High Marks for Leadership
Educators Bradford Engel ’89 and Jacques Smith ’70 are dedicated to building innovative learning communities and creating opportunities for students and teachers to develop leadership skills. They are two examples of the mission of the UMBC education department: to research teaching and learning, and to develop caring, thoughtful, knowledgeable and skilled teachers who are responsive to children, families and the community.
“My vision for a high school leadership class was to provide the tools necessary so that students could become leaders at home, in the community and at school,” said Engel, who was recently named the 2005 Maryland Teacher of the Year—the State’s highest honor for teachers—by the Maryland State Department of Education. (Two other UMBC alumni— Sharon Grimes ’90 and Kevin Mulroe ’98—were finalists for the award.)
A social studies teacher and department chair at Kent Island High School on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, Engel founded the Mentor Advisory Program (MAP), in which small student groups receive leadership training from teachers and community leaders. “I believe in offering students encouragement and helping them experience success everyday, while promoting a desire to face new challenges,” said Engel.
In the three years since MAP was founded at Kent Island High, standardized test results have improved, attendance rates have increased and the number of disciplinary referrals has dropped by nearly 30 percent. The program is also becoming a model for other Maryland high schools.
Like Engel, Jacques Smith, a principal at Meade Middle School in Anne Arundel County, believes that teachers should reach beyond curriculum and method to help children realize their full potential. Meade Middle is part of UMBC’s Professional Development School program (PDS), which creates learning communities that provide training for teachers and administrators as well as achievement programs for students. “UMBC interns learn a lot in our classrooms, but we learn, too,” said Smith. “They bring their new ideas and enthusiasm from the University and put it into action.”
Principals are critical to the positive atmosphere of their schools,” said Barbara Bourne, UMBC’s PDS coordinator for Anne Arundel County Public Schools. “Having been appointed principal before Meade Middle opened, Jacques played an important role in its design and development. Visitors can’t help but notice evidence of his management: a bright, clean and orderly school.” Meade Middle was recently named a Maryland State ” Exemplary School” for Positive Behavior Intervention Strategies.
A valued member of the community, Smith has received several grants to support community relations, including one that funds a community liaison. It’s hoped that creating a trusted presence in the neighborhoods surrounding Meade Middle will help Smith and his teachers build essential relationships with parents.
Smith also looks for ways to provide professional development for teachers. He recently took several teachers to National Middle School Association Conference in Minneapolis, and they returned with renewed enthusiasm for teaching and new strategies to share with their colleagues. “Jacques is a strong and compassionate leader who respects and values his staff in ways that help them become leaders as well,” said Bourne.
Learn more about teacher training at UMBC.
(11/15/04)
