Michael Stieren joined the Palo Alto High School Administration team this year, and says he is excited to get to know the student body.
The new assistant principal aims to collaborate with faculty and oversee student services such as the Advanced Placement Capstone program, the Speech and Debate Team, the Robotics Team and others.

While this is Stieren’s first year working at Paly, he’s no stranger to the Bay Area. Stieren was the vice principal at Adrian Wilcox High School in Santa Clara for four years, and grew up in the Bay Area. In an interview with Verde, Stieren even recalled playing a baseball game against Paly in 1997.
When Stieren is not engaging with his new colleagues, he says he loves walking around the school, receiving movie and music recommendations from students.
One thing that stood out to Stieren in his first few weeks is the energy radiating from students.
“No two days are really the same, but it is a lot of fun to just engage with different kids who are interested in different things, and hear their stories and what they’re hoping to achieve,” Stieren said.
In the future, Stieren is focused on learning about Paly’s identity.
“It’s important to just get to know the culture of the school, get to know the students, get to know the staff, the faculty, and sort of embed yourself into it,” Stieren said. “I’m not here to upend things and make changes. I’m here to be a good partner in the really good work that’s already happening.”