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What has your journey been like to your current position as Principal at Friendship Collegiate?
I started out as a history teacher at Frederick Douglass in Harlem. After that, I was accepted into New Leaders for New Schools. My first job as an administrator was assistant principal in the South Bronx at Eagle Academy. I was tasked with changing the culture at the lower school.
There were a lot of moving pieces, and that's where I developed as an administrator. IDEA Public Charter School in Texas then gave me the opportunity to launch a new school. It was at a 98% poverty rate and I brought it to one of the top 25% academically performing schools in the state. It was a great experience, but I longed for the northeast, so I decided to come to Friendship Public Charter School.
What strategies have led to the most success?
Systems, school culture and teacher accountability.
Frederick Douglass in Harlem was a school with a 90% plus poverty rate and 100% of our kids went to college every year. We created a culture where no matter what, we were going to get these kids to and through college. We had to think outside of the box. By the time our kids left eighth grade, whether by staying with us for high school or going elsewhere, they had taken upper level classes and four high school exams. Our middle school students are often able to complete more rigorous work and this is what set them up for success in high school, college, and throughout life.
At 6pm, when I was leaving the school building, there were often 800 out of 1400 kids participating in extracurricular activities. Even if their parents were working multiple jobs and not at home, students were in school and building character, self-esteem and learning how to interact with others. This is what I experienced at Frederick Douglass and sought to recreate in San Antonio.
How have you supported teachers to be successful?
Administrators were in classrooms all the time. Teachers were frequently offered on-the-spot coaching. Those who are able to thrive with this level of support become very invested. They see that their teaching methodologies improve and student scores improve.
Which students do you especially remember?
I had a middle school student named Darren. His mother had been killed when he was in fifth grade, he never knew his father and he had been living with various family members ever since. Even while he was homeless, he kept his grades up and his classmates loved him.
He later told me that the reason he made it through successfully was because he modeled everything I did--how I talked, dressed, stood and interacted with others. I am still in contact with him today, and I went to his graduation from Stanford University. Later on, he graduated again from Harvard Law School.
I have seen this type of success many times.
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