Program, Year
School of Education
September 1, 2011
Principal Kevin Rafferty works with teachers, students, and parents on three big ideas: ensuring that students learn, building a culture of collaboration, and focusing on results.
Kevin Rafferty, Ed.D., has nurtured connections with UC Irvine for 35 years — from his days as an undergrad student to the present — with many years working with fabulous UCI student teachers as they gain experience helping students to learn at the elementary school where he serves as principal.
Dr. Rafferty is principal at Newport-Mesa Unified School District’s first-ever magnet school, Davis Magnet School (PreK-Grade 6). With a special focus on science, math, and technology, Davis Magnet is recognized as one of the top ten schools in Orange County (Orange County Register, October 14, 2010). As Dr. Rafferty explains, “ We have orchestrated an incredibly successful school, where the teachers, parents, students and community are excited about all the great learning possibilities!”
Davis Magnet School is the third new school Dr. Rafferty has opened as principal. Beginning his 16th year as an elementary school principal, Dr. Rafferty came to the Newport-Mesa Unified School District from Capistrano Unified. He opened the brand-new Oak Grove Elementary School in Aliso Viejo in 1996. Five years later, in 2001, he opened the brand-new Chaparral Elementary School in Ladera Ranch. As learning leaders, Rafferty’s schools have earned “California Distinguished School” awards in 2000, 2004, and 2008.
Actively implementing best practices of Professional Learning Communities (PLC), Dr. Rafferty works with the teachers, students, and parents on three big ideas: ensuring that students learn, building a culture of collaboration, and focusing on results.
I work with my staff to creatively find collaboration time during the contractual workday and provide a structure for the effective and efficient function of the PLC while fostering teacher teamwork and collaboration, with the ultimate goal of constantly improving student learning.
Dr. Rafferty began his educational career in Capistrano Unified School District as a classroom teacher in 1989. He attended the Principals’ Center at the Harvard Graduate School of Education in 2002. In 2004, he was recognized as “Educator of the Year” by the State of California’s Early Intervention for School Success program. He earned his Ed.D. in educational leadership at the University of Southern California.
As an undergraduate at UC Irvine, Kevin Rafferty was an engaged student.
I love ice hockey. I played three seasons with the UCI Anteater Ice Hockey Club (1976-77, 1977-78, and 1978-79). I also broadcast many UCI Anteater basketball and baseball games on KUCI radio from 1977-79 and volunteered as a rock’n’roll disc jockey at KUCI.
After graduation from college, Rafferty worked for seven years in radio and cable TV doing sports play-by-play for the California Angels minor league baseball team (Redwood Pioneers), Sonoma State University, and Cal Poly Pomona college football, plus many high school varsity sports programs in football, basketball, and baseball.
Rafferty’s hobbies include reading the Bible and playing table hockey. Dr. Rafferty is currently the #5-ranked table hockey player in the USA according to the International Table Hockey Federation. He regularly travels to table hockey tournaments in Chicago, Detroit, Edmonton, and Las Vegas, and hosts an annual tournament in Costa Mesa as part of the North American Stiga Table Hockey Tour.
(For those who are interested, the Costa Mesa tournament will be held Saturday, January 14, 2012: United States Stiga Shootout Table Hockey Championship. Players of all skill levels, including beginners, are welcome to play. Players are grouped by ability/performance level. All participants receive trophies. More information is available at: tablehockeyrocks.com/8.html)
Even Dr. Rafferty’s favorite quotations are indicative of his engagement with sports and learning and reflect his positive, encouraging approach to life:
We do not stop playing because we grow old;
We grow old because we stop playing. (Benjamin Franklin)
You will miss 100% of the shots you never take. (Wayne Gretzky)
Born and raised in the Chicago area, Rafferty is a die-hard Cubs fan. He explains:
It would be a dream-come-true to live long enough to actually see the Cubs win the World Series. The last time the Cubs won the World Series was 1908!
Rafferty and his wife Jennifer have three children. Sean will attend Arizona State University as a freshman this fall. In high school, Brian will be a junior and Molly will be a freshman at San Juan Hills this fall.