By Carla Branch and Alex Hampl
alexandrianews.org
New T.C. Williams Principal Suzanne Maxey. (Photo: Alex Hampl)
Since June, new T. C. Williams High School Principal Suzanne Maxey has planned for the 2010-11 school year. With the opening of school less than a week away, she is ready for the students to return and looking forward to transforming the school from a Persistently Lowest Achieving school into a place where students achieve at the highest level and one where pride, school spirit and discipline are core values.
“We have worked very hard this summer and have accomplished a lot. Now we are ready for the students to begin the year,” Maxey said. “We have a student handbook and a faculty handbook that makes our policies clear and is available to everyone. We have hired 72 new teachers and are fully staffed.
“Our administrative team has worked 15-hour days developing procedures and planning to implement the transformational plan. On paper, the plan looks very good. We are now putting that plan into practice,” Maxey said.
T. C. is no longer organized into academies. Peter Balas is the executive associate principal for curriculum and instruction, Steve Colantuoni the executive associate principal for athletics and student activities, Mark Eisenhower, executive associate principal for Pathways to Graduation, and Tammy Ignacio is the executive associate principal for T. C.’s Minnie Howard campus. There are three academic principals: Pierrette Hall is responsible for science and math, Kathy Taylor for English and social studies, and Sean Thorpe Career and Technical Education and fine arts. They are responsible for monitoring instruction in these areas and evaluating teachers.
TC Williams organizational chart. (Courtesy Image)
There are five deans of students, one for each grade level and one for the new alternative education program, Pathways to Graduation: Greg Baldwin, 9th grade; Fulton Vinson, Pathways to Graduation; Michael Diggins, 10th grade; Bill McGreevy, 11th grade; and Kennetra Wood, 12th grade.
TC Williams administrators. (Courtesy Photo)
“Each dean will work with a team of four guidance counselors, a social worker and an administrative assistant. These deans will stay with the students from the time they are freshmen until they graduate.
“The guidance counselors will have fewer students assigned to them and, by May, every student at T. C. will have an Individualized Academic Plan in math and English. We will start with the seniors, of course, because they only have this year.
“Our new structure means that there will be more adults working with every student to ensure that the student succeeds,” Maxey said.
Parents and students will most often interact with their teachers, guidance counselors and deans. “We are going to be very transparent,” Maxey said. “This year, grades will be available to students and parents online. Teachers are required to update these grades every two weeks. This will take the mystery out of how a student is doing and will allow teachers, parents, guidance counselors and deans to see how a student is doing and intervene before a problem becomes a crisis.
“If parents have questions about something, they should start with the teacher or guidance counselor. After that, they should talk to the dean assigned to their child. If none of those people can resolve the issue to the parents’ satisfaction, they can always come to me. I am very easy to reach by phone or email and am open to talking with anyone,” Maxey said.
She began her conversation with parents at a meeting on Aug. 17. “We invited parents to a meeting and the auditorium was full,” Maxey said. “Also, I sent a letter home to parents and will prepare a newsletter on a regular basis. On the first Tuesday of every month, I will hold a Principal’s Breakfast where I will be available to talk to anyone who chooses to come.”
Student Achievement
Transforming T. C. means improving student achievement. “We have math and writing labs where students can go for help every day. Also, during lunch, two teachers will be assigned to the quiet dining area in the cafeteria. If students are having difficulty, these teachers will be available to help them,” Maxey said. “Also, we are going to have Saturday school. This will be available to any student who wants extra help and will also be used as a disciplinary mechanism.
“To improve student achievement, we have to keep kids in school. Instead of suspending kids for certain disciplinary issues, we will send them to school on Saturday,” Maxey said.
Every teacher will be required to use Blackboard, an online tool that allows teachers to communicate with students by posting assignments, class syllabuses, grades and feedback. Blackboard was made available to teachers during the 2007-08 school year but has been used inconsistently.
“Blackboard is no longer an option; it’s a requirement,” Maxey said. “In June, I encouraged teachers to learn to use Blackboard if they did not know how. We have made training available to them throughout the summer and many have taken advantage of that. Every teacher in every class will use Blackboard.”
In addition to individualized academic plans for each student, each teacher will have a Professional Learning Plan. “Since teachers returned to school on Monday, we have worked with them on developing PLPs because these will be tied to student achievement as well,” Maxey said. A PLP sets goals for each teacher and will be used to evaluate the teacher’s performance.
School Spirit
T. C.’s transformation doesn’t just include academics. “Our English and math Standards of Learning scores are used to determine whether we make Adequate Yearly Progress but those aren’t the only things that make a high-performing school,” Maxey said. “We want to improve school spirit and get students involved in music and art and drama, in extracurricular activities and in leadership.
“The student leadership team had a two-day retreat and is planning lots of different activities. Every Friday before a football game, school will begin with the marching band and cheerleaders leading students on a march through the hallways. On the opening day of school, the band is going to play in the Rotunda and parents are going to greet students with balloons and pencils.
“Four girls already came to me and asked about creating a new club. All that requires is finding an adult sponsor and providing a written synopsis of the club’s goals. We have a lot of clubs here but there is always going to be something that someone wants to start. We are going to encourage that.
“T. C. really doesn’t have an active student government. We hope to get that going again. We just want to find a way for every student to get involved in the life of the school,” Maxey said.
The transformation plan requires monthly progress reports. “Each month, we must submit a report on the progress of the transformation plan but that won’t tell the whole story,” Maxey said. “Everyone will be able to see how we are doing by our customer service and the attitudes of students, teachers and administrators. We are all very excited about the new school year.”