Changes coming with new school
By DIANA DILLABER MURRAY
Of The Oakland Press
And that’s not the only major change the high school will undergo during the redesign process, Geralyn Stephens told an audience of about 60 Thursday night at the first of a series of community forums scheduled on the new high school.
“Nobody is going to do it like we are going to do it,” said Stephens, a Wayne State University faculty member, referred to as a ‘turnaround’ consultant. “No one will have the support we are going to have for our students. If you know a high school student, ask them to come back. We are doing things very differently,” she told the audience at the forum hosted by Brenda Causey-Mitchell, director of Title 1 parent programs.
The high school, which will be on the Northern High School site, will feature smaller career and college-focused learning academies and groups inside the main building. Also, every student, teacher, counselor and support staff member will belong to a 150-member team.
If a vote were taken today — based on the vote of 133 students from Pontiac Northern and Central at a special meeting recently — the name of the new school would be North Central High School, with a vote of 78, reported Ramson Seay, CEO of Positive Male Role Models, a leader on a committee to help the transition.
In second place was Pontiac High School, 65; Pontiac Elite High School, 48; and Pontiac United High School, 32.
An even larger majority of students voted for the Phoenix as the mascot, with 97 votes. For colors, 90 of the 133 students liked the combination of purple, black and silver.
Coming in second for mascot were the Panthers, with 40 votes and Jaguars, 33 votes. Second favorite combination of colors were blue and silver, 56 votes; and red, orange and white, a combination of Northern’s and Central’s colors, 43 votes.
Now, Seay said, the community will have the opportunity to submit suggestions in a variety of ways: on Web sites for the school district and the two high schools; on Facebook; and in a suggestion box at Pontiac City Hall, the public library and other places yet to be announced.
Oakland Press readers have been making their suggestions on the Web site at www. theoaklandpress.com. Those suggested names will be turned over to the district as well.
In an effort to initiate excitement and enthusiasm about the project, Seay urged forum audience members to promote their favorites throughout the district because there will be a vote April 1.
At the new school, teachers, counselors and social workers on each team will work together to ensure students’ needs are met and students will be encouraged to make up credits to get back on track at their own grade level.
What Stephens calls the ‘smaller learning communities’ in her design include Ninth Grade Academy, Business Finance and Entrepreneurship Academy, and Arts & Communications Academy, said Stephens.
There will also be several of what she called ‘pathways,’ in which students can focus on such things as law and public safety, scholars program, student-athlete program; and the several career programs provided by Oakland Schools Technical Center Northeast, adjacent to the Northern campus.
All programs will include state required core curriculum, electives and career experiences meant to prepare all students for jobs and/or college in an area in which they indicate interest through an annual state survey.
Many career programs are funded by the state and federal government, not general fund dollars, Stephens said.
There will be student-run stores on campus, where students can use the career skills they are learning in a real work environment.
The fact that the district was forced to close and merge schools, because of a projected $12 million deficit and declining enrollment, actually made it possible to carry out a high school redesign necessary to help children achieve according to No Child Left Behind standards, said acting Superintendent Linda Paramore.
“When we realized we would have to close schools for the next school year, it gave us the opportunity,” she said.
Pontiac high schools have not achieved average yearly progress under No Child Left Behind for five years. One of the options the federal and state law gives districts in that situation is the redesigning to ensure academic achievement.
Seay and his transition team are planning many activities to bring students together over the spring and summer to help make the opening of school a successful one. He, Causey and Paramore urged members of the audience to join the transition team.
Security Chief Darryl Cosby said some of the police authority officers will also provide intervention programs for students, such as conflict resolution.
FYI
The next forums will take place as follows: 6 p.m. Thursday, March 19, at Pontiac Central High School, 300 W. Huron Street; 6 p.m. Thursday, March 26, at the UAW Hall, Local 653, 670 E. Walton Blvd.; 5:30 p.m. Monday, March 30, during the regular meeting of the Board of Trustees. Call (248) 45I-6897 to join the high school transition committee.
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