Dr. Hurst moved to Oceanside in 1982, as a young Marine assigned to Communications Company, Headquarters Battalion, 1st Marine Division, where he served for approximately five years as a communications operator and communications instructor. Dr. Hurst remained in the United States Marine Corps (USMC) for eleven years, with assignments that which included two years assigned to the 1stMarine Aircraft Wing in Okinawa, Japan, three years as a drill instructor at Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego, California, and one year participating in Desert Storm.
In 1993, Dr. Hurst transitioned from the USMC to education to pursue his lifelong dream of becoming a mathematics teacher. He returned to school to pursue his degree in January 1994, and graduated with his B.S. in mathematics, from California State University, San Marcos in 1998. Dr. Hurst continued his education, earning his Masters Degree in Education Administration from California State University, San Marcos, California, and earning his Doctoral Degree in K-12 Educational Leadership from the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California.
In 1998, Dr. Hurst began his teaching career with the Poway Unified School District teaching Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2, Introduction to Computer Programming, and Advanced Placement Computer Science (C++). While teaching at Mt. Carmel and Poway High Schools, Dr. Hurst engaged in several life changing conversations with principal, Scott Fisher, leading to Dr. Hurst beginning his “leadership journey” in education, as a Teacher on Special Assignment, Attendance Coordinator.
In 2002, Dr. Hurst was selected by the superintendent of Poway Unified School District and Principal Jerry Lenninger, to open Westview High School. Westview was designed to be an innovative and more non-traditional high school than the other high schools within Poway.
In 2004, Dr. Hurst participated in one of the largest reform efforts in the state of California. This reform effort consisted of closing a large failing, comprehensive high school, and redesigning and re-opening it to be four small thematic high schools. He was hired by the San Diego Unified School District, as the principal of Community Health and Medical Practices (CHAMPs) at Crawford Educational Complex.
In 2008, Dr. Hurst came back to the community of which he has been part of for 29 years, and was hired by the Oceanside Unified School District as an assistant principal at El Camino High School. Two years later, he was assigned as the principal of Jefferson Middle School and in 2011 was appointed to be the principal of Oceanside High School. Dr. Hurst states that he is humbled to have the opportunity to serve a community and school with so much honor and pride, and looks forward to collaborating with stakeholders in creating a school that will most benefit our students.
Dr. Hurst married his wife Crystal in 1982, and has two phenomenal children, Taffiney Lashonda (a graduate of Oceanside High and UCSD) and Kenneth Jr. (a graduate of El Camino High and Long Beach State).
