ACSA’s 2010 Secondary Principal of the Year Randall Delling was a Vietnam-era drill sergeant and a general contractor before entering public education and eventually leading one of the most successful high schools in Los Angeles USD.
When he was 30 years old, he was diagnosed with bladder cancer, and had to change professions. He began attending college and spent the next 25 years earning teaching credentials in business education, computer applications, mathematics and Spanish; an administrative credential; a Bilingual Crosscultural Language and Academic Development certificate in Spanish; and a doctorate in educational leadership from CSU Northridge and Cal Lutheran University.
His career in public education began as a teacher in LAUSD in 1986. He moved to assistant principal in 1997. But is has been his current position as principal of North Hollywood High School that has propelled him to distinction.
Since he took the reins in 2002, North Hollywood High has grown its Academic Performance Index from 566 points to 722 and has continued to be identified in Newsweek Magazine as a high performing public high school.
This large, diverse urban campus, with a mostly high-poverty and English-learner student body, has become a place where rigorous academic learning and a positive school culture of trust are sustained.
“To deal with the challenges of working in a complex job where the resources are not always abundant, we simply keep our eye on the goal of grade-level standard instruction and grade-level standard learning and product from our students,” Delling said.
To accomplish this, Delling remains passionate that all students will be successful, not just in high school, but in their post-secondary education and careers. Through a collaborative, open leadership style, he has built a strong instructional team that exemplifies his philosophy of “support and advocacy of all children.”
The most challenging aspect of the job, he said, is ensuring enough time is spent out and about on campus helping to get the little things done that support grade-level standard teaching and learning.
“I use the strength of the learning I received from all of the people who have mentored me and taught me through the years,” Delling said. “I also use the methodology of the ‘Breakthrough Coach,’ Malachi Pancoast, to address the clerical aspects of the job that would keep me from being active inside my school.”
The most rewarding aspect of his job is watching the successful development of students.
“We have had a good run here at North Hollywood High,” Delling said. “Many students have graduated and pursued their dreams that may not have made it without our stewarding them through the dangerous channels of their lives.
“When we see a ninth grader who is out of control and blowing off the whole education process at graduation thanking us for hanging on and supporting him or her no matter how bad their behavior was, that is the best feeling in the world. It is a similar feeling for all of our successful young men and women, but it is especially sweet to see those hard cases make that wonderful change from spiraling downward to soaring success.”
ACSA membership has contributed to Delling’s career success in many ways. First and foremost, he cites membership and service on the Region 16 Executive Board, which gives him access to experts in the field who have taught him the ropes.
Delling just began a three-year stint on the state ACSA Board of Directors, where his integrity, character and passion will be a boon to the association. He has also served on the Secondary Education Council and has moved through the R-16 leadership ranks, serving as president in 2007-08.
Delling also lauds ACSA professional development, particularly ACSA Academies for being extremely helpful. He has attended the Principals Academy, the Curriculum and Instructional Leaders Academy and, most recently, the Superintendents Academy.
“These academies prepared me for the work I am currently doing, and I believe the Superintendents Academy helped prepare me to move to a position with even more responsibility,” Delling said. “I am in a win-win situation all of the time because I love my current job, and I love a new challenge.”
Administrator of the Year Award recipients will be honored at the ACSA Leadership Summit, Nov. 4-6 in San Diego. They will be profiled in EdCal through Nov. 1. Click here to register for the Leadership Summit, or call the ACSA Educational Services Department at (800) 608-ACSA.