Meet the principals: The 2008 MetLife Foundation Ambassadors in Education award

3

Meet the PrincipalsThe 2008 MetLife Foundation Ambassadors in Education AwardMargaret Maccini has rarely been known to give upon a student, no matter how troubled. She has beenknown, however, to spend time finding lawyers,health service providers, housing, and even treat-ment centers, if necessary, to help a student of theBoston Day and Evening Academy get back ontrack. Colleagues have described her “unflaggingcommitment” to inner-city schools, to alternativeeducation, and to the students and staff under herleadership.

Maccini and the staff of the Boston Day andEvening Academy formed a partnership with thecity to turn a piece of land into an organic gardenwhere students plant, harvest, and donate vegetablesto families in need. A local café uses the vegeta-bles in a program to train students in culinary skills.

A local church was recruited to start a day care cen-ter for single parents. “Meg brings the communityto the school,” writes one colleague in a letter to theNational Civic League. “She also brings the schoolto the community,” creating an environment inwhich “staff and community members have a rela-tionship that extends beyond school walls.”

Maccini is one of twenty-five public school princi-pals across the United States to be recognized by the2008 MetLife Ambassadors in Education program,which celebrates exemplary educators who:

• Build partnerships with community organiza-tions, parents, and guardians

• Resolve conflicts and promote safety in theschool and the community

• Promote civic engagement and community service

The selection was the result of a nationwide searchinvolving thousands of students, parents, colleagues,

and community members, who nominated hundredsof educators for the award. All middle and highschool principals in twenty-five public school dis-tricts were eligible. Each school with an award win-ner received a $5,000 grant.

This year’s award winners distinguished themselvesin myriad ways. Some have turned around a failingschool by dint of their personal leadership qualities.Others have emphasized the educational benefits ofservice learning or civic engagement. Others havepioneered new programs or founded alternativeschools. All of these outstanding educators haveunderstood the power of collaborative leadership andthe importance of developing partnerships amongcommunity groups and local businesses.

“Principals play a crucial role in building family,school, and community relationships to encour-age successful teaching and learning,” said Sibyl Ja-cobson, president and CEO of MetLife Foundation.“The Ambassadors in Education Award recognizeseducators who are exceptional leaders in connectingschool and community.”

In addition to the $5,000 school grants, which areintended to help continue building community net-works, the educators will have their accomplish-ments profiled for use by schools and communitiesacross the country. They all will be recognized at anaward ceremony at their school, which includes acrystal apple to signify their special accomplishments.

“MetLife Foundation and the National CivicLeague started the Ambassadors in EducationAward program in 2003 after the MetLife Surveyof the American Teacher revealed a divide betweenmany educators and their schools’ communities,”said National Civic League President Gloria

B Y M I C H A E L M C G R AT H

© 2009 Wi ley Per iodicals , Inc .Publ ished onl ine in Wi ley InterScience (www.interscience.wi ley.com)

Nat ional Civ ic Review • DOI : 10.1002/ncr.228 • Winter 2008

4

Rubio-Cortes. “The program has now recognized115 Ambassadors in Education with a total ofmore than $500,000 in grants.”

MetLife Foundation supports programs thatincrease opportunities for young people to succeed,give students and teachers a voice in improving edu-cation, develop partnerships between schools andcommunities, and strengthen relationships amongparents, teachers, and students. The National CivicLeague, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization de-voted to community building and strengtheningdemocracy, administers the program.

The summaries given here of the outstanding effortsby these principals were gleaned from interviewswith the winners and from the nomination letterssent to the National Civic League by fellow educa-tors, parents, students, and members of the commu-nities they serve.

Atlanta, Georgia

Words like energy and optimism come to mindwhen describing principal Andre Williams. Beforehe assumed the position of principal, Coan MiddleSchool was on a downward path. The school failedto receive a passing grade from the state’s annualprogress targets eight years in a row. The PTA waspractically nonexistent and teacher morale was saidto be at an all-time low.

Williams forged partnerships with local churchesand nonprofit organizations to develop new men-

toring, tutoring, and anger management programsfor the students. He gave the school a “facelift,”decorating the halls with warm and welcominghues. He also fostered a spirit of collaboration andprofessionalism with the staff. “Andre Williams rec-ognizes the value of community support and knowshow to make it work for the school environment,”writes Coan teacher Lisa Whittington.

In recent years, the middle school has shaken off anegative reputation with improvements in studentbehavior and academic performance, higher partici-pation in after-school programs, and a new libraryprogram to encourage kids to read for pleasure.Students from other parts of the city are now seek-ing permission to attend Coan, which has met orexceeded annual performance targets three years ina row.

Baltimore, Maryland

Renaissance Academy Principal Karl E. Perryrecruited local artists to create a school arts club.Community volunteers work as substitute teachers.The school building has become a meeting place forlocal clubs and organizations. Representatives of thestate department of health visit every Friday to dis-cuss community issues with the students. Studentsare dismissed three hours early on Fridays to dowork in the community.

The school is located in the ZIP Code with the high-est incidence of AIDS/HIV in the city, so principalPerry organized a community coalition to fight the disease. He also formed a partnership with theJuvenile Crime Prevention Program that promotesgood citizenship and teaches the importance of edu-cation and social etiquette. In recent years,Renaissance Academy students have placed first andthird in citywide debate competitions. School partnerships include One World Community After-School Program, Young Executive After-SchoolProgram, Outward Bound, and Financial LiteracyWorkshops.

National Civ ic Review DOI : 10.1002/ncr Winter 2008

“Principals play a crucial role in building fam-ily, school, and community relationships toencourage successful teaching and learning.”

— S I B Y L J A C O B S O N , P R E S I D E N T A N D C E O O F M E T L I F E

F O U N D AT I O N

5

Boston, Massachusetts

The Boston Day and Evening Academy (BDEA) isknown as a “last chance” school. Its three hundredstudents come mostly from low-income, inner-cityneighborhoods and have experienced problems suc-ceeding in traditional school settings.

“Talk about ‘no child left behind,’” says formerheadmaster Margaret Maccini, a Harvard andUniversity of Massachusetts trained educator.“These kids have been left behind in every way byevery possible institution. We have our share of fail-ures, but one thing I’m extremely proud of is thedoors are always open. They can always comeback.”

BDEA is actually three schools in one: a day pro-gram, a night program, and a distance learning program for students who can attend school only afew days a week. Four years ago, Maccini guidedwhat started in 1995 as a small evening program foroverage students into a comprehensive, twelve-hour-a-day school.

BDEA doesn’t assign grade levels, thus avoiding a source of embarrassment for students who havebeen held back a year or two. “A lot of them have failing grades because of poor attendance,”says the former headmaster. “That doesn’t really tellus what they can do. That just tells us that eitherbecause they were homeless, or had family prob-lems, or were not morning people, or just were dis-enfranchised from the school, so they were not ableto attend school enough.”

Earlier this year, Maccini announced that she wouldbe leaving the academy to enroll in a doctoral pro-gram in education and social justice at theUniversity of Massachusetts. The move was part ofher desire to join a “national conversation” on alter-native education. “My ultimate dream is to open alab school attached to a university that servesSpringfield and Holyoke [Massachusetts] studentswho are over age for grade level who want a high

school diploma and want to have lots of differentopportunities in both colleges and experiences inworkplaces,” she says.

Leaving the academy has not been easy for Maccini.“I’ve never worked with such a talented and creativestaff, and the kids are magic,” she says. “All theyneed is a place where they can become who they are.And when you have kids like that, who have everyreason not to trust and are open to give it one morechance, it’s such an honor to be part of it.”

Charlotte, North Carolina

McClintock Middle School is an “at risk” schoolwith 723 students of whom about 75 percent qual-ify for free or reduced-price lunches. When PamelaEspinosa took over as principal, she created aMcClintock Partners in Education Program to offeracademic enrichment opportunities for students andtheir families and to increase community involve-ment in the school. About three hundred membersof the Christ Lutheran Church volunteer for the pro-gram, which includes a weekly family night, tutor-ing, and summer programs for the kids. Espinosaformed a partnership with Central PiedmontCommunity College to offer classes in English as asecond language during family night and will soonhave a GED program. She has also partnered with


“A lot of them have failing grades because ofpoor attendance,” says the former headmaster.“That doesn’t really tell us what they can do.That just tells us that either because they werehomeless, or had family problems, or were notmorning people, or just were disenfranchisedfrom the school, so they were not able to attendschool enough.”

— M A R G A R E T M A C C I N I , F O R M E R H E A D M A S T E R ,

B O S T O N D AY A N D E V E N I N G A C A D E M Y

6

Junior Achievement to bring in volunteers who men-tor the students and develop their job skills. Theschool’s Parent University program holds a hot dogdinner for families every Tuesday night, followed byseminars for parents on topics ranging from nutri-tion to resume writing to budgeting and finance.

Chicago, Illinois

Principal Phylis Hammond has been known to godoor-to-door in the neighborhoods and commer-cial districts around the Tilden Career CommunityAcademy in Chicago to introduce herself and talkabout what’s going on at the school.

She has also worked hard to build the relationshipbetween the school and parents, hiring a full-timeliaison to develop workshops and organize familyactivities. “She continually seeks methods to connectour students, faculty, and parents to the worldaround them and beyond,” writes school counselorHope Bailey, who nominated the principal for theaward. “Her unrelenting efforts are an inspiration tous all.”

Edward Talbot, chair of the science department,notes that it was principal Hammond’s collaborativeoutreach efforts that helped Tilden get accepted inthe highly selective Bill and Melinda Gates Trans-formation Program, an effort to reduce the dropoutrate by motivating freshmen to find an active inter-est in school.

Dallas, Texas

Kyle Richardson believes the Marsh Middle Schoolshould be a “focal point” for the community. Heencourages after-hours events such as Family Mathand Science Night and Family Reading and SocialStudies Night. Parents and other family memberscome to the school for learning activities. Two yearsago, the district decided to bring in sixth graders,and Richardson is said to have handled the transi-tion “masterfully.” The principal partnered with the

local YMCA to create sports activities for the new-comers. In turn, the YMCA gets the use of schoolplaying fields on weekends for their programs. He isworking to enlist neighborhood businesses to spon-sor school events. “The momentum is definitelybuilding,” says parent Susie McMinn. “The trans-formation of our school into a neighborhood schoolhas begun and Mr. Richardson welcomes the in-volvement of all the parents in the process. Wewould follow him anywhere.”

Dayton, Ohio

Principal Czerny Buxton has an innovative ap-proach to preparing students for proficiency tests atthe Jefferson Magnet School. She enlisted the aid ofa local church to donate turkeys for a “How toPrepare a Proficiency Turkey Day,” which gave stu-dents hands-on training in math skills, reading,cooperative learning, and teamwork. “She is a greatmotivator and mentor,” writes teacher MargaretPeters. “She uses her extraordinary interpersonalskills to involve parents and other members of thecommunity through long-term projects.”

She has organized after-school programs to im-prove reading comprehension. She helped start adistrictwide ballroom dancing contest for seventhand eighth graders. “You never know what it’sgoing to be that’s going to make the difference inthat child’s life,” Buxton told a Dayton DailyNews reporter recently. “One person might havefootball, another basketball, but for some of theseit’s ballroom dancing.”

Denver, Colorado

The Denver Center for International Studies is asixth grade through high school program thatfocuses on foreign languages and exploring the cul-tures and histories of other countries.

The school puts emphasis on service learning andinvolvement with outside organizations, especially


7

those that have an international focus. “We reallywant the students to be activists,” says PrincipalDaniel Lutz. “We want them to be learning first-hand from people that are involved in the interna-tional arena. All of our students are required toparticipate in service projects.”

Lutz’s interest in international learning programsgoes back to the 1970s when he served as a PeaceCorps volunteer in Afghanistan. “Every day I felt Iwas learning something new,” recalls Lutz. “Thefeeling of learning how to adapt and seeing thingsfrom another cultural perspective was a really richexperience. I felt like I wanted to do something withinternational education in public schools.”

His chance came in the mid-1980s when the Denverdistrict created a committee to evaluate ideas for newmagnet programs that would encourage voluntarydesegregation of students. The idea was to build aprogram to focus on international studies, whichwould give students an edge in an increasingly com-petitive global marketplace. Two years ago, theDenver Center for International Studies moved fromits headquarters at West High School to its own cam-pus. Now students begin the program in sixth gradeand continue through the senior year in high school.

The new configuration has a number of advan-tages. Students are encouraged to pick one of fivelanguages—Spanish, French, Italian, Japanese, orChinese—and stick with it for six years. They canalso immerse themselves more in the cultures andissues of the countries they are studying.

“The philosophy of the program is to open kids’ hori-zons, both figuratively and literally,” says Lutz.“Having a focus that drives the school and givesvision to the faculty and parents about what theschool is about really does help to pull other academicareas in. As a result our kids do very well. The rigoris intense and some kids chose not to stay, but wehave an academic contract process, so we work withstudents and families to help the students pull it out.”

The school’s heavy emphasis on reading and writingseems to have paid off. Of the last two graduatingclasses, 100 percent of students were accepted at acollege or university. “It’s not for everybody,” notesLutz, who is proud of the fact that the student bodyis socially and ethnically diverse. “There’s an admis-sion process that is not mainly telling kids you can’tcome here, but helping kids and their families see ifthis is a match for their interests.”

“The school has close to twenty partnerships thatoffer students a wide range of opportunities, fromhealthy living initiatives, immersion service trips toIndia, college preparation, service learning projectsin the local community, and scholarships to hearworld-renowned speakers talk about global issues toexchanges to China and Mongolia,” writes KateFarmer, the school community relations director.

Lutz is quick to point out that the award is not justfor him but for the entire school. He attributes thesuccess of the program to three things: an excellentfaculty, partnerships in the community, and empha-sis on service and involvement in the communityand with the world at large.

Des Moines, Iowa

Before Spence Evans became principal of Amos HiattMiddle School, attendance was dropping and therewere serious morale problems among students andfaculty. “It is amazing to me how much Mr. Evanshas been able to accomplish in a short time,” writesteacher Jenie Olson. “He has completely turned ourschool around.” He makes it a point to visit thefeeder primary schools every year to welcome newstudents who will be coming to Amos Hiatt MiddleSchool. He brings in local artists to work with thekids on murals at the school. He worked with a localchurch to start a “safe village” after-school program.One-to-one tutoring is offered at a local college. Heinvites nationally known authors and motivationalspeakers to address the students. One of his moreinnovative efforts was to contact the local county


8

attorney’s office to work with the school on an earlyintervention program for possible juvenile offendersand to discourage truancy violations. Staffers fromthe county office work with the school to mediatedifficult situations as they arise. He also brings inparents, counselors, social workers, and therapists toaddress problems facing his students and their fami-lies. “Under Mr. Evans’s leadership, his program ofearly interventions has thrived as student disagree-ments are now handled at the school and only thosemost serious matters get referred for charges,” saysCory McClure, who works in the county attorney’soffice. “His enthusiasm, integrity, professionalism,and approach separate him from many in his field.”

Detroit, Michigan

Principal Linda Spight worked with the Neighbor-hood United Community Block Association andnearby Marygrove College to develop an innovativealternative for students who are suspended from theschool for up to five days. Instead of sending themhome or cooping them up in an in-school suspensionroom, she sends them to a leadership developmenttraining program housed at the college. “We see it asan opportunity to make corrections in their behav-ior,” says Spight, who has been principal at Mum-ford High since 1996. “Some students wanted to goback even though they hadn’t been suspended.”Violence at the school has been reduced, and stu-dents have improved academically and sociallybecause of the skills they learned.

The program has led to increased cooperationbetween the school and college. Spight worksactively with community groups and parents to usethe school for meetings and trainings. She plans touse the grant from the MetLife Foundation Ambas-sadors in Education award to help overcome thedigital divide by giving parents training in comput-ers and technology. “We’re trying to help parentswho don’t really know how to use the technologythat’s available to them,” says Spight. “We are goingto let them use computer labs for job searches andother things and help their children achieve.”

With the city having to close two area recrea-tion centers, the school’s open-door policy to thesurrounding community has been an importantresource.

Fort Worth, Texas

Principal Gary Braudaway has fostered a strongrelationship with parents, the community, and for-mer students of Polytechnic High School. He starteda Parental Involvement Initiative, a tutoring pro-gram, and a number of successful partnerships withlocal colleges and businesses. He also encourages useof the school building for after-hours communitymeetings and political forums. He involves alumni inschool improvement efforts, meeting with themevery month to inform them of news of the school.These relationships resulted in a grant for an after-school tutoring program. “Mr. Braudaway fosterswhat has come to be known as the ‘Poly Spirit,’”notes teacher Wendy Coleman. “It is not one thing,but rather a combination of integrity, hope, charac-ter, pride, perseverance, and faith.” At the beginningof the year, Braudaway gave all of the faculty wrist-bands that said “The difference is me.” Fellow edu-cators say the reputation of the school is improving,along with its test scores.

Greenville County, South Carolina

Three years ago, veteran educator Brodie Brickercame out of retirement at the request of the countyschools superintendent to help turn around a strug-gling, at-risk middle school. With declining testscores, reduced attendance, and high poverty, theschool became the focus of a heated communitydebate: whether to keep the old building or con-struct a new one in a location more central to localdevelopment patterns.

Today, the Beck Academy has a waiting list for itsInternational Baccalaureate magnet program, and somany students that the district has had to put uptemporary buildings. “Dr. Brodie Bricker’s leader-ship has brought Beck back from a reputation of one


9

of the least regarded middle schools in Greenville toone of the most desirable,” writes educator RoyanneMcWaters-Baer.

Adopting the slogan “Beck to the Future,” PrincipalBricker worked with parents, faculty members, thePTA, and community to improve the school. “Wejust kind of went in and rallied the troops,” saysBricker. “My focus right away was discipline andquality instruction and a positive school environ-ment. One of the things I had to do was change theimage. People thought it was a bad school, and thatwas not the case.”

He enforced a strict dress code, making all studentswear collared shirts and belts and found businesssponsors to help families who couldn’t afford to buynew outfits for their kids.

Today the school has tutoring and mentoring rela-tionships with Fluor Daniel, Clemson University,and Furman University. High-achieving studentsreceive awards sponsored by local business. Goodattendance wins students gift certificates at arearestaurants. In return, the principal encourages par-ents to patronize businesses that support the school.

The end result is that Beck has moved up two levelson their overall ratings on the state education reportcard. Disciplinary referrals are down, and the stu-dent enrollment increased from a low of 537 to ahigh of 890 students.

With a new image and better student performance,Beck is now considered a desirable school to attend,but Bricker isn’t satisfied. “You keep on trying,” hesays. “You keep on raising the bar, because in the racefor quality, there is no finish line, so what we’re look-ing for now is to think about the next level, which isthat we can be looked at as a blue ribbon school.”

Having once retired, Bricker now says he’ll stay aslong as the PTA, faculty, and superintendent wanthim there. “I just told my teachers this year, youknow, ‘Forty years ago today I was sitting at a meet-

ing just like you, and I get excited every year,because in education we have an opportunity tostart over and do it better. We get a new group ofstudents and we get new energy, and we have achance to be a positive role model.’”

Hartford, Connecticut

Since joining the Kinsella Magnet School ofPerforming Arts as principal in 2003, PamelaTotten-Alvarado has built relationships with busi-nesses, community organizations, local colleges, andarts groups, including a partnership with NortheastUtilities to run a comprehensive after-school tutor-ing and mentoring program for kindergartenthrough third grade. Five AmeriCorps tutors workwith students to increase their achievement level.Thanks to a partnership with the University ofConnecticut, forty education majors volunteerweekly to tutor students in math and literacy. Otherjoint ventures with businesses and communityorganizations have been undertaken to improveteaching strategies, improve instructional materialsfor the students, and offer cultural opportunities.She also worked with the United Way to hold ayearly Day of Caring event at the school. Local busi-nesses spend one day a year at the school plantingtrees and flowers, and cleaning up the yard. “Overthe past four years, I’ve seen an amazing differencein the students at Kinsella,” writes educator LynnVasquez, who notes an increase in student perfor-mance in reading and math.

Long Beach, California

Wilson High School students have to serve a mini-mum of forty hours’ community service as a require-ment of graduation, a requirement Principal LewKerns enthusiastically supports, constantly remind-ing students to do their hours and turn in theirreports.

“Lew has been an active leader in promoting theintegration of service learning into the curriculum,”writes teacher Marty Axelson, the Wilson Service


10

Learning Coordinator. “As an example, our marinebiology students go down to the local lagoon, notjust to do a clean-up. They collect trash in a scien-tific manner, do an analysis of the trash, determinethe sources of the trash, develop plans for reduc-ing the trash, and finally present their plans in anumber of settings.”

Wilson students teach younger kids at an elementaryschool through the Future Teachers Class. Musicstudents go to a nearby middle school to teach gui-tar. Students volunteer at local hospitals, the RedCross, and the Aquarium of the Pacific, and theyraise money for the poor.

“Under Kerns’s leadership, students learn firsthandwhat an important effect they have on the city,”notes Wilson teacher Devon Day. “By workingtogether with mentors from the community, amaz-ing good has transpired. One student, Era Hull, hasdonated more than fifteen hundred volunteer hoursto the community.”

One student founded a service organization calledthe Patily Project and raised money for a localwomen’s shelter by making jewelry and selling it.

The principal is also an active member of the com-munity. He attends meetings of the RecreationPark Neighborhood Association and has workedwith students to deal with issues such as littering,trespassing, graffiti, and other concerns. Hehelped organize an Earth Day for the city of LongBeach, encouraging students to volunteer for theevent.

Los Angeles, California

Two years ago, Linda Calvo was asked to be theprincipal of a new school in Arleta, California. Aformer principal at Sylmar High, she held severalmeetings to assess the needs of the community. Sheworked with community stakeholders to come upwith the school’s name, colors, and mascot.

For instance, she worked with L.A. Mission Collegeto establish Arleta High School’s early college pro-gram, which offers high school students the chanceto earn college credit and possibly an A.A. degreebefore graduating. She has worked with local community agencies and the city attorney’s office toestablish a network of intervention and services to support student attendance and public safety. Sheorganized advisory committees consisting of par-ents, students, and community members to buildsupport for school programs.

The school is divided into three themed, small learn-ing communities. Under the principal’s leadership,the academic teams were in place to develop the cur-riculum a year before the school opened. “There is atremendous feeling of pride in this school,” writesDouglas Wilkin, who chairs the Arleta sciencedepartment, “from the community, from the stu-dents, from the parents, and from the faculty.”

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Anwatin Middle School Principal Beth Russellhelped develop the Read I Win! summer readingprogram in partnership with the mayor’s office,city libraries, the parks and recreation department,and local businesses. “It is a model for whatschools and other community agencies can dowhen they work together to benefit all of our chil-dren,” writes Lee Galda, a professor at the Univer-sity of Minnesota. Russell also fostered thepeaceful solutions program. The school has devel-oped a strong antibullying curriculum. A group ofstudents has agreed to volunteer in a Stop theViolence program, working on ideas to reduce vio-lence in their neighborhoods.

Russell also encourages Anwatin students to takean active role in community service projects. Whatstarted as a hunger awareness program in theschool’s developmentally and cognitively delayed(DCD) program developed into a full-scale seventhgrade Empty Bowls project. Students donate clay


11

bowls to sell to the community to raise money forthe Branch One Food Shelf in Minneapolis. Seventhgrade media and technology students researchedhunger and created informational brochures to be handed out with the bowls. Another group of students created a PowerPoint presentation thatwas shown before a band concert. DCD studentswrapped up the bowls and helped to distributethem.

New York, New York

The Cypress Hills Community School (CHCS) is aunique, parent-governed partnership between theschool district and a local community developmentcorporation in a low income, high-crime section ofBrooklyn.

“The school grew out of parent anger and frustra-tion with the overcrowded public schools that hadtracked Latino children into failing bilingual educa-tion programs and relegated parent input to bakesales and raffles,” writes Michelle Neugebauer, exec-utive director of the Cypress Hills Local Develop-ment Corporation. “In hiring our founding faculty,we sought fellow visionaries and progressive educa-tors, who were not afraid to share power and trynew approaches.”

Irene Leon was just that sort of educator. A gradu-ate of Amherst College, she earned a master’s degreein bilingual education before joining the PeaceCorps to do environmental education in Panama.Returning to the United States, she went to work atthe community school. After a hiatus as an assistantprincipal at another local school, she returned toCypress as the principal.

At CHCS, parents are involved in hiring, curriculumdecisions, and tracking student achievement at theschool. Irene Leon has worked well with herparental co-directors in making the school a success.The local development corporation takes an activerole on the school leadership team and runs a

Beacon after-school program, staffed with a Spanishspeaking teacher for students and offering Englishlanguage workshops for parents.

Leon has helped turn her school into a communitylaboratory for learning by capitalizing on resourcesin the neighborhood. The school has developed acommunity garden and worked with the BrooklynCenter for the Urban Environment to study localhistory and architecture. Students participate in anannual Penny Harvest to learn about civic responsi-bility and philanthropy.

A partnership with the Morningside Center forTeaching Responsibility is helping students learnabout peer mediation and how to resolve conflictsmore creatively. Although the school itself doesn’thave a big problem with discipline and violence, thesurrounding area has some of the highest crime sta-tistics in the city.

“One of the unique things about the school is thatwe have a co-directorship model,” says Leon, whoshares leadership duties with a parent, co-directorMaria Jaya-Vega. “Maria and I have known eachother for ten years, and we have a similar vision. Weboth are focused on one goal and we work togetherwonderfully.”

Though it may seem an unusual arrangement, theco-directorship seems to be working. Last year, theschool (with a student population that is about 80percent low-income) received an A grade from theNew York district’s annual report card.

Leon attributes her success at Cypress Hills to threefactors: the power of a grassroots movement, theimportance of parental involvement (not just run-ning bake sales), and the power of collaboration.“It’s vital,” she says. “Our students have shownprogress academically because of our strong collab-oration with families. The students trust us and seeus as an extension of their homes, and so I thinkthey are more motivated to learn.”


12

Oakland, California

Frick Middle School is a safe haven for students andtheir families in one of the city’s most crime-riddenareas. Principal Jerome Gourdine has organizedcomputer training for parents and holds monthlycoffee get-togethers so parents can meet regularlyand talk informally about the school. He has estab-lished links to community organizations, includ-ing the county mental health service agency, theLawrence Hall of Science, and several mentoringgroups. Through a partnership with California GearUp, he has offered parenting seminars in English andSpanish to help parents foster a “college bound cul-ture” for their children. “Mr. Gourdine has done atremendous job in building partnerships with com-munity organizations, parents and guardians,”writes Christopher Dobbins, an Oakland SchoolBoard director.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Edward Koch is described by one teacher as a“dynamic, creative, confident, and committedleader.” He has helped make Fairhill School one ofthe best in inner-city Philadelphia. He formed a part-nership with Congresso, a community-based orga-nization for families that need truancy intervention,maternal and child health programs, and HIV/AIDSservices. The school partners with Teach ForAmerica to run a six-week summer enrichment pro-gram. The school is located in an area of the citywith a 95 percent poverty level. “One only has tospend a few hours at this school to see that this man is a strong leader,” writes Sue Serio, a weatheranchor at a local news station, who visited theschool on numerous occasions. “He has clearlymanaged to take limited resources and managethem.” The school is participating in a statewidepilot program called the Pennsylvania AchievementGap Effort. Since 2003, Fairhill increased profi-ciency in reading by 47 percent at the fifth gradelevel. For eighth graders proficiency increased by 33percent. In math, the number of proficient eighthgraders increased by 54 percent during the same

period. Ronald Steinbrook, a coordinator for thestatewide program, praises the school for its “exem-plary performance.”

Saint Louis, Missouri

Mel Carnahan Middle School was once plagued byproblems such as student violence and vandalism.Police were regular visitors to the school, and atten-dance was a dismal 50 percent. Neighborhoodgroups wanted to close the school and turn it into acommunity center. The middle school was insteadconverted into Mel Carnahan High School of theFuture. Alice Roach was selected to head up a part-nership between the St. Louis school district andDell, AT&T, and the University of Missouri. Theplan was to open a new-concept high school thatwould incorporate the latest technology to involvestudents, parents, and the surrounding communityinto a “cohesive community of learners.” The goalis ambitious: 100 percent graduation and 100 per-cent acceptance at institutions of higher learning.“With essentially the same student population,”writes educator Lee Beasley, “she counseled ratherthan punished, coached rather than scolded, and ef-fectively raised the level of student, parent, and com-munity involvement.” Attendance grew to 95percent and performance is on the rise, thanks inpart to the leadership of Alice Roach.

San Antonio, Texas

To reach out to the community, Linda Marsh organ-ized supper meetings in the school’s common area,allowing working parents to meet with teachers,counselors, college representatives, administrators,and neighbors of the school. Topics of discussionincluded student performance, graduation require-ments and college requirements, and financial aidopportunities. The principal has personally takenstudents on tours of East Coast colleges. More andmore students are attending top-tier universities. In2007, 86 percent of the graduating senior class wasenrolled in a two- or four-year college. Brackenridge


13

High has been listed by Newsweek as one of the topfive hundred high schools in the nation. The CollegeBoard recognized the school with its InspirationAward for efforts to promote equity in access tohigher education. Marsh has also worked with localneighborhood and community organizations tooffer scholarships for Brackenridge students to at-tend local community colleges.

San Francisco, California

“Elizabeth Rood has been a leader in supportingand institutionalizing Leadership High School’scommitment to connecting students to lead andlearning to serve,” writes David Donahue, an asso-ciate professor of education at Mills College. Eachstudent performs thirty-five hours of communityservice per year. During junior year, students pickprojects on the basis of a particular community issueand perform community service in ways thataddress the issue. Principal Rood created a commu-nity outreach program consisting of six school andcommunity leaders. The team develops relationshipswith churches, youth organizations, civic groups,health care providers, libraries, and other schools tocreate a network of support for students. This year,Rood developed a Family Meetings program inwhich every school family met with its students andstudent advisor to develop a plan for how to sup-port academic success. In February 2008, the schoolwas recognized by the School Redesign Network at Stanford University as one of five urban highschools that graduate low-income students at ahigher-than-average rate and send 80 percent ofgraduates to college.

Tampa, Florida

Robert Heilmann is a dedicated principal who leadsa school that maintains a rating of A according tothe state’s school accountability program. He hasalso been a strong partner with local charities andhealth organizations. The local chapter of theAmerican Cancer Society’s Relay for Life fundrais-

ing event is hosted at Riverview High School.Tiffany Oestreicher of the American Cancer Societywrites that the principal has been instrumental in uniting the school in the Riverview community inthe fight against cancer. The school also hosts anannual blood drive. “Not only does Mr. Heilmannwelcome a total of twelve noisy bloodmobiles toRiverview School grounds,” writes Debbie Jones,the community relations coordinator for the non-profit Florida Blood Services, “he is the first in lineto donate each drive.” The Greater RiverviewChamber of Commerce holds its biggest communityevent at the school, an annual Trick or Treat Street,a safe Halloween event for young people. Heilmannleads the Hillsborough County School District’sSenior High Principal Council. He has also partici-pated in planning a road-widening project near thehigh school. One example of Heilmann’s dedica-tion to helping communities was when he drove atruck to New Orleans to deliver supplies that hehelped collect for victims of Hurricane Katrina.“Bob Heilmann is a principal with principle,” notesa colleague. “He sets an example for all to follow.”

Tulsa, Oklahoma

Daniel Webster High School Principal Phil Garland,writes Tulsa Board of Education President GaryPercefull, “exemplifies the outstanding characteris-tics of a high-performing school community leader.”Since taking the reins in 2004, he helped “transformboth the Webster school community and the com-munity surrounding the school by actively encour-aging collaborations between the two.” He is anactive member of a variety of community improve-ment efforts. He is on the board of directors of theRed Fork Main Street project, which sees economicrevitalization and historic preservation in theschool’s area of the city. He also serves on the South-west Tulsa Chamber of Commerce board of dir-ectors and is a member of the Southwest TulsaPlanning Committee. He worked with theSouthwest Education Initiative to set up a VisionWest Block Party to build relationships between


14

local schools and the public to reverse decliningenrollment patterns in local public schools.

Washington, D.C.

Because of Hardy Middle School’s reputation forsafety and academic excellence, students attendfrom all over the city. Principal Patrick Pope hasmade outreach to parents a priority, with automatedphone calls, newsletters, items on the school’sWebsite, and fliers. Pope’s “frequent communica-tions with parents and guardians help to foster acloser sense of community at Hardy,” writes parentand PTA President Charlotte Brookins-Hudson.Focusing on the importance of the arts as a means ofadvancing student achievement, Pope looks for new

ways to expose the wider community to the musicand artistic talents of his students. He has developeda relationship with the Duke Ellington School of theArts to prepare his students to apply for entrance inthe school. Students have made visits to senior citi-zens homes to perform music. He organized anannual musical showcase featuring student musi-cians and dancers from all of the secondary schoolsin Hardy’s cluster. All Washington, D.C., publicschool teachers, administrators, and parents areinvited to attend. He also formed a partnership withthe Washington Performing Arts Society to pilot ajazz curriculum for middle school students.

Michael McGrath is the editor of National Civic Review.


Documents

Meet the principals: The 2008 MetLife Foundation Ambassadors in Education award