About Mark Balch
Mark Balch is an experienced high school administrator who has served in various leadership roles throughout his 29 years in education, 23 of which have been in administration. His educational leadership experience is at the school site and district levels, focusing on promoting student well-being, academic success, and social-emotional growth through community engagement and instructional change.
In 2023, Mark became the Director of New Teacher and Migrant Support in the Kern High School District (KHSD) in Bakersfield, California. KHSD is the state’s largest K-12 District, serving more than 43,000 students.
He received his doctorate in Organizational Leadership from the University of La Verne, his master’s in Educational Administration from California State University (CSU) Bakersfield, and his bachelor’s in History from The Master’s College, Newhall.
Mark Balch is trusted to lead various schools at nearly all levels within the Kern High School District. In his leadership role, he has managed budgets of millions of dollars and written grants for millions of dollars in funding.
The Kern High Teacher Residency program, a collaborative with CSU Bakersfield that provides new teacher support, has become one of the largest residencies statewide under his leadership. As Director, Mark oversaw the program’s 100% growth to 40 teachers and 40 mentors for 2024-2025.
Also, under Mark’s leadership, KHSD’s Kern High Induction Program was recently recognized with full certification for seven years. Its Migrant Support program boasts a graduation rate of greater than 98% and serves more than 200 students and parents biweekly through Saturday academies.
He is also a member of the KHSD Joint Committee, which comprises three California Teachers’ Association members and three KHSD administrators. He focuses on mentoring teachers and providing professional development.
Before working as Director at the KHSD, Mark Balch was the principal at his alma mater, North High School, in Bakersfield. His son also attended and graduated from North High School during Mark’s tenure. The school has a student enrollment of 2,200.
from the blog