Photo Credit: Andrea Egan
Mrs. Andrea Egan is C.K. McClatchy’s new principal. She joined the CKM Lions this summer from California Middle School, CKM’s neighbor. Principal Egan grew up in Livermore, California, located in the bay area and attended Granada High School. During her high school career, she was a swimmer, the ASB Activities Director, and a member of the California Scholarship Federation.
After graduating, she enrolled in Sacramento State University, “Stingers up!… I entered Sac State under the major of art, and I changed my major right away to graphic design. I thought that that would be a more marketable job opportunity for me, and still be art related,” Egan said.
She finished her degree at Sacramento State in ‘99, with a Bachelor’s in graphic design and a minor in English literature. She concluded her time at Sacramento State in ‘02 after earning a multiple subject teaching credential, secondary credential in Art and English, and a Masters degree in Curriculum Instruction and Art Emphasis.
Her career at Sacramento City Unified School District (SCUSD) began in the year ‘00,“I interviewed at Sutter, and the principal at the time, Greg Purcell, who’s kind of a famous principal in our district… had hired me and I taught English and Art initially. I also taught the journalism class there, and …leadership at Sutter.”
She left Sutter in ‘09 to fulfill the principal position at Phoebe Hearst Elementary. After five years she was asked by the superintendent at the time, Jonathan Raymond, to be the interim principal at California Middle School. In the spring of ‘15, Egan was named the permanent principal at California Middle School.
When asked what she would miss most from California Middle school, Egan replied, “I think the students of course, I’m hoping I’ll get to see some of them at McClatchy, so that’s kind of a silver lining of coming from Cal to McClatchy it’s the same neighborhood. And the staff… I got to know them really well, and the community we built.”
Assuming a principal’s role at Sacramento’s largest high school presents a myriad of challenges for any administrator, but Egan commented that she is ready to take on the task, “I’ve never really shyed away from a challenge, I’ve lived in Sac since ‘95, and I’ve always been intrigued by the beautiful campus. Then working next door at Cal I would hear a lot about students’ experiences at CKM… I think I’m up for the task. I want to make CKM the best school in the district for students.”
Egan is looking forward to instituting important communication and outreach programs for McClatchy families. She hopes to be a resource for students and help guide the community through the difficulties of the COVID-19 pandemic. She also hinted at some renovations taking place on campus: walls are being repainted, landscaping is being done, and slowly but surely McClatchy is receiving a well deserved face lift.
As school’s across America are being forced to finally confront the racial inequalities that have been cemented in the education system, it is a tense time to be any school administrator. Paired with the lingering effects of the racist science fair project that received national attention three years ago; the McClatchy community must constantly grapple with racial inequities and work towards increased safety for marginalized communities on campus.
When asked about long term plans, Egan most definitely envisions to work on race relations at McClatchy , “… how those programs [HISP, LPPA etc.] support or compound those issues, [and] what voice do students have on particular issues…It’s gonna be a challenge, but I think once all the clubs get organized… I would definitely like to be a part of BSU, Brown Issues, Pacific Islander club, and being a presence in meetings if they welcome me. Once I have a better understanding of what all those concerns are, we’ll go from there on what improvements can be made,” she said.
It is difficult for most students to get to know their teachers and new administration via distance learning. Principal Egan wants students to know that she is open to emails and any questions people may have adding that, “…I want students to know I’m here for them and that if they want to let me know something or have a question they can email me directly, and when we are back in person they can right up to me. We may not always agree, but I am very open to student feedback and resolve the issues they have. I want to be accessible to students.”