Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

The turnaround kings of education

In the business world they're called turnaround specialists, brought in to revive a failing company.

The Clark County School District has its version of them as well, to help schools.

Mike Barton is one of them. He did such a good job as principal of one of the district's alternative programs for recently arrived immigrant students, he was brought in to run West Preparatory Academy, formerly known as West Middle School. It previously had been managed by a private company, Edison Schools Inc., but after six years of lackluster results, the district decided to bring in new blood.

Timothy Stephens is another turnaround principal, brought in to Desert Pines High School last spring after it had struggled for years under the yoke of low academic performance and its reputation for campus crime.

The decisions to bring in Barton and Stephens seem to be paying off. Although it's too soon to declare victory at West and Desert Pines - test scores show mixed results, for instance - district officials say they are encouraged by improved attendance and student behavior on both campuses.

So what goes into picking the right principal for the big jobs? Hard to say, says Edward Goldman, associate superintendent of the district's education services division.

"It's one of those, 'I'll know it when I see it,' situations," Goldman said.

But in general terms, good principals know how to pick good teachers and give them the support they need to do their jobs, Goldman said.

"A good principal cares about the kids, insists that people do what they're supposed to do and holds them accountable," Goldman said.

Barton and Stephens were hand-picked by Goldman. Last year Clark County Schools Superintendent Walt Rulffes transferred West and Desert Pines to Goldman's division, which oversees the district's alternative schools and adult education.

Goldman said the encouraging changes at West and Desert Pines are examples of "what a strong principal can do" when given the opportunity.

Goldman was able to observe Barton for two years at the district's Global Community High School, an alternative program that offered smaller class sizes and intensive language instruction for students who were new arrivals to the United States.

"I saw he had a vast knowledge of curriculum and data, was able to motivate the teachers and students , and could be tough when it was needed," Goldman said. "Those are the traits of a good principal."

And Stephens had taken on significant challenges , too, as principal of Cowan Academic Center, an alternative program for students with chronic behavior issues, Goldman said.

"It took him a year and a half to turn that school around to make it successful academically," Goldman said. "He attracted good teachers, set up standards and got it all going."

Those experiences are now serving Stephens and Barton well in their new assignments, Goldman said.

At the same time, Barton and Stephens said they depend on Goldman's advocacy to push through some of the more drastic changes. Goldman keeps the bureaucracy to a minimum, Barton said.

"He frees me up to do my job," Barton said.

Some of the changes at the schools, such as a longer academic day or moving to a split schedule to reduce campus crowding, aren't new ideas. But they're ones that have typically faced resistance.

"We do what's convenient for adults. We don't think outside the box," Goldman said, referring to the old school of thought about how to run campuses.

And being agents for change doesn't always nurture popularity.

When school resumes in August at Desert Pines, for instance, the 3,200 students will attend classes on a split schedule, with upperclassmen starting earlier in the morning and freshman finishing later in the day. The goal is to have about 1,600 students on campus at one time. Stephens said he heard from plenty of teachers who preferred working the standard 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. high school schedule.

But the longer day is necessary, Stephens said, to provide students with a calmer, safer learning environment. At West, Barton knows plenty about discontented staff. Last year, as part of an agreement with the teachers union, he reconstituted the school, replacing 54 of the 67 teachers. In some cases teachers left for the standard reasons - retirement, relocation or preferring a position in another school. Others told Barton they didn't share his philosophy or vision for West, which included encouraging a stricter dress code for staff, and more direct, one-on-one interaction with students. He and his teachers also went door to door in the surrounding neighborhoods, introducing themselves and encouraging families to give the school another try.

This year, Barton has only four vacancies to fill.

"We're developing as a team," Barton said.

Barton started from scratch at the former middle school, with a new staff and new programs. After a district-funded summer academy, the campus added classes for ninth graders, and a mentoring program through Nevada Partners, a job training center in nearby North Las Vegas.

The summer academy is already under way for a second year, but this time including grades K-3. Many of the participants are siblings of older West students, and Barton plans to continue offering the elementary school program when the school year begins in August.

In looking at West's improved standardized test scores, Barton emphasized soaring reading gains and healthy improvements in math by students who had been enrolled at the school for more than a year.

At Desert Pines, Stephens faced a different set of hurdles.

For too long, there's been a stigma attached to the campus, Stephens said.

"Drive-By High, Desert Penitentiary - I've heard 'em all," Stephens said.

Students had been skipping classes with little or no consequences. Given his experience at another tough campus, Stephens knew that cracking down on truancy must be a priority. By June the school had handed out more than 400 citations, compared with just two in the prior academic year.

He made quick repairs to vandalism and began reviving the school's languishing magnet programs. The district also paid for an extended academic day and enrichment classes.

When school resumes in August at Desert Pines, students will have to adhere to a stricter dress code. The campus have a bit of a face-lift, too, thanks to a new broadcasting studio, with top-of-the-line radio and video editing equipment.

"This year was about changing the attitude and the environment," Stephens said. "Next year, the focus will be more on instruction and academics."

Rulffes said he's keeping a close eye on West and Desert Pines.

"Both schools received significant additional taxpayer dollars, and I fully expect significant increases in student performance," he said.

If West and Desert Pines are to continue receiving additional funding, those gains must continue, Rulffes said.

"Many other schools also made major gains with less funding," Rulffes said.

Goldman shares Rulffes' high expectations.

"We want to make these high-achieving institutions, points of pride for their communities," Goldman said. "These schools and these principals are absolutely moving in the right direction."

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