Hey all!
I know that there are so many incredible folks like you around the country working to improve educational outcomes for kids…and how cool is it that we can connect via the REEP blog?! My name is Zach, and I look forward to trying to figure this out together.
I currently serve as the principal of HOPE Christian High School in Milwaukee, WI. I am new to the gig, and Milwaukee, and REEP blog for that matter, but not new to education reform!
Right out of college, I joined Teach For America (TFA) and moved to Camden, NJ to teach high school social studies. I wanted to have the same type of impact on my students that a couple of key educators had on me, but I became frustrated by my inability to effect change outside of my classroom walls. So like any idealistic young professional who wants some time to think and learn, I took off to graduate school! I studied education policy at Harvard with some awesome folks…you know, so I could sit and think about it for a while. I did meet my wonderful wife there, so I guess it wasn’t all philosophical.
After much thought and deliberation in Boston, I joined TFA as a staff member, which was a cool way to continue to develop as a leader. After stints in Minneapolis and Houston, I felt that I had gotten too far away from the classroom and jumped back in at YES Prep-Southwest. I worked with an incredible team there, which eventually led me to REEP.
Despite being in love with YES Prep, Houston just wasn’t home. I got a call from Milwaukee telling me that they had a high school that was about to close…and they were committed to turning it around.  Being a native Wisconsinite, I knew my home state had the largest achievement gap in the country. This was an opportunity to serve in my own backyard.Â
My first semester as a school leader in a turnaround environment is a bit of a blur, but I did learn a ton and I want to be able to share some insights and lessons learned. I have gained far more than I ever provided in my experiences in Camden, Boston, Minneapolis, Houston and now in Milwaukee. I hope that trend continues through REEP blog.
Let’s dive in!
Welcome to the REEP Blog, Zach! We look forward to hearing about your experience in a turnaround school.
Hi Zach. Welcome. We look forward to reading your posts about your journey as a turnaround principal. Glad to hear you’ll be blogging with us!
Interesting…I didn’t know that Wisconsin had the largest achievement gap in the country!
Thanks, Zach. Looking forward to hearing about what works and doesn’t.
Hey Zach, I am a new REEP student and I am looking forward to hearing about your experiences at school. I am at a PreKindergarten Center (4-5 yr olds). So even though we have different students, some of our situations will still be the same.