Newcastle Elementary's new superintendent puts caring first

By Erin Gallup, Journal Staff WriterWhen the doors to Newcastle Elementary School open Aug. 22, students will be greeted by new Principal and Superintendent David Dominguez.The former Oak Hills School and Franklin Elementary School principal said he applied for the post formerly held by Bob Huff because he wanted to take on the responsibilities of a superintendent, but still keep in touch with the children, parents and campus life.His philosophy is, ?Kids don?t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.?An emotional attachment to a 10-year-old boy he met in a San Diego Big Brother Program more than 25 years ago led him into the teaching profession. Dominguez?s path was clear even before he received a bachelor?s degree in liberal arts with an emphasis on elementary education from San Diego State University.?He didn?t have a dad,? Dominguez explained, recalling the young boy, ?and was raised by a single mom with two younger daughters. I didn?t realize that he hadn?t done things like play catch or football, so I just thought of it as playing and ended up with a bond between us. It made me realize that if you do care and listen, you can really help people out.?The two kept in touch for nearly 10 years until the youngster went to junior college.Dominguez said he tends to give children the benefit of the doubt, because they typically don?t try to be mean. They frequently just don?t think about the consequences of their actions.?Hopefully, we can challenge kids to stretch themselves to do more than just pick out their A, B, C and Ds, and think and know that they can make a difference,? he said.The father of two college students currently is working with Huff on a school-modernization project. He said Huff, who retired after the 2000-2001 school year, has been a great resource for him.?We?re replacing all the air-conditioning units and lighting so that we?re more energy-efficient,? he said. ?We hope to have it finished by the start of the school year.?