Eric Guthertz

Principal, Mission High School

"Eric has had a direct impact on thousands of students' lives, and in doing so has also helped turn Mission High School around. Until recently, Mission High was considered an "undesirable" school and experts had declared it was "failing". Yet within its walls, magic was happening and that was thanks to Eric's unwavering leadership and commitment developing a student-led curriculum focused on equity, inclusion and anti-racist teaching. In an era where public schools are being increasingly pushed towards improving test scores and standardized outcomes, Mission High refuses to “teach to test”. Instead, its teachers focus on personalized education that challenges all students and helps them recognize their own potential. And this approach has turned the school around in the past 8 years Mission has gone from being labeled a “Failing” school that risked closure to a school 84% graduation rate, 75% college enrollment raise, and 90%+ of the student body saying they would recommend Mission High to others. It’s a school that has defied the expectations of experts and has been courageously treading its own path to empower its students. Eric knows every student by name and cares so deeply about everyone's success. He is a fearless leader who advocates for his school, its programs, its faculty, and always, its students."

A Bay Area native, Eric Guthertz earned his Bachelor Degree in English Literature and a Masters Degree in Education from the University of California at Los Angeles. He began his teaching career over thirty years ago as an 8^th grade English and ESL teacher in East Los Angeles. Returning to the Bay Area, Eric created and directed The Bill Wilson School, in San Jose, California, a comprehensive high school for homeless and runaway teens in the Bay Area. Eighteen years ago, Eric began teaching English at Mission High School. During these past years Eric has been the English Department Chair, Assistant Principal, and currently Principal for the past 11 years. Eric completed the Stanford Principal’s Fellowship Program, and was a recipient of the 2013 Dream Catcher Award for his support of arts education. In 2014, Eric was a recipient of the Mayor’s Principal of the Year award. In 2015 he was awarded the Association of California School Administrator’s Region 5 Secondary Principal of the Year. In 2016 he received the Aim High Educator of the Year Award and was featured in the national book, "Mission High: One School, How Experts Tried To Fail It, And The Students And Teachers Who Made It Triumph." In 2017 he also received the Meritus Inspiration Award.