TRUMAN HIGH SCHOOL: A Q&A with Principal Skopczynski

Melissa Skopczynski is the new principal at Truman High School this year, replacing Tommie Saylor, who is now at Kennedy.

Principal Skopczynski has served the district in a variety of roles, including as an assistant principal, interim principal, ninth-grade guidance advisor, interim assistant principal, social studies instructor, student council advisor, creative studies instructor, curriculum team chairperson and Mega League activities advisor president.

She has a Master’s Degree in K-12 Educational Administration from Concordia University; a Master’s of the Arts in Common Learning in Curriculum from Eastern Michigan University; a Bachelor’s of Arts and Sciences in History and Philosophy from EMU; and attended the Wayne County RESA Aspiring Principals Academy as well as trained in Link Crew, the freshman transition program.

She has been with the TSD for 17 years. A graduate of Dearborn Divine Child High School, she and husband Todd will be married 20 years this October and have two children, twins Brendan and Sheridan.

She is the niece of Alfred A. Sheridan, the former state representative from Taylor.

We asked her a few questions as the 2013-14 school years started.

What's your best advice to students who want to get off to a good start with the academic year?

The best advice I would give to students is to set goals, budget your time and get involved in your school!  Research shows that whether it is a sport or a club, there is a direct correlation between student success and extra curricular activities. I would encourage students to make the most of the four years they are here because they will go by quickly.

Parents are so important in the educational process. If you could sit all the parents at Truman down in front of you, what would be the first thing that you'd say to them? 

Communicate with your student.  Be supportive and don’t be afraid to have those tough conversations. Know what is going on in their lives both in and outside of school.  Become part of the school community. Many parents are under the impression that as your child grows older they do not need you to be involved in the school. This could not be further from the truth. Your child needs you just as much as they did in elementary school but in a different way and a different role.

You took over from Tommie Saylor, who moved to Truman High School. Saylor is an ultra high-energy leader. How would you describe your own management style?

I, like Mr. Saylor, am a high-energy leader. I like to be involved and think being highly visible in the school and at events is one of the keys to being a successful leader. I would not consider myself a micro-manager but prefer a loose-tight form of leadership. I treat my staff as professionals and expect them to perform the duties for which they were hired only stepping in when needed. I believe this form of leadership brings out the best in people and also helps build a level of trust with staff and students. I realize I have big shoes to fill taking over for Mr. Saylor, but I am up for the challenge. I have had the opportunity to learn from the best!

When you ask students about what they enjoy in high school, they usually talk about specific friends, classes, teachers, clubs, activities or sports. When you're the principal of a large high school like Truman, what do you enjoy the most?

I most enjoy seeing students outside the regular educational setting whether it is at a sporting event, Deca competition or a Quiz Bowl match. School at times is such a formal place. Seeing students outside of school in a more relaxed setting gives you the opportunity to get to know them better and let them know that you really care about the things going on in their life. Any educator will tell you that the key to educational success is building strong student/staff relationships. I am proud of our students and love to brag about their accomplishments. It helps validate that you are doing the right thing as an educator.

Just a couple of years ago, the state of Michigan termed Truman "persistently low achieving." But by last year, the school and its staff was being noted by the state Department of Education as an example for every school to follow, thanks to the way Truman bounced back. What was the "Truman secret"?

Being placed on the persistently low achieving list was actually a blessing in disguise for Truman. It allowed us to re-focus, come up with a plan, and implement that plan to achieve student success. We have always had a wonderful staff that was dedicated to student success but they just needed some direction. That direction came through our redesign plan.

Now in the third and final year of implementation we continue to improve and are quite proud of our accomplishments. What is the Truman secret? I contribute our secret to a few things. 

First is having a staff that is flexible and not afraid to make changes and try new things to achieve student success. The second is having a wonderful re-design facilitator, Ms. Kerrie Voorheis, who keeps the staff focused and helps ensure that the strategies in the plan are communicated and implemented by the staff.  The third is creating a positive school climate and culture that promotes respect and a nurturing learning environment.  

Lastly is strong leadership. Until Mr. Saylor was hired Truman was yearning for a strong leader to come in and give us some direction. Under his leadership we were able to put all the puzzle pieces together and get back on the path to success! We still have a lot of work to do and I plan to pick up where he left off.

Are there specific goals that you want to see accomplished this year? What would be the top three?

There are several goals I would like to accomplish this year but if I would have to pick a top three I would have to say they would be to improve building safety, improve MME scores, and decrease student failures. 

We are already off and running with increased building safety. We now have 16 cameras that are up and running and the director of security plans to purchase 16 more. We are also in the process of installing a new buzzer system at the bus doors so the school will be completely locked down during the day. 

Parents need to know that their students are coming to a safe learning environment. I will be working closely with the school improvement team as well as the counselors, ninth grade advisor and department heads to see what strategies and support systems can be put into place to improve test scores and decrease failures. We do already have several systems in place but need to re-evaluate and see what more can be done to assist our struggling students.