Answer? Assistant principal Blake Smith

Fresh out of college, assistant principal Blake Smith graduated with an atmospheric science degree. Smith was a full time meteorologist for a decade prior to coming to the high school, working at many different television stations while pursuing his career in meteorology first at Binghamton, then New York, Topeka, and finally, in Wichita. However, after ten years in the business, Smith decided he wanted something new.
While working as a meteorologist Smith had many opportunities to go out to the schools in the area in which he worked in and talk to the students. Smith became quite interested in the school setting and he wanted to use both of his skills one being the love for teaching and meteorology.
“I taught for nine years at Maize South High School. I taught Earth Science, meteorology and also emerging technologies,” Smith said. “I became department head as well as head of other committees throughout the school. I did all these different things to impact the school and I really liked that.”
While Smith’s love for teaching was important, he found it was time for a change. With the new 2019-2020 school year, the high school gained a new face as an assistant principal and Career Technical Education (CTE) coordinator. Now, Smith is using his love for teaching in a different fashion.
“While being a teacher you have a huge impact on what’s happening in your classroom. But as an assistant principal you have an impact on the entire school,” Smith said.
CTE administration assistant Angie Voth said Smith has been a great addition to the CTE program as he has an open mind and great sense of humor.
“Mr. Smith has an open mind. He’s very in tune to what has been going on here. He has visited with Melinda Rangel at length about how she handled things and he’s taking his cue from her,” Voth said. “He is working very hard to continue as she had started but he has an open mind to change and so that’s been a very nice transition.”