According to one principal, students at his urban secondary school have no choice but to succeed; he simply demands excellence. At Capital Preparatory Magnet School in Hartford, Connecticut, Principal Steve Perry keeps kids motivated with tough love and high expectations, CNN.com reports.
The school of only three hundred students sends every member of its graduating class to a four-year college. Perry attributes this trend to the fact that he sets the bar high for each and every student. He says, “In our school, it’s college prep for everybody; it doesn’t matter if you’re black or white. They can see that it’s OK for them to be smart and black.”
For students overlooked in schools dominated by white students, Perry’s attitude can be transformational. Breonna Arum, a seventeen-year-old senior at Capital Prep says that the high expectations set by the school community keep her motivated. “It makes a difference because everyone has the same goals as you,” she says. “So it’s not like anyone is there to pull you back. Everyone is going forward.”
BoardBuzz is excited to hear about this example of how educators’ hard work and dedication can really pay off. Great students need great role models, and we’re so glad that the Capital Prep students are getting just that!
This is a very nice story but I have to disagree with the message that this high school and others are giving to students. “You must graduate high school with straight A’s and you MUST attend a four year college to be successful.” While tough love is a great motivator for students, the attitude that all high school students in a school must must must go to four year college institutions is a bit troubling in my own opinion. Traditional four year colleges are not for everyone and I find it disturbing that many high schools focus more on college prep for four year institutions as opposed to helping these kids find a profession that interests them.
Still it is great that most of these kids want to pursue college. I just wish that we heard more about how this school and others like it were helping kids find a career that interests them. What other extracurricular activities are available to these students? Getting good grades and finding a profession to pursue as an adult is only one small part of what makes a graduate an educated person. I think that this school and others need to do more than raise student grades and I for one would like to hear more about it from the media.
While this school works for students who want to pursue the four year degree, what happens to those students who want to attend two year colleges, vocational schools, or other alternative institutions? Will they get the help they need or will they be steered into attending four year institutions as well? Can all of these students afford the schools they are attending? Sorry to rain on CNN’s parade but I think the media, parents, teachers, and students all need to rethink their ideas of what makes a school successful if we want to really fix the problems with American education. Holding up cookie cutter examples does nothing to motivate at risk students or drop outs other than to tell them that there is only one pathway to success. If we continue to hold up four year colleges, test scores and straight A’s as the standard, we will continue to perpetuate many problems in American education. Just my two large cents. Thanks for reading!