A School Can Serve an Entire Community
Principal Rafael Santiago on how school can address the needs of whole families.
Posted June 1, 2026 | Reviewed by Jessica Schrader
Principal Rafael Santiago is retiring. To anyone attending, working at, or residing anywhere near Dale Junior High School in Anaheim, California, this is heartbreaking news. Because Santiago hasn't only focused on students' academics at Dale, his leadership and team have leveraged hope and connection to transform Dale's students and their community.
I had the good fortune of working under Santiago decades ago when I was a junior high school English teacher, and I have wanted to interview him for you readers for as long as I have been writing for Psychology Today . Deciding which topic to interview Santiago about, however, has always been a challenge, because Dale is one of those schools involved in many tradition-transcending endeavors. With the countdown clock ticking on Santiago's retirement , we picked one of the most novel and powerful: Dale's function as a "community school." Santiago's answers follow each interview question below.
Jenny Rankin (JR): What exactly is a “community school,” and what does it look like at Dale Junior High School?
Rafael Santiago (RS): To me, a community school is really about this simple idea—students don’t leave life at the front gate when they walk onto campus.
They come to us carrying all kinds of experiences… challenges… responsibilities… emotions. And if we want them to succeed academically, we have to care about all of that—not just what happens in the classroom.
At Dale, our vision has always been to maximize our unlimited potential, one student, one story, one family at a time. And that really shapes how we show up every day.
Yes, it includes things like wellness supports, family resources, after-school programs, and partnerships… but honestly, it starts with relationships and belonging.
One example that really brings that to life is our capstone experience, which we call LancerX. Students reflect on their growth, they share their learning, and they actually tell their story out loud.
And for a lot of students, that moment matters. It builds confidence . It builds voice. It helps them see themselves in a different way.
At the end of the day, a community school is really just a place where students feel connected enough ... to grow into who they’re capable of becoming.
JR: What needs were you seeing in students and families that made you realize Dale had to provide more than what a school traditionally offers?
RS: We started noticing that a lot of students were carrying things that had nothing to do with their ability to learn, but everything to do with life outside of school.
Things like anxiety , family stress , isolation… just not always feeling like they had a place where they fully belonged.
And for some families, it wasn’t about willingness—it was about access. Not always knowing where to go, or how to get support. That really forced us to think differently.
If we believe in teaching the whole child… then we can’t ignore the whole child.
And I’ll say, one thing I really appreciate about Anaheim Union High School District is that focus on students at the margins—and really asking, who are we not reaching yet, and why?
That mindset pushed us to rethink how we support kids and families.
We also saw how powerful it was when students had opportunities to reflect on their growth—like through LancerX.
Sometimes students just need a moment to step back and realize, “I’ve actually grown. I can do this.”
JR: What first steps did you take to get the ball rolling?
RS: Honestly, the first step was just listening.
Before anything else—programs, partnerships—we spent time listening to students, families, and staff.
What are you experiencing? What do you need? What’s getting in the way?
And we also really focused on culture. Because if students and families don’t feel connected to the school, nothing else really sticks.
We also tried to stay grounded in strengths. Our kids and families bring so much resilience and potential with them already—so we asked ourselves, how do we build on that instead of focusing on what’s missing?
That connects directly to our vision: maximize unlimited potential, one student, one story, one family at a time.
And once we had that clarity, everything else started to take shape more naturally.
JR: Are community partners involved, and if so, how did you persuade them to help out?
RS: Yes—and they’ve been a huge part of this work.
What we found is that most community partners already want to help kids. They just need a real entry point into schools where the work feels authentic. So we didn’t really “sell” anything. We invited them in.
We asked them to spend time on campus, meet students, see the environment … and be part of something that already had purpose behind it.
And once people see the kids, and feel the energy of the campus, it becomes pretty natural. They want to be part of it.
Because at the end of the day, people are drawn to places where there’s hope and connection.
JR: How did you build trust with families who might have been initially hesitant to use your campus or open up about their personal needs?
RS: Trust doesn’t happen quickly.
It’s built over time… through small moments. Conversations. Phone calls. Showing up. Following through. And making sure families feel welcomed—not judged, not intimidated.
We really try to treat every interaction as a relationship-building moment.
Because before families will access support or open up, they need to know one thing first—that we genuinely care about their child.
This article is part of the Bringwise Psychology Journal — daily insights on human behavior, mental health, and personal growth.