photo by Odin Marin
After over a decade of leading Lick-Wilmerding High School, Eric Temple will be stepping down at the end of May. Often seen greeting students as they walk through the doors with a friendly morning hello or leading community meetings, Temple’s impact on the LWHS community has been immeasurable.
Prior to becoming the Head of School at LWHS, Temple held many other positions at other schools. He taught English for 13 years at Crystal Springs Uplands School (CSUS) in Hillsborough. He then served as the Assistant Head of School at CSUS from 2000 to 2004. In 2004, Temple became Head of the Carey School in San Mateo. Temple was appointed Head of School at LWHS in July of 2011.
Arriving at LWHS, Temple first assessed the school’s present and future needs. He developed a strategic plan which began by gathering information on where the school was financially and creating plans for where it needed to go.
One key project was to address the physical plan. The old Ocean Avenue building was deemed seismically unsafe. To buy time, the roof had to be stabilized. Temple spearheaded plans to renovate the building which morphed into designing an entirely new building that could serve the school’s mission and represent its values in the twenty first century.
Creating a new building requires an enormous amount of fundraising. Temple made significant changes to the school’s fundraising process. He said before he came to LWHS the community was “a little bit shy to ask people for money to support it.”
Lara Witter, LWHS Board of Trustees Chair, stated that the new building was possible due to “LWHS’ biggest capital campaign.” With the new building, LWHS was able to increase its enrollment, its programs, and support its mission. The enrollment per grade increased from 120 students to 142 students. By increasing student capacity, LWHS was able to increase access to an LWHS education through its flexible tuition program.
The new building powerfully supports Lick student’s Head, Heart and Hands experiential education.
Aside from fundraising, Temple has been deeply involved in every aspect of the school. Christine Godinez, Director of the Center of Civic Engagement, spoke of Temple’s pivotal role in making the Center of Civic Engagement a “hub for student life” in the new building. Temple insisted that the physical space for the Center be at the literal center of the school’s welcoming area. In the old building, the Center was a much smaller space tucked into the dim end of the second floor hallway. Temple wanted the Center to be filled with natural light and to be the first thing that students see as they walk in through the front door. The expansive gathering space is separated from the foyer only by folding glass doors. The side of the Center that is adjacent to the terrace is a wall of floor-to-ceiling glass windows.
Temple also championed the Public Purpose initiatives at LWHS and ensured that we open up our building and resources to the greater community, allowing numerous nonprofits the chance to use the space. Godinez said that LWHS “regularly opens its doors to educational nonprofits and neighborhood organizations to use free of charge such as Tax-Aid and Aim High.”
Frosh and Sophomore Dean Chris Yin described Temple’s “approachability, his openness and his willingness to trust.” Yin said, “if I saw a need and expressed that to him, he would really listen.”
Yin noted that Temple consistently supports programs that challenge the school. She spoke on how integral Temple was in creating Tigers Leading Change, a mentorship and leadership development program for freshmen that encourages students to “create change in the [LWHS] institution.” Its purpose is to ensure that students who come from more marginalized communities have the tools and resources they need to not only find their place but to lead as change makers in LWHS. Temple funded the program. Tigers Leading Change is in its first year of operation this year and is working with 24 freshmen.
Temple additionally brought about changes in faculty salaries. Yin explained that with the COVID-19 pandemic and inflation, Temple recognized that faculty salaries were not where they should be compared with other Bay Area schools. Temple worked hard with LWHS’ Chief Financial Officer Jeanette Moore to “advocate for increases in faculty salaries.”
While working at LWHS, Temple served on the board for the National Association of Independent Schools for six years, where he chaired the equity and justice committee.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, one of the most tumultuous years in education, Temple provided stability for faculty and staff members by giving them the supplies and tools they needed to lead engaging classes but also to feel safe and to stay healthy. Students who needed equipment for participating in Zoom classes were sent computers, software and given hot spots.
When the first wave of COVID-19 began to wane, Temple worked with Moore to bring LWHS students back on campus. Witter said, “[LWHS administrators] were on calls with the San Francisco Department of Public Health daily to figure out what was feasible.” LWHS was one of the first high schools in San Francisco to return safely to in-person learning. Witter said the admin team and facilities worked weekends to get school open. Admin prioritized testing to make the community safer for students and faculty, bought masks, sanitizer, wipes, air filters, new furniture that could be arranged to diminish the possibility of COVID-19 transmission.
Temple grew up in New York. In New York, Temple was a passionate equestrian and competed in national horse shows in the hunter, jumper, and equestrian classes. He attended Boston College, earned a Masters in English Renaissance Literature at U Mass Amherst, studied at Oxford University, Trinity College, and researched in the Bodleian Library. He also earned a Masters in administration from Columbia University.
Outside of his academic pursuits and engagement in education, Temple has various hobbies. When asked what he loved most, Temple said, “My husband! And hiking and traveling.” Temple also finds joy in gardening. He looks forward to returning to wood working. After being a part of the faculty overalls sewing project, Temple has developed a new passion for sewing.
Temple also enjoys executive coaching because it allows him to support people by helping them clarify their thinking and develop plans for the future. After stepping down as head of LWHS, Temple will be an executive coach.
Katie Titus will serve for a year as the Interim Head beginning July 1, 2022. Temple said “she is an optimistic leader with a lot of integrity.” As an Interim Head who cannot make the same significant changes as a permanent head would, she is excited to maintain the school and be “present in the day to day life of students.” Titus hopes for the ’22-’23 school year to be a great year for all students and for “no leadership transition to impact that.”
Although Temple’s departure from the school will be a significant change, his legacy leaves LWHS looking towards a brighter future.
