By David N. Young
With more than 42 years in education at area school districts, Dr. Gregg Stone is saying goodbye to the principal’s office at Los Alamitos High School this week to make way for incoming principal Chris Vlasic.
“It was time to retire,” says Stone, adding that he informed incoming Supt. Andrew Pulver immediately after Pulver’s appointment that he preferred to retire.
Stone, who spent more than a decade as an Assistant Principal at Los Al before being named principal, said he told Pulver that he would still be willing to substitute or contribute from time-to-time in the future.
He is a native of Long Beach and began his career teaching English at Millikan High School and coaching. After 15 years there, he spent a handful of years at Capistrano Valley High before deciding he wanted to return to the Los Alamitos Unified system, where he spent the remainder of his career.
“We were living in Seal Beach. We thought about moving to south county, so I wanted to have a job there, but after a couple of years, my wife and I decided we liked Seal Beach,” and wanted to stay, he said. He said he and his wife Chris have lived in the Seal Beach home for more than 30 years.
He soon acquired the position of Assistant Principal at Los Al High school and worked in the LAUSD system until being named principal.
Stone was selected among a crop of candidates that applied to fill a vacancy created by the departure of Dr. Brandon Martinez.
Stone said it has been an honor for him to serve as principal, having presided over many memorable
moments in education, sports, the arts and other pursuits. In his relatively short tenure, Stone left his own mark, having watched scholarships increase, presiding over sporting excellence and even having civil rights icon Dr. Terrence Roberts address the students in a memorable night for parents and students.
Stone, who spent more than a decade developing instructional and curriculum standards before being named principal, said he thinks there are many factors that contribute to the high school’s continuing excellence in many areas.
Stone credits administration and staff, and says he was gratified to serve as principal to cap his long educational career. Los Al High is the pride of the district and was heavily supported by Dr. Sherry Kropp, now also retired, and the LAUSD Board.
Asked what makes the high school a standout, Stone said perhaps it was simply its continued demonstration of excellence in all areas (athletics, education, art, etc.)
One advantage for the high school, thinks Stone, is that LAUSD is a K-12 system, meaning all schools in the district – and only schools within the district – feed into the high school. Thus, he said, they are focused on the same mission and goals. “This creates a seamless transition,” he added.
Most other high schools are required to onboard students from other middle and elementary school districts, he said. Although Los Al Unified is not the only K-12 district in California, it has worked well here. “It gives the students a seamless transition throughout the system, said Stone.
Another advantage, he said, is location. Although Los Al High is located with a metropolitan area, Stone says the district retains a “small-town” feel. “The community and the schools are very much one entity,” he said.
The school and the system are proud of the expansion of the school’s advanced placement rating, said Stone, as the school has been able to significantly expand both the scope and size of the AP testing.
Almost a thousand students took over 2,000 AP tests in the recent round, he said, adding that in addition to the higher number, the state College Board had acknowledged the maintenance of an exceptional “pass” rate as well.
This results in hundreds of free credit hours for college bound students in major educational disciplines and now, said Stone, even the arts.
“I don’t know that you can find many schools that have all of these strengths,” said Stone, “we provide excellence in many areas. Across the board, I think, we are able to find niches to allow students to excel in so many ways.
Courtesy photos