Post by Big Yogi

When you talke about the current state of education in America with anyone these days you are almost guaranteed to get an emotional response. The overall view on education in America is a negative one. You hear about the comparisons to other countries and how we are coming in last, you hear about the problems with violence in schools and drop-out rates and no books for students and you begin to believe that there is no hope for our school system. Because you are not there at the schools everyday, you may believe that things are very bad but a closer look will tell you that many things have changed but not all for the worse.

A new associate of mine (Thanks Dave Cofer) introduced me to a program organized by Columbus Public Schools. The program is called the Principal for a Day program and has been going on for years but this year has been the biggest turn-out to date. Once I found out about the program, I was instantly on board to participate. I thought how cool could it be to get a first-hand experience of how a principal runs his school and works to help children reach their goals. A week later I’m here to report on my experience on trying to fill those shoes for a day.

I was lucky enough to be Principal for a Day at Beechcroft High School in North Columbus. I did my research on Beechcroft and discovered that the school was close to 90% African American and the Principal was a new one by the name of Anthony Alston. Mr. Alston relocated to Columbus from South Carolina over 10 years ago. He spent 7 years teaching Middle School and High School Math and arrived at Beechcroft in 2005 after the previous Principal left after only a year. At first I was thinking, fairly new principal, all black school, and I was beginning to get that ‘East Side High’ from ‘Lean on Me’ vibe but I was ready. Once I arrived at the school early Wednesday morning I quickly learned that wasn’t the case. Beechcroft’s graduation rate is actually higher than the district average at 85.5%. They also have one of the biggest special needs programs in the city, a pleasant surprise for those who look down on inner-city schools.

Beechcroft is set up so that as soon as you enter the school you are thrust right into the mass of students gathering in bunches right before the school bell rings. Once I entered that door my exploration began immediately. Before I even had the chance to meet the young principal, he was on his job handling an earlier altercation that occurred on the bus before school. I briefly met with the Principal and “boom”, we were out handling business. We immediately began to meet students, clear halls, break up social circles, remind students of obligations, talk to parents, organize teachers, clean up messes left behind, hear a bunch of “is that your brother Mr. Alston” comments, and that was just before first period.

We spent most of the day taking a look at the classes and discussing the current condition of the new generation of students. Being a black man and a principal seemed to put Mr. Alston in the position of a Father Figure to the students. They paid attention when he spoke, they approached him constantly with news of their progress, they listened to his advice, they responded to his demands. Mr. Alston was making a difference not only to his students’ educations but to their lives. I met some key individuals at Beechcroft, who helped me understand what it is like to be a principal. I met a young student by the name of Isaiah Rawlings whose grades were failing at one point but with the support of his father, the school administration, and Mr. Alston he now has a 3.5 GPA and is joining leadership efforts at Beechcroft (all of this without losing his “swag” as a cool kid). I met with administrators who had grown up in the neighborhood, attended Beechcroft as youth, and now work hard to see the children there succeed. I met with a young Mrs. Bridges, who was a parent volunteer at Beechcroft for over 3 years and whose son, an athlete at the school, has a 4.0 grade point average. So, where is all the drama and violence and disorganization? I finally had a chance to talk to Mr. Alston during our lunch break about the difference between today’s students and those of past generations. A major difference in the lives of today’s students from those before them is the increase in violence, poverty, and drugs. “We are looking at students whose parents and grandparents were on drugs and in gangs…” explained Mr. Alston. The presence of drugs in our communities has definitely affected the way children live today. The breakdown of the family structure, the increase of poverty and violence, and the overall perception of the black youth have weighed heavily on today’s students making it hard to believe in education and the notion that you can be “whatever you want to be”. But finally, I had seen for myself that all is not lost.

One thing that is definitely needed in schools like Beechcroft is funding. Mr. Alston expressed his dedication to improve Beechcroft, to make it more effective, up to date, and useful for students. He has already provided more smartboards to aid teachers with their lessons, got all new computers from Dell for the computer labs and library, and worked to get updated books, just to name a few of the changes he’s made this year. It is obvious that it will take a lot more support to get these schools at the level they need to be. During my visit at the school, I had a chance to sit and talk to students about their feelings towards education, about Mr. Alston, and about Barack Obama becoming president. All three topics received positive responses. Students are hungry for education and believe, now more than ever, that they can achieve great heights. With principals like Mr. Alston, Mr. Bland (my old football coach) the principal at Northland, and Mr. Stevens (great job family) the principal at Mifflin serving as great male role models for the children, I feel good about some of the leadership in Columbus Public Schools. Now with the levy passing and a renewed dedication to improving education, all we need is the support from the families of the students to help turn things around.

I ended off my day at COSI where Superintendent Dr. Gene Harris and Nationwide CEO Jerry Jurgensen led a roundtable discussion and got some useful feedback from this year’s participants. There were some different views on the day. Some had great stories of great schools; others had stories of hope from schools that still needed a lot of help. All in all, it was a great day for those who support the education system in our city.

I would like to thank Columbus Public Schools for putting this program together and allowing me to throw on a suit and feel important. I would like to thank Mr. Anthony Alston for giving me a first-hand look at what it takes to run a school and most importantly what it takes to help these children become successful adults. You are a great inspiration and I commend you on the great job you are doing at Beechcroft High School. Thank you to the administration for helping me to understand how the school works and helping me get through the maze. Last but not least I would like to thank all of the wonderful students at Beechcroft High School for showing me that our students are learning more than ever and are hungry to achieve. Thank you for being courteous and being on your best behavior. Thanks to young Mr. Gilbert for falling in that chair and giving us all a good laugh. Thanks for all of the students who thought I was “security” or “mean looking” or a “scary football player”. And thanks to the lunch ladies who reminded me how delicious a free lunch meal could be. I haven’t had taco meat on potatoes in a long time.

Stay stuck to the Flypaper for the next Principal for the Day program. We look forward to it.