TRUMAN HIGH SCHOOL: Achievements this year were the result of 'coming together'

“You can decide to be someone who brings people together, or you can fall prey to those who wish to divide us. You can be someone who educates yourself, or you can believe that being negative is clever and being cynical is fashionable. You have a choice.”

-- Hillary Clinton

By Tommie Saylor

Truman High School Principal

Last week, Ms. Chapman from the Michigan Department of Education made her final visit of the year to Truman High School. During her visit, she gushed over how far we have come is such a short period of time and wanted me to tell her our secret.  

From what I gathered, we are among a very select few schools that was able to actually turn things around and show not just some improvement, but tremendous improvement. In fact, Ms. Chapman asked me to put together a team to come to Lansing for two purposes. One was to record a DVD detailing how we made so much progress is such a short period of time, to tell the world “our secret.”

Second, they would like us to make a presentation at a future seminar to the schools that were initially identified as a “Persistently Low Achieving” group, explaining to them how to turn a school around and how to get off the PLA list.

She wants us to tell them “our secret.”

I told Ms. Chapman that I would be more than happy to put such a team together, to record such a DVD, but that it would be a very short presentation and DVD. That’s because our secret was simple. We came together.

Often I imagine that I am much like a wagon train master on a long journey across the country. When hostiles attack, we become very good at circling the wagons and defending ourselves. We come together.

What outsiders do not realize is that by coming together, we’re not “holding the line” for ourselves, but for those at our elbows. This year I have seen those who have been told that they are on the layoff list swallow hard, shake my hand and thank me for giving them the news knowing that my heart is breaking. They seem as concerned about me as they are about themselves. I have seen others who hung around to offer moral support break down into tears. It’s a strange sight, to see those being told that they are on the layoff list comforting those mourning the loss of a colleague.

But this is the type of thing that demonstrates just how close we have become, how much we have come together.  We are much more than just a teaching staff, we are a family, a community of educational professionals that have grown to love and care for each other through good times and bad. I have your back, and I know you have mine. It is our relationship and a mutual respect that makes us stronger.

This is the “Truman secret.”

We had a good year. Our football team went into the playoffs and our basketball team did well. Our band and choir were outstanding, DECA took a record number of students to state-level competition, our Quiz Bowl team ended up third in the state, Youth in Government, our school play and our JROTC groups were second to none. We came together to celebrate them.

Our test scores continue to rise and ACT scores were higher than anyone else in the district. One hundred and twenty five students were accepted to college received over $1.7 million dollars in scholarship money at our college fair (the only school in the area to hold a college fair). Student disciplinary actions were down to include a 25 percent reduction in student suspension rate. That’s all because we came together to educate.

Attendance is up and tardiness is down. ID cards and hall sweeps have become part of our school culture. Students run to class and are concerned about their grades. Doing well has become fashionable because we came together and convinced our students to participate.

But don’t get me wrong, we have had our share of hard times, but when we needed each other the most, we again came together.

The success we have experienced at Truman, the reason why we are among the very few to have actually “turned things around,” is because we made the decision to work together and become a team with a single mission.

As principal I had no one working “for” me, yet I had everyone working “with” me. The reason why we did so well this year, why we have experienced so much success so quickly, is because we came together. We set differences aside, refused to be divided, ignored the negative and focused on what was truly important, our students.

This being my last update of the year, I wish to tell those who have retired from our ranks that your absence will be felt. We celebrate the years of service you have given the people of Taylor, yet we mourn your loss because your absence has created a void that will take years to fill.  

As for those we are losing as a result of staff reductions, all I can say is that as a staff we have been wounded, but we wish you good luck in your future endeavors.

For those who remain, rest and enjoy this summer and prepare yourself for another year in the educational trenches. Your students will need you to be at your absolute best, so prepare yourself to give them what they need.

Remember, their future is in our hands. Improving one week at a time. The New Truman High School.