Grad and teacher Rector sees lots of changes at Saratoga High

Imagine teaching at Saratoga 13 years from now. Many current teachers will still be teaching, while a new generation of students will walk the same halls you once walked. 

Imagine how much the school will have changed. Are the classes still as they were a decade ago? Do the students dress the same way? Are there any new classes?

Since he came back to the school as a teacher in 2007 after his graduation in 2000, English teacher Erick Rector has witnessed changes take place in the school.  

Whether it be from studying as a student or teaching as a teacher, Rector has witnessed much change that has occurred in the school. 

“Saratoga High has been continuously changing and will continue to change,” Rector said. 

One major change that Rector has noticed since he began teaching at school has been the added stress on students. Back in his high school days, there was less of an emphasis on studies. 

“It is getting more and more difficult as generations come and go,” Rector said. “Students should emphasize quality time and not stress over taking multiple APs.” 

However, Rector has noticed that the school is as friendly as ever. 

“The student population is friendly, open to new students and kind hearted as ever,” Rector said. 

However, the most positive change that Rector has noticed has been the increase in the quality of sports programs. He said that a big difference is the addition of a functioning the football field, something his class never had. The football team, back in the 2000s, did not have lights on their field, so they had to play their home games at Los Gatos. 

He further praised the current football team for achieving something that Saratoga had been yearning for decades, a win against Los Gatos in 2010.

“The football team beat Los Gatos after an almost three decade drought,” said Rector. “This is something to be commended because the drought stretched through the years I attended high school.” 

Rector added that other sports teams are also progressing, stating that several sports attended CCS the previous year compared to the few teams that went to CCS during his time at the school. 

Another improvement, according to Rector, is the quality of food in the cafeteria. The food students eat currently is “significantly better” than what Rector ate as a student.

  “The only thing similar to the lunch offered when I went to Saratoga High is the pizza,” said Rector. “There was not as much variety as there is now.” 

Rector has seen many positive changes in the school. However, he views the laptop and smartphones students use today to be a negative change for the school. 

“Nowadays, a lot of students are in front of a computer or a smartphone taking notes or taking a picture of diagrams that are drawn out in class,” said Rector. “They are losing educational merit that is there when transcribing notes and diagrams.”