Meet Matt Outlaw, Grosse Pointe South's New Principal

Matt Outlaw wants to be visible and accessible not only to teachers but also to students of . As the school's new principal, Outlaw wants to hear from both groups about issues big and small.

He always aspired to be a principal and he's thrilled to lead the high school he fell in love with in his first year with the district, 2003, when he was South's athletic director.

"Every time I drive by, I can't believe I have the chance to lead here," he said. "There is something about South that grabs you."

Outlaw took the post Aug. 1, leaving , where he was an assistant principal. His duties at North focused on staff scheduling, curriculum, discipline and building management. 

He believes his transition will be smooth, as some relationships are already well-established from the last time he worked at South.

He wants to make this year, his first as the principal, all about the students. He's already connected with some during freshman orientation and wants to hold regular hours when he will be available to students in the commons area, he said. Similarly, he wants to hold hours for teachers, too, he said.

Making a difference every day, even if it is with one student, is part of what fuels Outlaw's educational drive. "I love working with kids. I don't like it, I love it. It energizes me. I feel like I can make a difference every day," he said. 

After the announcement of his promotion, he received several emails from North students, including one whom he had to suspend during his freshman year at the school. The student, who was congratulating Outlaw but saying he'd be missed at North, recognized he needed the suspension at the time and thanked Outlaw for all of his help. "It was a touching email," Outlaw said, noting his true appreciation for the student's feedback.

Eager to attend the first home football game, back-to-school night and the and game, Outlaw said those events will provide another way to connect with students.

Connecting with young people is part of what drew him into teaching and education, he said. He began coaching baseball at 16 with his father and became a head coach at 19. He loved teaching the sport to others and thought the skills would transfer well to a classroom, he said.

"I liked working with people. I always loved school," he said, noting it the perfect marriage for a teaching career. 

Meanwhile, Outlaw describes himself as a family man. Married to his wife, Nicole, for eight years, the couple met in Novi where Outlaw was teaching and Nicole was student-teaching. Parents to Tyler, 4 1/2, and Hannah, 2, the couple values their family time, Outlaw said.

In his spare time, the 37-year-old loves boating and waterskiing. He began as a cross-country runner and continues running today, more as a form of exercise as he does not have a lot of time to train for and participate in races, he said.

Outlaw lives in Brighton, where his wife is a teacher. The commute hasn't been a problem thus far during his time with the district and Outlaw says he has a way of making it work. 

One of his biggest assets is his efficiency, he said, noting sometimes it's hard to wait out the bureaucracy when trying to establish a new program or make changes. "I'm very organized and efficient. The greatest challenge is patience with bureaucracy. It's never prevented me from accomplishing (what I've set out to do)," he said.

While connecting with students might sound like a gimmick, Outlaw says he is a truly caring person who wants students and teachers to know he cares about them. "My priorities are in the right place," he said. "I'm very loyal."

Outlaw is also eager to work with parents, whom he believes are part of the process in improving and growing any school–something he says takes the entire community to do. 

Among his goals for this year at South: 

• To continue the transition to 21st Century Learning in which individual learners are given not only the local learning experience but it is also pieced together with more global learning
• To ensure the use of technology in classrooms, not just its presence
• To gather feedback from alumni, especially recent alumni, on their level of preparedness for the next step in their lives after leaving South, be it college, work or another option
• To have open communication with students, teachers, administrators and the community
• To complete administrative rounds with teachers
• To hold student office hours in the commons 

His professional background includes the following roles: 

• A.P. history, economics and Spanish teacher for Novi schools
• Baseball and basketball coach at Novi High School
• Assistant athletic director at Novi High School
• Dean of students at Novi High School
• Adjunct professor at Madonna University 
• Travel baseball coach for 11 years
• Athletic director for Grosse Pointe South High School
• Assistant principal of Grosse Pointe North High School
• Director of summer learning for Grosse Pointe Schools

During his time with , Outlaw has also participated as:

• Administrative liaison for Grosse Pointe South Choir
• President of the Grosse Pointe Administrators Association
• A member of the district budget council and the district negotiating team 
• Co-founder/leader of the Grosse Pointe Aspiring Leaders program

Outlaw holds a doctorate degree from Wayne State University. He earned his education specialist degree in 2006; his masters in educational administration in 1999; and bachelor's in education in 1996.