Friday, October 19, 2012

Pinewood principal: Rookie no more

Five days before Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools announced its principal of the year finalists, I had a voice mail from Diane Collins, a teacher assistant at Pinewood Elementary. It's time to do an update on Trish Sexton, she insisted.

Sexton
I met Sexton in 2009,  when she was a 35-year-old first-time principal taking on one of the district's toughest assignments.  A prize-winning veteran leader had just left the high-poverty school in south Charlotte,  pulled out to turn around another struggling school.  Sexton,  who had been an assistant principal at the affluent Providence Spring Elementary,  was tapped to take over a school where more than three quarters of the students live in poverty and many families speak Spanish better than English.

I profiled her for a series on  "The Year of the Principal,"  as then-Superintendent Peter Gorman emphasized the importance of the school leader and shuffled his staff.  After spending time with Sexton,  I had no doubt of her passion and dedication.  But I wouldn't have bet my paycheck on her success.  The district was in the midst of teacher layoffs.  Pinewood wasn't getting some of the extra support that Gorman was pumping into other high-poverty schools.  It's test scores were dropping,  fueled partly by changes in testing and partly by genuine weakness in student skills.  And as the subsequent years have shown,  CMS can be a tough place for principals to work.

That's why Sexton's staff was so excited when they got word that she was the principal of the year nominee for the zone that covers 37 high-poverty elementary schools.  "She is a special leader,"  says zone superintendent Tyler Ream.

Pinewood students had an overall pass rate on 2012 exams of almost 74 percent,  up from 57 percent just two years earlier and well above most other high-poverty schools.  Math scores were particularly strong,  with 87 percent on grade level.

Sexton says she's spent the last three years building a strong team  --  not only on her faculty but among parents,  who are invited to school events once a month.  "You can't carry the weight of the school by yourself,"  she said.

Ream says that team-building approach yields lasting benefit for students.  "She wasn't afraid to do it right and take a few lumps in the beginning,"  he said.

When I visited Pinewood in 2009,  one of the things teachers liked about their new principal was her youthful enthusiasm for technology.  This week Sexton spoke gleefully about a recent  "iPad speed-dating"  event,  in which teachers rotated partners and shared apps to help their kids learn.

It's fun to cover a beat long enough to see people grow and succeed.  In fact,  when I first inquired about Sexton,  Tahira Stalberte in the public information office urged me to hang on to see the full list of finalists.  I had to smile when it came out.  Over the years all of them  -- Maureen Furr at South Meck,  Tonya Kales at Ashley Park,  Sheila Ijames at Hawthorne,  Rick Parker at East Meck and Terri Cockerham at Hough  --  have helped me and my colleagues explain some of the tough issues of CMS,  from teachers' concerns about testing to the quest to help disadvantaged kids.  Principals have a tough job,  and doing it in the public eye adds to the challenge.  I salute all the principals who are willing and eager to help the public understand why their work matters.

36 comments:

sherry said...

I never had the pleasure of meeting Ms. Sexton, but my kids went to school under Maureen Furr, then Dr. Maureen Cockerline. Had she moved from middle school to high school when my kids did, we would not have moved them to private schools. An excellent administrator and educator,she and her like are the people who ought to be running the CMS central office. Side note: We'll all always remember the marriage proposal during the changing of classes!

Anonymous said...

Sherry, Our kids must have been at South Charlotte at the same time. I was volunteering in the office when that proposal occurred. The kids loved it!

When Ms.Sexton was appointed principal at Pinewood some members of the Equity Committee strongly criticized Dr. Gorman's appointment. Everyone I spoke to who had previously worked with Ms.Sexton were perplexed by this--they had nothing but admiration for her abilities and determination and were sure that she would succeed. I'm very happy to see that they were proven correct.
Sharon Starks

Anonymous said...

Just think only 139 more schools to go and CMS can have a PR party like the Broadies brought !!

Anonymous said...

Bet you this superintendent won't beat Furr to her school in the morning. Click Click Click of her heels running through the door...

Anonymous said...

Hope she has grown a spine in the last few years and no longer gets lead around by her friends. Not all staff are infatuated with her. She is partially responsible for several great educators leaving CMS because she went along to get along with her best buds Gestapo and prejudicial tactics.

Anonymous said...

We have spent over $1 Trillion since LBJ to end the war on poverty. We are still at the same rate of 15%. We are going down the same path with the EDUCATION Department. An oxymoron if there ever was. Over a TRILLION in spending to go from #1 to out of the TOP 25.

Give a man a fish, feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, feed him for life

STOP wasting our $. Provide vocational tech schools NOW!

Anonymous said...

When did our government decide that High Scool was soley for the training for college? When can it provide a background for a job?

Anonymous said...

If a politician sees a dime on the floor they will pick it up and spend it. The education lottery is a farse and is spent to shore up all the other failed policies of politicians. It is no different than the tobacco tax that healthcare barely sees any funding from. Teachers are being slapped in the face by their administators by management and salary. Taxpayers are tired of educrats with million dollar pensions and nothing but manipulated data to show for it.

Wake up PROJECT LIFT. Get to work

Anonymous said...

CMeS

I am tired of speaches and PR photo ops.

GIVE TAXPAYERS A PLAN

Tell us HOW you will increase scores. Oh by the way scores are not as important as JOB SKILLS.

Anonymous said...

Project Lift is just a way to keep its leader Ms. Watts out of the house and with a job. She will one handily ruin the west side schools on her own. No more discussions needed she is as big a loser as Ericka Stewart who is of no use to the board either.

Anonymous said...

This BLOG Blows

Anonymous said...

Come on man this blog is the best the observer has to offer. World Class city remember?

Anonymous said...

There are some on this site that BLOW as well.

Anonymous said...

Thats real classy Ericka your comment 8:34 grow up.

Anonymous said...

Just in!

This still blows and so does the BOE

Anonymous said...

Its the CO so of course it blows.

Anonymous said...

REALLY ITS BEEN A WEEK AND THIS CRAP IS STILL A STORY?
REAL STORY IS ARE WE SURPRISED A PROJECT LIFT SCHOOL PRINCIPAL WAS VOTED PRINCIPAL OF THE YEAR? TAT TOAD DENISE WATTS WAS IN THE PICTURE AS WELL. ALL THAT WAS MISSING WAS KOJO , EES AND MARY AND THE TRIO WOULD BE COMPLETE.

Anonymous said...

School of One? How about Broadies scratching each other's back? Ann did you know that this is part of the Race to the Top application? Is Morrison and his Buddy Peter Gorman selling this to the school system?

http://www.schoolofone.org/partners_funding.html

http://youtu.be/HSTrI6nj5xU read children's comments

http://garyrubinstein.teachforus.org/2012/07/24/school-of-one/

http://dianeravitch.net/2012/07/24/about-the-school-of-one

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/DigitalEducation/2012/01/school_of_one_creators_unveils.html/

http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2012/10/21/middle-school-students-test-teach-to-one-system/

http://articles.nydailynews.com/2012-09-04/news/33587297_1_state-math-exams-regular-math-classes-middle-school

http://educationnext.org/joel-klein-on-his-new-gig-ed-innovation/

http://www.hackeducation.com/2012/07/24/amplify-news-corp-phone-hacking/

http://techcrunch.com/2012/07/23/news-corp-announces-business-plans-to-disrupt-education-amplify-mobile-technology-and-assessment/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gary-stager/amplify-education_b_1917726.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/dc-students-test-teach-to-one-learning-system/2012/10/14/9f945470-149b-11e2-be82-c3411b7680a9_story.html

Anonymous said...

School of One founders have new company with same old same old greedy edubusiness funders,..Broad, Gates, et al

http://www.newclassrooms.org/team.html#founders

http://nycpublicschoolparents.blogspot.com/2012/02/joel-rose-of-school-of-one-returnswith.html

Anonymous said...

I think Ann Doss Helms may have stopped writing for the paper.

Anonymous said...

What's the big deal with School of One? If it works, then it works! And actually, a GOOD teacher does this in their classroom ALREADY! In regards to Project LIFT, dear public, its hard to speak on something when you're looking in from the outside. Its a 5 year project and this is only the 1st year. At least wait until EOG scores come back in October before you start bashing Denise Watts. The achievement gap didn't happen overnight people!

Anonymous said...

As a parent of a former Pinewood student, I would not recommend Ms. Sexton as Principal of the Year. Test scores went down the first three years she was principal, the school did not meet its annual growth,thus becoming eligible for having extra help such as outside tutors come in.... that's when test scores started to rise. My daughter's classmate was hurt by another student and it was ignored and not reported by Ms. Sexton and her staff. It's hard to measure strength of a principal without being involved in the school, or having a child attend.

Anonymous said...

If school of one is so great, then put it in the low poverty schools!

Anonymous said...

No we the public prefer to bash Denise Watts for the loser she is right now. Why would one wait for 5 years while she ruins those schools? She left CMS she is a quiter. UNderstand and do you research this is simply a way for her to earn a check for a few years.

Anonymous said...

Why cant CMS be more like Wake County BOE at least they have some sizzle scandals !

Anonymous said...

BREAKING NEWS!

This still BLOWS. Not as much as Sandy, but COME ON MAN.

Does anyone at the CO cover the schools anymore?

Anonymous said...

Why does the CO need to cover CMS when they have a $700,000 PR budget with LaTarzan in charge. Nobody paints project lift better than her.

Anonymous said...

I hope Ann is on another of the McClatchey "furloughs" that seem to make an Observer employees contnuing part-timers. Sort of seems trivial when the editors write editorials on some variation of lunar schedules. It will be interesting to see who actually posts when this all goes to pay per view next month.

Anonymous said...

Broad Foundation maybe sent her on a vacation ? Project LIFT possibly sent her on assignment? She maybe on a Chamber trip to London with EES?

Anonymous said...

How about CMS getting caught covering up lead based paint in schools. We all know they cover up mold and asbestos routinely. But now we know CMS knowingly puts young children at risk of lead exposure too. CMS facilities management and their leadership goons should be fired for putting CMS children at risk again. We know Tryon Hills had several mold outbreaks but no one ever told us about lead in the school. Is there nobody that cares about these kids at CMS. Only CMS educrats would still have lead paint around children when it was banned in the 1970's. Now we know how they afford all those new maintenance vehicles while constantly playing the underfunded card. If CMS facilities was outsourced a private company would not allow this kind of liability to sit waiting for a child who can prove exposure at school. CMS should contract facilities management functions so they can get people who have to care involved in leadership positions. What's coming next?

Anonymous said...

Hey 9:19. You think Tryon Hills is bad. Take a look at the Performance Learning Center. You can see the lead peeling off the building and windows. You can smell the mold in the building too. I heard Dr. Gorman commented the building smelled while visiting but it hasn't been cleaned since. It's disgusting. It's CMS.

Anonymous said...

Sound exactly like the Professional Development Center. It smells too and the windows are falling out. Teacher's health and IQ matter right CMS?

Anonymous said...

I think Project Lift bought Ann Helms contract out from the CO. Either that or the Bobcats are winning a game?

Anonymous said...

We have brand new buildings at CPCC. And part-time teachers.

Anonymous said...

Why do some phys ed teachers in CMS get $70k while cpcc teachers get low pay and science teachers at CMS start so low?

Ann Doss Helms said...

CPCC is separate from CMS; I hear frequently that its pay scale is very low but haven't reported on that. On the other part: The NC pay scale is based on experience and credentials, so a long-time phys ed teacher (or any other subject) will make more than a new science teacher. There's a lot of talk about revamping the pay scale to reflect performance and demand.