By Stephen Witt (Special from Our Time Press)
Newly named Boys & Girls High School Principal Michael Wiltshire is floating an idea whereby a struggling school (Boys & Girls) and a successful school (Medgar Evers College Preparatory High School) would share services and best practices to produce a hybrid synergy between the two schools.
And Wilshire, who assumed the role of Boys & Girls principal last week, is well positioned to try out this unique model as he spent the last 14 years as principal of Medgar Evers Prep. While Boys & Girls has received a failing grade from the Department of Education the past few years, Medgar Evers Prep received an A grade in student performance with a graduation rate of 96.6% in 2012-2013 .
“My main goal is to make Boys & Girls and Medgar Evers Prep two sister schools. By matching a high performance school with a struggling school it will raise the level of them both,” said Wiltshire.
Wiltshire said the proposed special relationship between the two schools includes possibly merging resources such as sharing courses and the professional development of the two staffs.
“I’d like to create a situation where an advanced placement student at Boys & Girls can take a course at Medgar Evers and vice versa,” said Wiltshire.
Wilshire said, for example, a student at Boys & Girls wants to take an advanced placement physics course or Chinese, which the school doesn’t currently offer, he’d like to find a way where that student could take the course at Medgar Evers, which does offer those courses. Similarly if a student at Medgar Evers wants to take the advanced placement course in special education, which only Boys & Girls offers they would be able to do that, he said.
“Teachers and professional staff would also share best practices so struggling schools don’t stand by themselves,” he said.
Originally from Jamaica West Indies, Wiltshire attended Howard University as an undergraduate where he earned a double degree in microbiology and mathematics before going on to earn masters at both the University of Maryland and St. Johns, and a PhD in Mathematics at Columbia.
While DOE Chancellor Carmen Farina did not comment on Wiltshire’s plan to share services between the two schools, she did give him a strong vote of confidence.
“Michael Wiltshire is a veteran educator with a proven track record of success as a principal and is undoubtedly the right leader to turn this school (Boys & Girls) around,” said Farina. “He brings a vital focus on high achievement—supported by collaboration across schools and with community partners—to ensure academic excellence becomes commonplace at Boys and Girls High School.
– Some information from this story comes courtesy of Our Time Press
