Gang members, teenage mothers, delinquents and burnouts. These are the labels often thrown at students who attend continuation schools like Mount Olive Innovation and Technology High School.
The stigma is real and persistent, shaping perceptions of both the school and its students before anyone steps inside.
But for Kevin Morris, the principal at Mount Olive, showing people what really goes on behind the doors — the challenges, the growth and the everyday work to support students navigating tough circumstances — is what matters the most.
Teaching started as a passing thought. Morris never planned to work in education — he was on track to play in the NBA. Community outreach had always been part of his life, but his time refereeing and coaching made him realize how much he enjoyed working with youth.
After sustaining a knee injury, Morris had to find a new path. When his wife suggested teaching, Morris started looking into becoming an educator.
“You work well with your players and all that kind of stuff,” Morris recalled her saying. “And they need strong African American males and minority males to teach.”
Morris began teaching in Pasadena in a program where expelled students were placed in one classroom. The program offered individual attention and gave students a place to focus on them and their learning needs.
“I did many unconventional things as far as teaching strategies to help them succeed,” Morris said.
One of those strategies was a homework club. If students completed their homework for a full month, Morris would take them out to an activity or a meal. The incentive came entirely from his own pocket, no matter how many students participated.
Taking the experiences and tools he learned, he then applied it to Mount Olive as the new principal, appointed in 2006.
Mount Olive has had a longstanding reputation in Duarte for dealing with issues like gang involvement, substance use and misunderstood student behavior. Yet the reality is different.
When he became principal, he was aware of the school’s image, but he didn’t care. He focused on changing the environment, not imposing more authority.
“It wasn’t about placing these students under more scrutiny or judgment,” he said. “It was about understanding and helping them find a reason to care about school or their future.”
To make that change, Morris had to be the kind of educator students could trust and connect with.
“We’ve got to make this a place where people want to come, where students feel safe,” he said.
A trip to Ojai highlighted Morris’ dedication, even to students who don’t fit a traditional mold.
“In the early 2010s, gang activity in Duarte was at an all-time high. The district wanted a better understanding of what was going on with it’s youth.” Mr. Morris said about the trip.
Funded by the district and supported by additional chaperones, students from different backgrounds spent four days together in Ojai.
The trip gave them a rare chance to be themselves — free from peer pressure or judgment from adults, no matter how they acted, spoke or where they stood academically.
Toward the end of the trip, during a group discussion, a student asked, “Why are you guys still gang banging or fighting each other?”
“Because that’s our world,” another student responded. “That’s what we grew up around. And when we go back home, even though we’re having fun and doing all this, people don’t realize I’m caught in the middle.”
To help students find something to show up for, Morris introduced programs that opened doors to what life after high school could look like.
CHILL Thursdays is one of them. Every week, someone new comes to speak with Mount Olive students — from Nike executives and Planned Parenthood staff to cosmetologists and actors. The speakers share different stories and experiences, many of which resonate with the students and help them imagine a future beyond high school.
Creating Creators is another program, built through Morris’ connections with former students who want to give back. It allows current students to make short films with professional-grade equipment and mentorship from people in the industry — including camera operators, editors, stage designers, makeup artists and more.
Laurent Lanquette, a math teacher at Mount Olive since 1998, has witnessed the programs develop and grow over the years.
Laurent Lanquette, who’s been a math teacher at Mount Olive since 1998 has seen the programs develop and be able to see it grow.
“Creating Creators and all the people he knows in the industry — he’s made it possible for the kids to have access to that,” “Of course, that takes a lot of work too. Not just, ‘Oh I know people,’ but you have to facilitate.”
Mount Olive has come a long way, and Morris credits the entire staff. According to the staff, the supportive and safe environment has become so strong that some students now request to be placed at Mount Olive — and with a team dedicated to students’ growth, it’s rare to turn anyone away.
Morris may have led the transformation, but he never takes full credit.
“I have an amazing staff,” he said. “They’re doing the work — for the students, and for each other.”
