Carter Paysinger grew up in what was once known as South Central Los Angeles. He attended his neighborhood schools through the 4th grade. At which time his mother moved he and his siblings into an elementary school in West Los Angeles. That move eventually allowed Carter to attend Beverly Hills High School. He graduated from Beverly in 1974. He went on to attend California State University Los Angeles where he earned a BS in Social Sciences and a minor in Physical Education. He earned a California Life Single Subject Teaching Credential and a few years later he earned a Masters in Education. Carter returned to Beverly in 1979 as a Baseball and Football coach. For over 36 years, he served the Beverly Hills Unified School District as a Coach, Teacher, Department Chairperson, Athletic Director, Assistant Principal and Principal. He was recognized by the Beverly Hills Unified School District as an Apple Award winner in 2003 for his success as a Teacher and again in 2013 as an Administrator. He was also recognized over the years by the City of Beverly Hills for a number of accomplishments.

In Carter’s first year as Principal, Beverly Hills High School recorded an unbelievable 34 points increase in its Academic Performance Index ranking and in the first 3 years, they posted the highest state test scores in the school’s history. During his tenure as Principal, programs such as Peer Tutoring and the Medical Science Academy were implemented. The Academic Decathlon team ranked in the top 5 in the country twice and at the same time, a number of other programs excelled to new heights including Journalism, Robotics and Culinary.

In addition to his work at Beverly, Carter has also enjoyed tremendous success in business. He has been a Real Estate Broker for more than 30 years, primarily investing in residential properties across the country and he was highly successful in a short stint in the Life Insurance Industry.

Carter is currently the President of the California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section. The CIF is the governing body that oversees all of athletics in the State of California. 

In 1991 and in 1996, Carter was named the Los Angeles Times Westside Football Coach of the Year. He was recognized with the Champions of Character Award by the CIF-SS in 2006 and he was named the California State Model Coach of the Year in 2007.

In November of 2014, Carter became a New York Times Best Selling Author with his book, "Where a Man Stands.” The book outlines his journey from growing up in South Central Los Angeles to becoming the Principal of Beverly Hills High School. It also highlights his uncanny ability to connect and motivate people from all walks of life.

Read More: Beverly Hills' Carter Paysinger has proved a mentor for all seasons