Civics champion Campbell quits Amador for Foothill Civics champion Campbell quits Amador for Foothill (July 09, 2004)

Councilman moves from teaching to vice principal
by Jeb Bing

City Councilman Matt Campbell, one of Amador Valley High School's biggest boosters at televised council meetings, is switching high school colors. He announced this week that he has quit his competition civics teaching position at Amador to sign on at Foothill High School as a vice principal, where he will start Aug. 9.

Campbell, 37, a World History and Civics teacher at Amador for the last five years, led his Competition Civics team to state championships twice, taking them to Washington, D.C., for the national finals in 2000 and again this year. Although the teams failed to win the top title, the 2000 group finished in the top 10 and both won the California state championships handily.

Campbell acknowledged that Amador juniors who jostled last spring for the limited number of seats in his senior level competition civics program could be disappointed by his decision, which he made after school closed for the summer. He said that a replacement teacher has been hired, although neither he nor the school district office would say who it is.

"I've sent an e-mail to those I know who had enrolled and asked that they spread the word," Campbell said. "Leaving Amador was a hard decision, but for me to continue making an ever greater difference in improving education and student achievement, moving into the administration arena offers new opportunities."

Campbell taught for three years at Dublin High School before switching to Amador. He grew up in Pleasanton and was in one of the last classes at the old Pleasanton Elementary School. He graduated from Amador in 1985 and went on to receive an undergraduate degree in history from Cal Poly at San Luis Obispo, a master's degree in environmental education at Leslie College in Cambridge, Mass., and his high school teaching credential from Fresno State University.

Campbell will report to Foothill Principal Kevin Johnson, joining John Dwyer, vice principal at Harvest Park Middle School, who also has been named a Foothill vice principal. Johnson is still looking for a third, to replace all three vice principals who left in June. Joseph Ianora quit to become the new principal at San Ramon Valley High School; Janice Clark left to start her own education consulting firm; and Greg Thompson has taken a leave of absence to live with his family on the Baja Peninsula.

Campbell also plans to step down in November from the City Council when he completes his first four-year term of office. Although he considered running for mayor, he said the increased responsibilities as vice principal at Foothill ruled out that decision.

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