At the start of the 2024-25 school year Millikan faced a change when we were introduced to the new Head Principal, Dr. Stacey Alexander. For the first time in nine years, since the last change of principal, Dr. Alexander is ready to make an impact.
Especially in the year of 2025, where we have seen many other changes being made in our country everyday affecting people’s lives and surroundings.
In a time that can cause stress and anxiety for people, our new Principal Dr. Alexander has been here for all students, staff, and parents focused on equality for all students no matter how the world may shift around us.
“An important value is rooted in equality and justice for everybody, no matter what your identity or race might be.” said Dr. Alexander. “Making sure that students who have been historically marginalized are no longer in the margin focusing on being one community that operates for the benefit of everyone supporting one another.”
On Friday, Feb. 7, 2025, Millikan students held a peaceful walk-out where students acted in response to the immigration policies that have been directly affecting the community around us.
Shortly after the walk-out Dr. Alexander released an email to Millikan students, staff and parents stating that, “Our school district fully supports students’ rights to express themselves through peaceful demonstrations… We ask that you speak with your children about making responsible choices and remind them to remain vigilant and aware of their surroundings.”
Later, sending out an email on Tuesday, Feb. 11, saying, “our school will continue to provide safe spaces for dialogue and learning, encouraging students to express their voices in ways that uphold respect, responsibility and community values.”
A highly educated woman, Dr. Alexander has spent over 10 years studying at four different universities gaining her Associate’s, Bachelor’s, and Master’s degrees in Childhood Education, Psychology, and Special Education. Most recently she got her Doctorate in Educational Leadership from the University of San Diego.
Starting her upward journey to becoming a doctor, Alexander initially wanted to be a preschool teacher. However, it was when she started to discuss higher developed topics in class with these young students that she realized she should be doing something bigger.
Dr. Alexander says, “We held discussions about race, ability, and disability, around their educational experiences as kids. They would mention that my classroom was different from the others, which was the first time I realized I should be doing this outside the classroom.”
Having a history of working in the Long Beach Unified School District, Dr. Alexander served as a Vice-Principal at Cabrillo, Poly, and last year Wilson High School. This is the first year she will be holding the position of Head Principal, she replaced our previous principal Mr. Vega who held the position for nine years.
“Being the principal means everything ends with me, everything is my responsibility, my fault if things are wrong. The biggest change for me is the weight of the responsibility. Being at Millikan is like being in charge of a small city, and it can be a lot for me to make sure that all kid’s needs are met and do my best to align that with what my staff needs to do,” states Dr. Alexander.
During Alexander’s time at Millikan, she faces a forever posing question to herself, “Is this decision the best to make and does it need to be done right now?” Now we have already seen examples of these immediate decisions Alexander makes.
Regarding the student-run Senior Assassin game, she says, “There is a balance as a principal between wanting you guys [seniors] to have fun, and I’m also concerned about everyone’s safety and what that looks like on campus. So, I made the decision to carefully craft an email to send out making sure it doesn’t sound like I’m shutting it down but setting needed boundaries.”
After being at Millikan for over six months Alexander has started implementing values that have been discussed with staff to positively impact everyone in the Ram family. “I’ve been working with our staff to identify our core values and what that looks, feels, and sounds like, and what it will lead to. So by the end of the school year, I’ll have clear expectations for the staff and students in how we interact with one another.”
“We are coming up with our school shared values led by Dr. Alexander, collectively as teachers across Millikan, were designed and collaborating on what we find to be really important. Some of the things that we’re coming up with are around safety, resilience, and perseverance which are all values that we share.”
A very positive attribute that Dr. Alexander has is her active participation on social media. If you have been on Instagram you would have seen the trending Millikan hashtag #RAMNation. Dr. Alexander believes, “having Instagram as principal of Millikan is to highlight all the cool stuff you guys do. There is so much happening here all the time and I try to capture everything I see or know exists, by following all the school accounts. I want them to tag, mention, and share with me so I can post it because for me, my presence is to highlight you!”
Izabella Villalobos and Senior is COMPASS who is the “I think it’s [Dr.Alexanders social media presence] something we are not used to seeing at Millikan, but I definitely wasn’t against it. If anything, right off the bat she was trying to make her mark and let students know that there are certain events and opportunities for students on campus. So I think that it’s definitely beneficial and positive for not only students but parents to stay updated. ”
There is one thing that is for certain, Dr. Alexander’s active participation as a principal on our campus is greatly appreciated along with her constant reassurance during events happening in our society.
If you are a student, parent, or staff member at Millikan, keep an eye out for Dr. Alexander on campus, and follow her on Instagram for updates on all things Millikan!
