Andrew Frost ready to grab reins at R.A. Long
Wednesday, April 4, 2007 6:11 AM PDT
By Stephanie Mathieu
Printable version
E-mail this articleThrough the eyes of R.A. Long sophomore Tom Lee, incoming principal Andrew Frost appears to have a tactful approach to student discipline.
While touring the high school's hallways during a job interview earlier this year, Frost politely shooed some students back to class, said Lee, who was involved in questioning Frost and other candidates.
"There were these two students who were skipping and talking," Lee said. "He turned to the students and asked them, 'Where are you supposed to be right now?' ... It wasn't mean."
"He wasn't a my-way-or-the-highway type of guy," Lee added. "What really struck me about him was the level of caring and concern he had for students."
Frost, a 34-year-old assistant principal at Cascade High School in Everett, will replace R.A. Long High School Principal Rollie Johnson at the start of next school year. Johnson, who was principal for 25 years, will help train Frost during summer break.
"I'm impressed by Mr. Johnson for dedicating 25 years to R.A. Long, and to follow that kind of legacy is impressive," Frost said in a phone interview Monday. "I'm looking forward to working with the administrative team in the Longview School District."
A Washington native, Frost earned a bachelor's degree in biology from Central Washington University. He then earned a master's in teaching from the University of Puget Sound and his principal certification from Western Washington University.
He started his career as a high school science teacher in Gig Harbor, near Tacoma, and made the switch to an assistant principal position at Ephrata High School -- an Eastern Washington school with 700 students.
In 2005, he moved to Cascade High, which serves roughly 1,900 students and is one of four high schools in the Everett School District. At Cascade, he focused on English Language Learning programs, and preparing students for the Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL) exam.
Frost said he hopes to improve both of those areas at R.A. Long.
About 4 percent of students in the Longview School District are bilingual, and the district's students have lagged slightly behind other Washington students on parts of the WASL, which this year's juniors much pass in order to graduate.
Because of spring break, Longview school officials were not available Monday to comment about the new principal or his salary. Johnson makes $87,000.
Frost, who is single with no children, said he's hoping to settle down in Longview. As a smaller community, Longview provides more opportunity for building relationships with students and community members, his first priority, Frost said.
In small cities, it's easier to connect with people, and "you're able to come up with the best interventions with students who are struggling."
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