Mr. Balas, Wakefield’s new principal, agreed to let me ask him a few questions so that students and staff could get to know more about him. Mr. Balas started a career in education because school has always been important to him. He talked about how in high school he had always been, “the kid that was talking and getting his seat moved by teachers.” He loved his school and his teachers, and even showed me a framed picture he has of his favorite teachers who he still stays in contact with. He liked getting good grades and loved Social Studies. Later, he even “became a history teacher.” School provided him “wonderful support structures” and a place in which he felt comfortable. He said the reason he got into education was “not because I was good at history or math, but because I wanted to provide students with the same support and love that I was given through my school.”

Mr. Balas’ favorite thing about being a principal at Wakefield, is “the kids.” He loves coming to work everyday and gets here an hour early to make sure that everything is set for kids. At first he said he “was nervous about being new to Wakfield”, but after making connections with students and staff he felt at ease knowing that he“will continue to grow relationships with everybody here.” He also loves the dedication of the staff here and their love for the school. He looks forward to, “working with staff to learn more and develop more of our instructional identity, like what are the common philosophies and beliefs the staff share in terms of education.” His goal for Wakefield is to make it a “high-functioning school that students and staff love coming to, feel safe coming to, and want to come to.” After asking about the recent enforcements in Wakefield he said that the purpose of them is to accomplish the aforementioned goal exactly.  I also asked how these enforcements are measured in terms of effectiveness. He revealed that he receives feedback from teachers, staff, and students. He believes that “in general, feedback is helpful.” He adds, that “feedback allows me to provide clarification for things.” Besides feedback, Mr. Balas also uses several different markers to determine effectiveness. He says that this includes “how clear the hallway is when the bell rings, are the hall sweeps working, are kids rushing to class, and can they get to a point where they don’t need hall sweeps to ensure that kids are going to class.” 

Outside of school, Mr. Balas loves going to concerts. In particular, he likes going to concerts that perform any kind of 80’s music because it “brings back nostalgia.” Mr. Balas also mentioned how he wished he could have gone to see Taylor Swift in concert for her Eras tour.  He listens to all different genres of music, and he said that his favorite artist has to be Madonna because she is, “a trailblazer for women and has broken every boundary in the music industry.” Mr. Balas is a TV junkie and in his free time he loves to watch reality tv including all the housewife shows, big brother, and any kind of bravo show. He said that, “my favorite thing to do after a demanding day of work is to just unwind, watch TV, and give my brain a break from thinking.” 

The last thing I asked Mr. Balas was about the fentanyl crisis that is currently happening in America. He sent an email to staff, and parents discussing how they will be giving student presentations about fentanyl and addiction awareness. He said that “the most important thing is that students take these presentations seriously.”  He continued by cautioning students to “never take things from other people because even just a small dose of fentanyl can be lethal and deadly.” He hopes that the school can become a place where students feel comfortable to report problems involving potential substance abuse. Speaking directly to the students, he said, “you’re not ratting out your friends by telling a teacher, you’re helping them and potentially saving their lives…students will not get in trouble or punished for abuse problems, instead we will try to help them.” 

Overall, I am hoping that this article helps students and staff know more about Mr. Balas on a personal and professional level. He encourages students to come talk to him anytime.