Meet New High School Principal Lori Pavlik

The Peters Township Board of Education voted in March to name Lori Pavlik the new principal of Peters Township High School.

She will succeed Dr. Thomas Hajzus, and most recently acting Principal Frank Brettschneider, when she assumes her new duties before the end of May.

She leaves the position of unit principal at Mt. Lebanon High School, which she held since 2007. She was vice principal of Baldwin High School from 2004-2007, where she also served as co-internal coordinator for the Accreditation for Growth Planning Committee.

Prior to her move to administration, Pavlik was a classroom teacher, teaching social studies in middle and high school levels in the Baldwin-Whitehall School District.

She kindly talked about her move to PTHS in an interview with us.

What was it like for you to be selected as the new principal at the high school?

I think it’s a tremendous honor, and that’s one of the questions I was asked in the interview process. Peters Township represents what high schools and a school district should be. It’s an up-and-coming district that is very solid, and still has room for improvement and growth. I think some of the experience I’ve had at Mt. Lebanon will aid me to make Peters Township a better school.

A recent study released by the Pennsylvania State Department of Education showed Peters to have the highest graduation rate in western Pennsylvania, and among the leaders in the entire state. How important is that in the whole scheme of things?

I think it shows a commitment not only of the school, but of the whole community. The school is really a microcosm of the community in which it is located. I think there has to be a strong partnership, because anytime you hear something about a school and its successes, it’s a reflection on the values of that community.

For me, it’s exciting knowing that I’m going into a place that has that value placed on education.

As a principal, you have to balance between teachers and students. How do you strike that balance with being a good administrator for both?

I think the important thing is to listen. You find a lot of similarities when you’re dealing with different groups, and most of the concern teachers have are the same concerns students have. All of them funnel back into the feeling that they are giving input, that they are being heard and their concerns are being addressed.

I think it's most important that both the student and the teachers feel that they are respected and are valued as part of a school, and that they have a stake and a say in what happens to the future of that school. They may be at odds, and they may disagree on that, but I think that they need to feel like their voice is heard, and that we would work through their issues. 

My role as a principal is to really bring that balance. To listen to what each side is saying and look at possible solutions, and to bring people together to work out various different issues. I have found that to be the biggest first step that you can take to bring about success. People really need to feel a part of it and what is happening.

What did you gain as a classroom teacher that you take into your role as a principal?

A very wise administrator once told me that "being a principal is still teaching, only your audience has changed," and I’ll never forget that because it’s really my mantra.

If I’m presenting to staff or presenting to students, I’m really in my role as a teacher/facilitator. I think it’s important that you model what your expectations are. I model for students what I expect of them and I model for teachers what I expect for them. I think it’s really difficult to be a good principal if you don’t have that solid basis as a teacher.

What do you intend to do first when you arrive at PTHS?

Learn people (laughing). Even though I’m coming at the end of the school year, I want to know the staff, and I want to get to know the students. I’m going to spend several months learning how things operate, what are the issues, what changes people want, what people are really proud about and what they want to promote more.

I’m not going to come in and make sweeping changes. I’m going to come in and listen to different groups, and find out as much as I can before coming up with what is our vision for the future.