For Pittman, who started on July 1, this has meant a week of meetings, both with parents and staff in preparation for the new school year.
“I want a smooth start to next year,” said Pittman. “We are undergoing modernization, so that is going to be a goal, to make sure there is a smooth transition for our students and our staff.”
Pittman feels her school is a place where students can receive the best education possible, a comprehensive school she hopes is a great experience for her students, a place where they can get the full effect of activities, athletics and academics. She says her students are top performers in all those aspects of her school.
“We need to make sure that we continue to support them for their future endeavors,” said Pittman.
Her first few days in La Cañada have been positive, and a “family atmosphere,” Pittman said. High expectations abound on campus, she says, not only from faculty, staff and parents, but from the students themselves.
Her teaching philosophy evolves around two things that she believes go hand in hand. First, she believes that all students can and will learn. It is their job as educators, Pittman says, to do whatever they can to make sure that all students are successful and are not only meeting but exceeding their personal goals as well as the goals of the school.
For her second philosophy, Pittman turns to her favorite quote: “If better is possible, good is not enough.”
“We need to continually and constantly look at ways to improve our teaching, to improve what is going on our campus,” said Pittman.
