Reggie Breland: 'Put down the phone and social media and pick up a book'
Reggie Breland
Principal
Los Arboles Middle School
Los Arboles Middle School Principal Reggie Breland knows well the critical importance of the middle school years. “I want our students to see whatever dream they have is possible and it does start now, it doesn’t start tomorrow. They can start acting on their dreams right now,” he says.
“We are preparing kids for life,” Reggie states. “At the middle school level our kids don’t necessarily see that because it seems so far away. My hope is that the structure we are trying to give our middle school students … that they see a clear path to whatever career that they want to do. I really want them to dream big, to dream big and see where it takes you versus closing the door before you even open it.”
Reggie’s path was heavily influenced by his mom. “For me and my life, I remember the turning point in taking school and education seriously and for me it was middle school. I had a powerful conversation with my mom. She said education can open a lot of doors for you and if you do take it seriously you can go a lot of places and literally that is what it did,” says Reggie.
He began his career teaching middle school physical education in Maryland and was figuring out his next steps, including thinking about becoming a principal. He says, “I went to this person’s inauguration in Washington, DC, and his name was Barack Obama. He really spoke to me stating ‘go out there and be the change that you want to see in the world’ and I was really taken by it.” It was following that moment that Reggie immediately enrolled in the John Hopkins three-year administrative leadership program.
It was during this time that he met his wife, a Monterey native. Following his leadership program, they packed up and headed west. He found himself as an assistant principal at Soledad High School before coming to the Monterey Peninsula Unified School District as assistant principal at Marina High.
“There is a lot that goes into being a principal but for me it's the stability. If you look at national statistics it’s about three years that principals come and go from positions. I am proud to say that it is my seventh year here (Los Arboles Middle School) and ninth year in the Marina community and MPUSD,” he says.
“I am really proud to be a face of stability for education, for learning, for fun, and for safety. I think our kids and families look to us for a lot of those things and I want to be that stable person that is here, and making sure our families feel safe and comfortable and that they know their child is getting a good education and that I care about them and want them to succeed,” he states.
This school year, Los Arboles Middle School has upped the game on its reading literacy. “We are always about lifting the educational experience. The big thing that has been on my mind is reading. We are trying to get our students to read more. It doesn’t matter what they are reading, but pushing themselves to read more,” he says.
Reggie wants students to put down the phone and social media and pick up a book no matter what it is. “The more you read the better your fluency will be, and the more confident you will be and that translates into the classroom,” says Reggie.
His favorite part of being an administrator is when he is out in the community and runs into students or former students. “They tell me how they are doing and how the things are going or what I’ve been saying to them has helped them … I feel it and it brings me joy,” Reggie says.
Outside of school, Reggie, his wife, and three children enjoy the outdoors and engage in physical activities.