brings.
"He's young," she said. "He will bring some new ideas."
