By Madeline Coate
Staff Writer
The Mira Costa administration hired two new vice principals, Ian Drummond and Deborah Hofreiter, as well as a new athletic director, Don Morrow.
Drummond left Mira Costa as a teacher to become a vice principal for Culver City High School before returning to Costa. As opposed to his teaching job, Drummond had to solve indirect conflicts between parents and teachers and had less flexibility with hours as vice principal at Culver City.
“I started taking on leadership roles as a teacher [at Costa] and I felt that I was qualified for those leadership roles,” Drummond said. “I felt like I’d reached a point in my career where I wanted to have an impact larger than just in the classroom.”
Costa’s other new VP, Hofreiter, taught special education and computers in the Beverly Hills School District before becoming a reading specialist and English teacher. She was also co-chair of the English department at Costa.
“Last year, I was a Teacher on Special Assignment at the district office,” Hofreiter said. “I was pretty happy doing that, but then this position came up and I wanted to come back to Mira Costa.”
Hofreiter realized she wanted to work in administration after attending a staff development meeting on administration and encountering two professors, Denise Peterson and Linda James.
“I enrolled in a program at Cal State Long Beach in administration, and these two women professors walked into our first class and I thought ‘I wanna be you’,” Hofreiter said. “That was kind of the moment that I decided [I wanted to work in administration].”
Though she was content with teaching, Hofreiter wanted to make a different impact on students as an administrator.
“You don’t deal with the students directly, but the decisions you make influence what the students are exposed to, and the atmosphere of the school.” Hofreiter said.
Costa’s new athletic director, Morrow, previously taught in Costa’s Science department and has coached Costa football for over twenty years.
“It wasn’t that I don’t love teaching. I already miss the classroom,” Morrow said. “But I’ve also had a great interest in athletics for a long, long time and there was a need for somebody, so I thought I could try and fulfill that need.”
Morrow is familiar to parts of the job due to his previous position as the Costa football coach.
“I’m five days into this job and so far I think it is harder. In this position you’re trying to be accountable for so many groups at the same time.” Morrow said.
Morrow’s job encompasses many things including making sure buses, schedules and referees are in place for athletic games. He also works with the California Interscholastic Foundation to help transfer students play sports, as well as to assist coaches.
“It’s kind of a hodge podge, a little bit of everything,” Morrow said. “I’m trying to be there for the coaches if I can help them in any way from my experience as a coach.”
Though Morrow, Hofreiter, and Drummond are still adjusting to their new positions, they are up for the challenge.
“I think the new vice principals and Morrow as athletic director will be a good addition to our school,” sophomore Claudia Fellows said.
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