Scott Schimmel 0:21
Well hey everybody welcome back to another episode of the uscho Podcast. I'm here with a friend of mine and a principal local principal in San Diego- Dana Moen. Dana, thanks for being the show. And then give us a little context of where you're at what you're doing and how you got there.
Dana Moen 0:35
Okay, great, um, cut me off if I'm too long, but I'm in Classical Academy High School. I've been the principal for going on 11 years now. I had the opportunity to help start the school 15 years ago is when we when we opened the school. How did I get into education? I love my high school experience like high school was amazing to me. I felt like that changed the course of my life. I did some things really well. I did some things really badly. Through all of that I just really enjoyed high school so I've never left I decided I wanted to be a teacher. So went to school to be honest and be a math teacher. Calculus kind of changed me changed me my course to history became a history teacher Coach, did that for about six years. Then I started doing ASB advisor and then had this opportunity to start classical Academy High School.
Scott Schimmel 1:24
Where did you go to school in San Diego? Do you grew up here?
Dana Moen 1:27
Yeah, I've I've been in Escondido guy my whole life except, except for when I went to Azusa Pacific University and then got a job in Covina right next to Azusa, but I've been born and raised in Escondido, California. So I'm happy to be back.
Scott Schimmel 1:41
For those people that don't understand Classical Academies. It's it's an extremely well respected charter school, but maybe talk about the model, so other principals listening in can understand what you what you do.
Dana Moen 1:52
Yeah, so Classical Academy, when I got on board, it was a K through eight model. And my wife had got a job as an educational specialist. And we were homeschooling our kids through Classical. Okay, so it's a hybrid model, where most of the kids and K through six are coming to school two days a week. And the school is training parents and providing curriculum for three days at home. So that's what my kids were doing. That was the environment my wife was working in. I had got a job back at my alma mater, Escondido High School doing ASB their student activity, loving that the school had gotten really, really large since I had gone to school. I mean, we were up maybe 2500 students. And I mean, just a different culture than even when I went to high school, you know, 20 years ago, or whatever it is 30 years ago. So I saw some great things happen at classical with the hybrid model. So I asked if there's anything I could help them do. And Cameron Curry now the executive director, he said, actually come help us start a high school. So
Scott Schimmel 2:54
more than two is four,
Dana Moen 2:56
I was amazing. I thought I was going to come over and start a leadership program or a PE program. I did start a leadership program. But the probably one of the most exciting pieces was getting to be a part of that high school development team. And we toured several states and just took a lot of best practices into our high school. Our families still have that hybrid model where they can kind of have a hybrid of on campus and at home, but most of them are families by the time their kids are getting into high school or wanting their students to be on campus a little bit more. So our high school model is like four days on campus Tuesday through Friday. But most of our kids are doing some choose to do some online learning but the vast majority are doing four days on campus.
Scott Schimmel 3:40
Well, I've spent I've spent a lot of time with students at Classical. And I have to I tell people a lot it's one of the most bizarre places I've ever been. I've called it the upside down world of high school. Because it's been absolutely remarkable. The level of, I'd say maturity of the students kindness towards one another. I mean, it's palpable. I remember working with a group of students probably three or four years ago, and halfway through and this conversations around their life and their values and their story. I just realized, I mean, a lot of my backgrounds with college students, and they really carry themselves, like college students just very well spoken, thoughtful. And it's whatever you're doing there. If parents are listening in on this, like consider that as an opportunity, because I know we are.
Dana Moen 4:26
Oh, thank you, Scott. I mean, it's the Our motto is partnering with parents, right? So that's our number one motto, it's part of the culture, everything we do our mission vision values for parents, so that that impacts everything we do.
Scott Schimmel 4:40
Yeah, and I know many of your teachers and they are so engaged with students like in their personal lives, and I call it mentoring and helping them grow personally. What do you guys do to model that to end sure that happens, like what are you doing as a principal to make sure that's...
Dana Moen 5:03
That's a great question I would start with, I started this conversation with high school impacted me, right. So yeah, the way the way high school probably impacted me the most was being part of a team and being part of a team a culture. So I was highly involved in sports, I was highly involved in ASB. So my at least at the high school, my kind of goal here is that every single student belongs. So the way to get them belonging is to get them part of a team. So yeah, on the other flip side of that is I asked every single staff member to get involved as well. So whether that's a few of them might be involved, because they're leading their department, but most of them are jumping in to chaperone events. They're running a club, we have, I think we have this year 2020. Early in the year, we have 25 active clubs going, and I only have 30 teachers on this campus. So having 25 Teachers running clubs, that says a lot about my staff. Yeah. And then the vast amount of just sports and extracurricular activities, the arts, I just find that when kids get connected outside of it, the classroom is awesome. And there can be amazing connections in the classroom, right? We do a thing called cohort where a teacher has a group of 25 to 30 students that they take for four years. And they meet them once a week and trying to develop some mentor type relationships between student and teacher. But I find the place where they get bel... where they feel belonging and they feel loved is on teams.
Scott Schimmel 6:45
You, you're a dad, too. And you've obviously spent your career with students. And part of the conversation that we were going to have on this episode was around relationships and connection. So this is obviously a big question, but what are some of the themes that you've seen about how student culture is changing? And I know as, as parents and as educators, we just know, implicitly, it's changing. But what are some of the trends that you see?
Dana Moen 7:09
Yeah, that's good. So part of that belonging and why I want kids to get connected and belong is there's been some research that shows if kids feel connected to other students and a caring adult, that they feel more hopeful. And if they feel feel more hopeful, the research shows that they're going to thrive in school and outside of school. Yeah. And for whatever reason, as the kids get older, throughout school up into the middle school, high school grades, some of them start losing hope. So my job, my role is to give them hope, again, find hope by getting them connected. Now, you and I have chatted a little bit. And I've seen you know, kids get connected in the wrong ways, which I think we're going to go there eventually. But yeah, when they start when they start losing hope, you know, I think everybody knows, especially if you're an educator or a parent right now, it's stress, anxiety and depression are just through the roof right now. Yeah, and I don't, I don't I actually don't exactly know why some people blame it on cell phones, or, or screen screen time or whatever. But I think there is a lack of human connection component as to why they're feeling stressed and anxious.
Scott Schimmel 8:25
What, what are you doing as a leader? What is the staff doing? Obviously, you're getting connected, but you're a part of your model is online education, or there's some component of distance learning at least one day a week? How do you kind of make sense of that? Obviously, they're getting involved in teams. But how do you talk about that with students?
Dana Moen 8:49
Yeah, we, we do have an online education component. And we do have some kids that are actually fully online. So how do we get them connected to other humans through a teacher, to other students, um, a lot of our online students are doing it because they're excelling in some area of their life, some passion that they're pursuing with the acting, or golf or music or singing. So many of those kids are, are getting that connection, whether it's on one of our teams, because they're on the golf team, or whether they're driving up to La every day, and they're acting and they're part of a community there. Right. So yeah, there is that. Now, those connections may or may not be with my staff, hopefully, they're with my staff. There's, you know, there's a requirement to meet with a teacher weekly. So even if you're in the online education, you're going to be meeting with the teacher every single week. Well.
Scott Schimmel 9:47
so what does that look like from a teacher perspective? They're meeting with all their students every week.
Dana Moen 9:56
Yeah, not all at the same time. So I technically am not the principle of the online program. Sure. Yeah, it's actually grown so much so much that we have an entire principal and staff dedicated to the online and the blended online, which most of our students that do online are coming now this year, three days a week. But yeah, like I said, there are some that are fully online. It's we find, Scott, at the high school that fewer students want that full online experience. And it really, it really is those kids that are really spending 40-60 hours a week acting or their in action, nationally recognized golfer or something like that. And they need that flexibility to maybe do their their schoolwork in the evenings or on the weekend. But yeah, the vast majority of our kids want to come to school and don't don't want to leave school. It's like, the end of the day, they just want to hang out.
Scott Schimmel 10:56
We, my son and I, were on a walk last night in our neighborhood. We don't live too far away from your school. And there's, it's just a bizarre scene, we saw a garage, it's nighttime, the garage is open. And there's a kid apparently it's 14. And he's got this camera setup with the light gear. And so we're walking by and my son goes, Oh, that's, that's so and so. And I'm like, Who? And he goes, Oh, he's this like, huge, tick tock, social media influencer guy. And so I'm like, What are you talking about? So we walked by, and I looked this kid up, and he's got 1.3 million followers. And he's a model. He's got agent. And I asked my son like, Well, how do you know who this kid is? Does he go to school with you? He goes, No, I think he goes to Classical. I don't know the kid. That's really funny. But it's one of those, like head scratchers, like, that's, that's a thing for a kid or, or it's even have someone that's So invest in your golf career or acting or dance. That's, I didn't know those kids growing up. No, I think that's changed. What, what do you see in terms of shifts and trends in students and connection that either concerns you or encourages you?
Dana Moen 12:06
Yeah, well, I'd say I would like to focus on the what encourages me. So um, we've chatted a little bit about this in the last, you know, since we started talking recently, I encourage my kids, when they start high school actually started in eighth grade that I have three tips for them. And these are based on kind of my life experience. And yeah, and I like to encourage them that their grades do matter, because by the time they get to their senior year, year, they actually have a transcript. And that transcript is going to impact their, their next four years, whatever they do, right. And it's not just, it's not just getting into college, it's preparing them to, to be prepared to actually be successful in college, you know, the nominee dropped out after their freshman year of college. So their grades matter, their academics matter. And I encourage them to pay attention, follow directions and ask for help. The second thing that we've just talked about today is the getting connected. So I want to all connected somewhere, there's lots of places to get connected. The thing that I think that's encouraging and disappointing at the same time is that, is the high school dating. I, here at classical, more encouraging than not, I've seen, or so as we've seen a rise in anxiety and depression and stress, I've also seen a rise in that with my kids that are almost just walking around campus, like they're in a marriage relationship. Like they're already married, they're in this really intense emotional relationship, this connection, sometimes physical, everything is about that other person. And that's a scary thing that I've witnessed, and I've seen a lot of kids not handle that. Well. So my third piece of advice is don't date in high school.
Scott Schimmel 13:54
That's great. I mean, you can imagine that couple you're walking through the hall and you're like, that's not gonna go well. That's not gonna end well, for either of you.
Dana Moen 14:03
And Scott, most of them, unfortunately, don't look happy. They look like, I mean, I, you I'm married. I've been married for 24 years. And it's a happy marriage, but there's been some rough parts of any relationship that you got to work through and, and high school, it's a tough time to work through some of those interpersonal things with in a romantic relationship with another person. So yeah, I encourage the kids not to get into a serious dating relationship. And many, many are actually following my advice and thanking me by the time they graduate. This they end up graduating with more friends, great social skills, a really high grade point average. Yeah. And part of that is, is because they avoided a lot of that dating drama in high school.
Scott Schimmel 14:56
I can I can only imagine if I had done that in hindsight, like not still have unresolved issues and drama at the high school reunion years later.
Dana Moen 15:05
And that was the one so I, out of my three things, get involved, get good grades and don't date. That's the one that I did not do well in school. That was like I learned from the other model, because I said it could fit me. Yeah, I dated for a couple years really intense relationship. We thought we were gonna get married. And great girl. You know? I don't... We're friends now a great, great gal, but it just wasn't healthy for either one of us in high school.
Scott Schimmel 15:35
So what to do instead, if the message is don't date, what do you encourage them to do?
Dana Moen 15:40
That's awesome. And I and people, sometimes people get me wrong on this. When I say don't date. I want them like I told my son, my son's a junior in college. Now I wanted him to get to know as many girls in high school as possible. I wanted to have a lots and lots of relationships. The kids that graduate high school with a lot of friends are the ones that didn't have one dating relationship through high school, they have more, they have more guy friends and they have more girl friends. My, my daughter just graduated last year. She's also She's a freshman in college, the, in her senior year, her group of friends planned a camping trip around California, they, they hit up this most amazing place. A big group of guys and girls that were such good, such good friends that they were on this two week camping adventure together. And the parents trusted them all as an eighteen your old.
Scott Schimmel 16:35
I cannot imagine that.
Dana Moen 16:38
Because these kids had made great decisions, and they weren't romantically involved in each other. They had formed these amazing friendships. So what am I saying? instead? Yeah, create friendships, right? No, invest in your friendships, Guy friendships and girl friendships. And I don't mean don't ever go on a date. Like we do dances. And it's, it's real fun to ask somebody out to a dance or to on a date. And, and most of our kids here, they might ask somebody, but they're going in a group, they're not going to be spending 24 hours just with one person, hanging out with one person?
Scott Schimmel 17:14
Well, you're even in this context of this conversation. You're talking about very personal things. For young adults, you're it's like, you know, we're talking about school. You're a principal of school talking about relationships, and dating and romance and all that stuff. Like, because there's there's quite a few teachers in the world educators in the world that would say that's not that's not what we do. That's not I have a degree in math or I have a degree and I don't I'm not qualified. So how do you make sense of that? Because obviously, you're going you're you're getting in it?
Dana Moen 17:45
Yeah. I'm for I've been like I said, I've been principal 11 years, I started saying, work hard on your grades, your grades matter. Get involved and don't date. I started saying that about nine or 10 years ago. And for the first couple of years, I had a lot of parents, like people warning me- Don't talk about dating, like, telling me I was wrong to say it. I was taking a risk. It's not my business. It's not my place. And I'm like, Guys, this isn't a rule. It's not a school rule. It's just advice, and encouragement. But it's caught traction. It's literally caught traction now, and more and more people are like, Yeah, Mr. Moen, you're completely right. And I've actually I've kids making decisions based off of my encouragement to them to just and honestly, there used to be Scott, this, this notion that you're not normal, if you don't date, right. Totally, yes. They're gonna be like, you're not cool if you're not in a relationship. What's wrong with you. Right. And, and that's more of the stereotype we're trying to break here.
Scott Schimmel 18:52
Yeah. Well, what I love as a dad, knowing that my kids, I'm on the other end of the spectrum from you, as a parent, my oldest is 13. So he's entering into those years. What encourages me as a dad is I know that he's pulling away from me, and my two girls will as well, they'll listen less than less likely to my advice, and look more and more to other people, probably their peers for how to make sense of the world, which is very normal and natural. But here you are in school, giving them wise counsel like wisdom from your life experience, like that is how this whole project needs to work this whole raising kids school. So I just want to thank you for that. That that's a that that warms my heart that there'll be leaders in schools who care about my kids in that way.
Dana Moen 19:37
And I'm encouraging the kids, I'm encouraging their parents, I'm normalizing that it's normal not to be in this semi marriage type. Right when you're a 14, 15,16 year old in high school, and I'm not saying that all relationships are wrong. That's not what I'm trying to say. I've seen very few freshmen navigate a healthy dating relationship. I don't know if I've actually ever seen a freshman, a 14 or 15 year old navigate a healthy dating relationship. I've definitely seen some at about sophomores have a healthy relationship. And I've definitely seen some juniors and seniors have a healthy relationship. All that to say, the ones that avoid it completely graduate with the most amazing interpersonal skills and the most amazing group of friends just ready to take on the world.
Scott Schimmel 20:29
Yeah, you're just like, I'm just saying, this is research people. This is just numbers. You choose.
Dana Moen 20:34
And research that. I mean, you mentioned research, I used to do my own informal, just kind of polling, like because my kids go to my high school. So I'd be driving around four or five kids. And I'd ask him, Hey, guys, what are your grades? What What kind of grades you're getting right now. And I just kind of do a little poll. And I say how many of you guys were dating. And I was literally see, the screen, which was their data, or their grades were that was my informal poll. I was so happy after multiple years of saying this, that a study just came out on the effects of teenage dating. It was it was conducted by the center at the Center for Disease Control. This really is Control and Prevention. Why? Because they're looking at patterns of depression and suicide, and how dating is impacting those things. So they they ended up serving almost 600... 594 sophomores they surveyed, and they ser... they surveyed the sophomores and their teachers. And what they found out is that the the teenagers, the sophomores that were not dating were happier, they were less depressed, and they had stronger interpersonal skills. I guess I was right. I'm telling people I've been right all along.
Scott Schimmel 21:56
Now there's a study. I feel like that's half my life these days, is saying things and then finding that there's a study that's proven it, like recently has read this long white paper, and years of research that came to the conclusion that when students feel like an adult on campus cares about them, they do better academically. And I was like, Yes, I mean, but I'm glad somebody spent the time and money to go research that but then we already know that.
Dana Moen 22:21
We didn't know that. And that was an amazing study. That was another study that came out that I'm like, that's why I've been pushing this connection. Like, I want kids to be connected at school because and the only reason I really knew it is it worked for me. It worked for me and then I was seeing it work for other kids. My Okay, so it's it's not about one sport or one activity, but we have a lot of boys that classical that play football, it's there's 80 to 90 Boys every year that play softball during the season. Those kids are jammin they're great. Their grades are extremely high. There's no discipline issues. But those kids don't go on to another activity after football. Some of them struggle. Some of them some of them struggle.
Scott Schimmel 23:12
Yeah. Dina's way to rule the world. This is awesome. This is great.
Dana Moen 23:20
It is about a caring adults on campus. It's it's a group of kids, but it's also a caring adult. And that's why I encourage all of my staff to be advising a club or coach in a sport or running a team on campus. I have a teacher that's not doing a clever sport. But he just he's going to start taking kids on on Mondays when they don't have to be in school this winter up to Mountain High to do some skiing and snowboarding well, and if you have a group of 10 or more, it's an amazing deal. So you just add this and it's he's calling it a snow club. It's nothing official. All right, he's gonna have a snow club of our Escondido kids and while driving up the mountain high and skiing on Mondays this winter.
Scott Schimmel 24:05
Well, I feel like the whole mission of YouSchool is to pull out all the best of what you're doing and sprinkle it into local public high schools and middle schools. So thanks. Thank you for what you're doing. Thanks for the culture you've you've created and continue to cultivate. And I just wish you guys absolutely the best. And hopefully I can continue to stop by and be refreshed and reminded there is an upside down world this will work. The project does. It does matter. So thanks, Dana.
Dana Moen 24:33
Thank you so much. Thanks for all your support over the years.
Scott Schimmel 24:37
Hey, thanks for joining in on The YouSchool podcast, we'd love to share with you the resources available on our website at theyouschool.com not just articles, ebooks, worksheets and other podcasts episodes, but specifically you should know about a free course we have available called The Real Me course. It's digital, it's interactive, and it'll guide you to get clear about who you are in a great story you could tell with your life. So go register for your free account and get started on The Real Me course today at theyouschool.com That's the you school dot com
