New Alvarado Elementary Principal Highlights Community, Safety and New Playground

Dr. Tony Shaw, three weeks into his tenure as principal of Alvarado Elementary School, said he is “very proud to be the principal here” and praised the school’s teachers, staff and parent community for a strong start to the school year. The interview was conducted on campus by John Thompson, superintendent of the New Haven Unified School District.

Shaw told Thompson that Alvarado’s back‑to‑school night drew a big turnout and that the school benefits from “very strong relationships with the community,” calling the staff “compassionate about students” and noting active parent involvement.

A 24‑year educator, Shaw said much of his career has been in administration and school leadership. He said he previously served as a principal at two other schools and spent about 12 years as a district administrator; earlier in his career he worked in special education and later as a school counselor at a county office. Shaw said he attended Sacramento State (the Hornets reference he used indicates California State University, Sacramento) and earned his doctorate at the University of the Pacific in Stockton.

On school operations, Shaw singled out student drop‑off and pickup as a persistent challenge because of the neighborhood street configuration. He asked parents to “please use our crosswalks for our student safety” and encouraged drivers to park a block away when possible. He said the district redesigned the front of the school over the summer and that the front gates off Smith Street are now open, which he called an improvement over prior years.

About campus facilities, Shaw said the new kindergarten playground is nearly finished — tiles remain to be glued and a final inspection is pending — and estimated it will be ready “two more weeks at the latest.” He also walked through the school’s Beyond the Bell after‑school program during the interview, noting staff engagement and activities for students.

The conversation included a brief rapid‑fire segment in which Shaw answered personal questions about favorite foods, hobbies and travel; he described hiking the Grand Canyon as a notable adventure and said he listens to rap and hip‑hop growing up and jazz to relax.

Shaw closed by thanking families, staff and students and reiterating his focus on instruction and safety at Alvarado Elementary. The recorded segment ended with goodbyes from those on camera.