New principal looks to “build a culture” at Parrish Community

BROOKLYNN DECKMAN – PCHS Bulletin

One of the biggest changes to the Parrish Community High School administration is the new principal, Daniel Bradshaw. Bradshaw was most recently an assistant principal at Palmetto High School. In addition, he taught math for 13 years and was an athletic director at Southeast High. During his tenure at Southeast, he coached football and wrestling.

Bradshaw earned his bachelor's degree at Harding University and his master's degree at University of South Florida (USF). When asked about what drew him to a career in education, Bradshaw responded, “It was really just the motivation to work with young people. I enjoyed tutoring and thought that teaching might be an avenue that I’d be interested in.” He cited a “passion for coaching” and in addition said he enjoyed helping students work through math, a subject that some may struggle with.

Even though Bradshaw has only been at Parrish for a couple months, he enjoys the positivity of the staff. “They really put focus on growth mindset and helping students to see that they can work together and achieve a lot,” Bradshaw said, “There’s just a very strong culture on campus of collaboration.”

In addition, Bradshaw praises the students for showcasing their talents. “Any time that I can see our students display the work they’ve put on in a performance or a game, I enjoy all those,” Bradshaw said.

Bradshaw’s vision is to continue growing Parrish Community High School for the future. “This is a school that’s already been very successful even though it’s in its early years,” he acknowledged, “We’re growing, we have a lot of new students on campus, and we can continue to grow. Coming into a school like Parrish that’s still building traditions, that’s really my goal.”

Bradshaw added that he wanted to use his first year as principal to adapt to the campus, work with the faculty and build a culture upon recent traditions. Bradshaw added, “I’m observing and seeing and if something needs to be tweaked, we can adjust small things.”

Outside of his role as principal, Bradshaw is involved with his 3 children and their extracurricular activities. He enjoys playing golf and considers himself “an avid sports fan.” Bradshaw also wants to travel to Europe, specifically Italy, to see some of the historic monuments.  
Bradshaw has already received a warm welcome from the students and staff at PCHS.