Principal's Message

Welcome to Charles Maclay Middle School, Academy of Social Justice

Home of the Lions!

​​August 7, 2023

Dear Maclay School Community,

My name is Richard Guillen and I am extremely excited and honored to join the Maclay Middle School team as the new Principal. I have always known that Maclay Middle School is a wonderful school that promotes respect, diversity, and understanding to all. I have been dedicated to the field of education for more than twenty-five years. I have worked in a variety of roles with large and diverse populations of students, creating and implementing programs that support all learners; gifted students, students with special needs, career-specific learning communities, English language learners, and students in fragile communities.

I am very passionate about education and I look forward to collaborating with you to provide our students with a rigorous, engaging, and high-quality school experience. As the parent of LAUSD students, I recognize the importance of a strong home-school connection. Parents are every child’s first teacher and I believe that by working together, we can ensure that all of our students are successful. My commitment is to work with our school community and ensure that we provide our students with an individualized positive school experience academically, making available career exploration, and providing a nurturing social-emotional space.

I believe that effective schools are the result of great teachers and my primary objective will be to ensure that every student will continue to receive high-quality instruction at Maclay Middle School. To do this, I am committed to providing teachers with feedback on instruction, access to professional development both academic and career pathway related, and building capacity in our staff, as well as strengthening the partnership between parents and teachers to support the academic growth of our students and prepare them for college and career goals. We will find a way to expand the number of opportunities available to our students to explore their career goals and interest by bringing in industry and community partners.    

In addition, I believe effective instruction should be data-driven and student-centered and is the most important factor in determining student success. As an educator, our role is to provide support, feedback, and resources to teachers, staff, parents, and students so they are better equipped to be successful. We will continue to grow and build on our positive school culture by increasing the number of resources available. We want to ensure our students, staff, parents, and community feel that our school is a home away from home and feel safe to learn and grow. 

Thank you for the opportunity to serve you in this role and I look forward to meeting all of you. I plan to be highly visible, please do not hesitate to reach out to me if you have any questions, concerns, or ideas you would like to share. 

Sincerely,

Richard J. Guillen

Maclay Middle School Principal