Dr. Andrew Barron will join the West Central School District as the new high school Principal on July 28 and looks froward to get meeting the teachers, parents and students at West Central. (Photo/Submitted)

Sara Stadem | Editor

After being the Director of Data Analytics for Lakeville Area Schools in Lakeville, Minn. for the past four years, Dr. Andrew Barron explained he is excited for the opportunity to work at a great school like the West Central School District when he takes over as the High School Principal on July 28, 2021.
Dr. Barron, originally from Simpsonville, S.C., graduated from Mauldin High School. From there, he went to Furman University, majoring in English. After Furman University, he attended Harvard University for his master’s degree in education. Dr. Barron decided to continue his education from there and completed his PhD in Education Policy and Leadership along with his administrator’s license at the University of Minnesota in 2015.
After one year of teaching in Colorado at a residential school for students struggling to graduate high school, Dr. Barron left teaching to volunteer with his church in Argentina. There he worked at an orphanage in Buenos Aires.
Upon his return, Dr. Barron moved to Minnesota where he met his wife, Ann, and was an English teacher at Cristo Rey Jesuit High School in Minneapolis for several years. Dr. Barron explained, “Cristo Rey serves a diverse student population of about 500 students, many of whom are the first in their families to graduate high school. It has a college preparatory focus and 100% of their graduating classes are accepted to college.”
Dr. Barron first got into administration in 2015 when he became the Dean of Curriculum at Cristo Rey Jesuit High School. He explained he spent his time leading curriculum development and teaching improvement.
Most recently, as Director of Data Analytics for Lakeville Area Schools, according to Dr. Barron, he remains busy with assessment, research and evaluation.
When asked why he chose to get into administration, Dr. Barron indicated, “I chose to move to administration because I enjoy supporting teachers as they do their best work. It’s the best part of my job.”
Dr. Barron explained what he enjoyed most about his previous job was getting to work with all of the 15 schools in the district. “I have learned a lot by being able to work with so many different people across the grad levels from early childhood to high school,” Dr. Barron said.
Although excited to start his new career opportunity, Dr. Barron said what he will miss most in Lakeville are the people. “Every school I have ever worked with has been filled with committed, kind adults who work incredibly hard to teach the children of their community,” Dr. Barron said. He continued, “I will miss my friends and colleagues in Lakeville and in the Twin Cities.”
Despite missing his friends and colleagues, Dr. Barron said he is excited to work in a school with a strong sense of community, where he can get to know teachers and students and help in the school’s mission of educating and preparing students for the next phases in their lives.
Dr. Barron and his wife, Ann, have two children, Henry (age 8) and Sonia (age 4) and a six-month-old Labrador retriever named Koa. Ann is originally from Sioux Falls so the couple is excited to move close to home, Dr. Barron explained. He continued to explain they will finish the school year in Minnesota and look forward to the move in July.
During his free time, Dr. Barron is all about family. “My free time is all about family. We like to cook together, go on hikes and watch movies together.”
Dr. Barron concluded, “I will start July 28th and I look forward to meeting the teachers, parents and most importantly, the students at West Central.” He continued, “West Central is a special place. The price the community has in their schools shows through. I think the mix of experiences I have had as a building administrator and district administrator made it a good fit.”