Assistant Superintendent Rocky Valles described Katie Barry as a “standout teacher” who had many of the qualities Oxnard Union High School District officials were looking for as they selected directors for the three academies at the future Rancho Campana High School.
“We were looking for candidates that were out-of-the-box thinkers that were extremely passionate in their profession and were delivering engaging lessons to students in the classroom,” Valles said. “(Barry) fit that profile. She’s highly ambitious, highly organized and very efficient.”
The 34-year-old will head the engineering academy at Rancho Campana, set to open in August 2015.
Born and raised in Ventura County, Barry graduated from Moorpark High School and attended Moorpark College. After receiving her teaching credential and master’s from UC Santa Barbara, she returned to Ventura and is currently teaching at Pacifica High School’s business academy.
She said teaching has always been her passion.
“I knew I wanted to be a teacher since I was little, so I focused my entire life to become a teacher,” said Barry, who also has a math and business degree from UCSB.
In her new role, Barry will help ensure the engineering academy’s curriculum is followed by the other teachers, Valles said. She will also be in contact with Jim Rose, the district’s new director of career pathways and community partnerships, and will work alongside the heads of the high school’s other two academies: arts and entertainment and health and biological sciences.
Barry, who has 12 years of experience as an educator, said she’s ready for the challenge.
“I’ve never opened a new school so I’m really excited about starting a new tradition.”
The Camarillo resident said RCHS will provide students with a “really different high school experience than other schools can provide.”
Barry said her main goals as the leader of the engineering academy are to build workplace and communication skills and to make sure what students learn in class will be useful in college and in the field.
“We need to make sure what they’re learning is an industry practice,” she said.
Barry recently attended a career- and college-readiness conference in Dallas to prepare her for her new role. She plans to give students opportunities at internships and job-shadowing programs.
“(The academy will) really build awareness for the students throughout four years of what engineering is and help them to decide their career path,” Barry said.
Some students may decide engineering isn’t a career they’d like to pursue, she added, but “at least they’ll know it.”
Barry said students can focus on several avenues in college that lead to careers in the engineering field, including aerospace, chemical and agricultural engineering.
By giving high school students an early glance into an engineering career, she said, teachers will also be able to provide the necessary support for students to reach their goals.
“We really want to support the students so that they leave high school having the opportunity to know what the workplace is like while still in high school,” she said.
Barry, who will teach engineering classes once RCHS opens, has been traveling to middle schools and conducting presentations about the high school to recruit students.
RCHS will open with 200 freshmen and 200 sophomores.
“We want people to know what (RCHS) will be all about,” Barry said. “If you want to work hard, you should come to Rancho Campana.”