Two new administrators have joined MHS for the 2023-2024 school year. Former Rancho Milpitas Middle School Principal Casey McMurray and former Thomas Russell Middle School Principal Sean Anglon have moved to MHS as assistant principals, according to musd.org.
McMurray previously worked at MHS for 20 years, first as a Spanish teacher for 11 years and later in administration as an assistant principal for nine years before moving to Rancho, McMurray said.
“The opportunity (to move to Rancho) presented itself, and I saw it as a learning experience to see something outside of what I’ve been doing for the last 20 years,” McMurray said. “Also, I thought it was a great way to really see the full scope of responsibilities for an admin… I thoroughly enjoyed my nine years at Rancho, but there was an opportunity to come back to the high school, and I love the high school. I think this is my element.”
One of the most enjoyable aspects of his job is the conversations he is able to make with students, he said.
“If I were to come here and not do that , I don’t know why I would be here,” McMurray said. “I love this position because it gives me the opportunity to see the campus on a much broader scale, and to understand the different parts that are happening simultaneously that really make MHS such a great place.”
As a freshman coming in from Rancho, seeing his previous principal, Mr. McMurray, has helped 9th grader Shourya Kukkala ease into high school, he said
“He’s a pretty nice guy and he’s really involved with school activities and I see him walking around during lunch,” Kukkala said. “I think they (admin) could acknowledge us (freshmen) a little more. Usually we feel kind of left out and they usually talk to the seniors and juniors and sophomores more than freshmen.”
The responsibilities of a principal and assistant principal at a middle school are much different compared to ones at the high school level, Anglon said.
“When you are an assistant principal or principal at a middle school, you have certain things covered…you’re looking at budgets a lot,” Anglon said. “Then when you’re at a high school, it shifts. You are a part of a larger team and you don’t have to worry about them (budgets) as much.”
Anglon, who has been a part of both Rancho and Russell, the two MUSD middle schools that lead into MHS, can recognize many of the students at MHS, he said.
“Coming to the high school hasn’t really required an adjustment,” Anglon said. “The big one is getting to know all the staff because I would say 70% of the students I either recognize by face or know by name.”
One of Anglon’s goals for this year is to get to know the school through learning all of the teachers’ names and a large majority of the students’ names, he said.
“I’ve always been the administrator who’s out and about, and I think it’s really important for students to see their administrators and know who they are,” Anglon said. “If a strange adult starts to talk to you, some students aren’t going to listen, but if they know, ‘Oh wait, this is the principal or this is the assistant principal’, they’ll listen.”
Similarly, one of McMurray’s goals for the school year is to improve the visibility of administrators and to get to know students on a deeper level, he said.
“I’m not here for any other reason,” McMurray said. “I’m here to be of service in whatever way it might be for staff, students, and parents. I want to be a welcoming face and voice and someone that people can rely on for whatever they might need.”
Seeing familiar faces has allowed Anglon to transition smoothly into the high school, he said.
“It’s nice seeing everybody (students) older and it makes me smile,” Anglon said. “I remember people when they were in 7th grade and 8th grade and now they are juniors and seniors and it’s just so great to see them choose their trajectory… and to know in some small way, I helped them go along that path.”