Imagine an environment of sizzling oils, clattering pots, and the din of shouted orders. The aroma of numerous dishes drift in the air, and a flurry of activity surrounds you. Here, every detail is pivotal, timing means everything, and precision is key. The chaos and energy are palpable, creating an atmosphere that is solely dedicated to delivering the perfect experience.
But when you step back and take in the surroundings, you notice something unusual. Instead of diners and waiters, you find students and teachers. The menus are actually schedules, and the kitchen is a classroom. Now, you hear the flipping of textbook pages, and the aroma of food is really the scent of morning dew in the courtyard. Welcome to high school—where the high-pressure environment is all about learning, not dining.
Like all the best kitchens in the world, it all starts with a head chef. In the case of South Dade Senior High, that person is our new principal, Mr. Jonathan Britton. Having experience as an administrator, including his last 11 years as principal of Homestead Middle School, he knew how important it was to set the right tone for his first year as a high school principal.

Over the summer, the administration pondered over what the year’s theme would be. “A part of coming up with a theme is its inspiration. We had this conversation about The Bear, the television show, and a lot of us were fans of the show and had seen it,” Britton said. The series follows a chef in his journey towards earning a Michelin star, all the while balancing shared leadership and various personal and professional obstacles. Suddenly, the theme became very clear to Britton and the administrators, as a recurring motto of the show is “Every Second Counts.” Time becomes the essence of their prospering restaurant, just as it is the foundation for success at South Dade Senior High, steady on the track to earning us our own version of a Michelin star; an “A” letter grade.

The staff of The Bear shared a sense of ownership as they all strived to achieve excellence. Each individual battles their own hardships, but they invest into the family business like it is their own. “That’s what I see for South Dade. This is very much a family. So I want us to function in that same way, working towards a common goal, having shared leadership and striving towards excellence in all we do,” Britton said.
Like challenges that arise in the kitchen, they also come up in the classes that students take. South Dade offers rigorous courses to choose from, but this year students were encouraged to challenge themselves by taking courses they may not have previously considered. “I know a lot of students have Advanced Placement courses that they weren’t used to. I think that is a very important tenet of what we’re doing, making sure that students have opportunity. We have high expectations for them, so they develop high expectations for themselves,” Britton explained.
Humorously feeling that the newly encouraged courses might paint him out to be an overbearing principal, Britton shared a more personal side of himself. “I think it’s important that students know who I am and what makes me, me. A lot of students have adversity that they’re dealing with, and I dealt with a lot of adversity in my youth.” At age 10, Britton took on a bigger role and responsibility at home following the death of his father. Feeling he had to be the man of the house, Britton learned to traverse his own life all while lending support to his mother. Understanding that situations are not always as they seem, Britton carries this sense of responsibility with him to this day. “People don’t always make their needs known or share what they’re going through, so that’s something that I strive for. Trying to learn what people need and see how I can assist in whatever way possible.”
Britton isn’t only partial to shows like The Bear, or his other favorite, the reality cooking show, Top Chef. Being a father of two young girls, he derives great inspiration from a movie that is constantly playing at his house, Moana. He sees Moana’s journey as a powerful example for not only his daughters, but also the students at South Dade. “She [Moana] has such a lack of confidence in herself and became a leader and did amazing things throughout the course of the movie.” He describes a scene where she faces an unforeseen hardship, but is visited by the spirit of her grandmother, and realizes “‘No, I have gotten this far. I’ve done great things, and I’m capable of much more.’ It’s the realization that an everyday person can do these amazing things, and that you are called for greatness.”