SHALLOTTE — Brock Ahrens recognizes an opportunity when he sees it.
When the principal position at West Brunswick High School opened, Ahrens, a 24-year educator, seized the opportunity to take on a new role and its challenges.
Ahrens previously served as principal of South Brunswick Middle School in Boiling Spring Lakes, where he was credited with the school’s turnaround, both in academic and overall performance. Ahrens hopes to repeat that success West Brunswick.
In addition to the disciplinary issues and the coming-of-age woes one can expect when leading a group of teenagers, Ahrens has two other issues on his radar—cell phone and hats.
Neither, Ahrens said, has a place in the classroom.
“It goes back to your core values; what do you truly believe in?”
For Ahrens, his guiding philosophy is respect for everyone, every day, including students, teachers, staff, parents, bus drivers, custodians, or anyone else he deals with during the school day.
Ahrens also strives for a safe an orderly school, without which teachers cannot educate their students.
“I’ve done elementary, middle and high schools. You really have to understand and start at a level where they’re at. I’m trying to balance out managerial stuff with leadership; finding that balance between the two,” Ahrens said. “Our kids, they will fight that piece, especially taking off the hats and turning off cell phones. Our responsibility is for developing the whole child.”
While accepting the challenges of high school, Ahrens also recognizes a benefit that comes with serving as principal of a high school—Friday night football games.
In addition to rooting on Trojan football, Ahrens sees Friday nights at the football field as a chance to converse with parents and students in a less formal environment.
“Going back from high school to middle school, back to high school, I’m looking forward to high school athletics. I really enjoy that time of Friday night out on the football field. They see me in a different standing. It’s not as serious,” he said.
Before leading South Brunswick Middle School, Ahrens served as both a teacher and an assistant principal at West Brunswick High School, which he sees as another benefit to his transition in this new role as principal.
“At West, we have an opportunity to rebuild the culture here with the parents, the kids and the community. We don’t talk at people; we talk with people. West Brunswick is a community school. I look at it as if it were a plant. And you have to have the foundation for it to grow,” Ahrens said.
Look for Ahrens to grow that foundation in the classroom, the hallways, the cafeteria and even the 50-yard line.
