CAMBRIDGE — Jerome Stover has taken over as the new principal of Cambridge-South Dorchester High School. He spent last year as principal of Maple Elementary, and several years previously at C-SD in a variety of capacities, including vice principal.

Mr. Stover said during a July 23 interview that he will focus on restorative practices for students needing that guidance, and ensuring good attendance. “We’re going to come to your door,” he said, when necessary.

That kind of commitment can be seen in Mr. Stover’s work schedule. He sees his job as a 24/7 deal - he hasn’t taken a day off since becoming principal at Maple, and he doesn’t plan to take days off at C-SD.

With a degree in Business Education from University of Maryland Eastern Shore, and a Master’s Degree from Salisbury University in 2008, he finds himself still learning, after his time with the young children at Maple Elementary.

“It was a very successful year,” he said. “It taught me a lot.”

The lessons he picked up there, he said, were to forgive and forget like a child, and to remember that sometimes, a rowdy student can’t restrain himself. “It’s not their fault,” Mr. Stover said, adding that greater sensitivity to the traumas endured by some studehnts should be developed.

There are times, however, when corrective measures are called for, and one innovation planned for C-SD is a Teen Court. For first offenses, students will sometimes face a panel of their peers, guided by a teacher.

The offender might be “sentenced” to such corrections as community service, a written apology, or speaking in front of the class, with the goal being, Mr. Stover said, to have the student think, “How can I do better next time?”

There will be a focus on the specific needs of the individual, he said, as teachers and administrators look for the keys to a student’s success - education, he said, is not a one-size-fits-all situation.

As the final weeks of summer vacation go by, Mr. Stover is spending his time getting ready for the first busy days of the fall semester,
“I’m just super excited to be back home,” he said.

"Dreams do come true. But you have to work hard at it.”