(September 19, 2012) Mr. Maurice James, assistant principal After having taught health and biology classes and having worked as assistant principal at both Roosevelt and Wilson Middle Schools, Maurice James was offered a split position to work at both Clark Magnet High School and the Board of Education in Glendale.

He said he happily accepted what he feels was a “great opportunity.” James is currently the assistant principal at Clark and holds the title of “Administrator on Special Assignment” in the Career and Technical Education Department.

James helps out on even days at Clark and works at the Board of Education on odd days. Senior administrative secretary Barbara Melone says, “He is a very nice man, and as far as I’m concerned, one of the major benefits of having him here is his familiarity with so many of our students.” After a couple weeks of working at Clark, James says that he has noticed several differences between middle school and high school.

“While Wilson and Roosevelt have a comprehensive curriculum, Clark is structured to prepare students for college,” James said. When he took a health education class in college, which he really enjoyed, he realized he wanted to major in education. His mother, also a teacher, encouraged and supported him greatly. James is also a big supporter of STEAM, which stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math. “I want to build on the foundation STEAM has and strengthen the robotics program,” James said.

He commends Clark students and says that they are very well-behaved; he knows most of them from the previous schools he has worked at. “It’s nice to see that they are being successful in their education,” James said. Mr. Kris Damko, social studies teacher Growing up in the Los Angeles County area, United States history and government teacher Kris Damko went to school in the Glendale Unified School District.

In the past, Damko has taught middle school science, high school earth science, world history and AP World History at Ynez Elementary School and Alhambra High School. About his experience here at Clark, he says, “It seems like the students want to be here so they try harder.” Nearly half of the juniors in Clark have Mr. Damko as their history teacher this year.

Junior Helen Zardaryan, a current student of his, says, “Mr. Damko’s teaching skills are amazing! He knows how to relate topics in History to our daily lives and makes the subject very interesting.” Although Damko has thought about working in law enforcement in the past, he believes that teaching is a great job. After graduating from Crescenta Valley High School, he received his Master’s degree in Education at Grand Canyon University. “I love talking about things that are of interest to me,” he said, “and I want people to share a passion for the subjects I teach.”