TOP PRINCIPAL OFFERS PRAISE AND CRITICISM
Miami Herald, The (FL) - Friday, January 21, 2000
Author: ANALISA NAZARENO, anazareno@herald.com
Sunset High School Principal Dennis Davis was named Miami-Dade County Principal of the Year Thursday night. Amid hoots of congratulations, Davis praised his peers and criticized the sweeping education reforms that Gov. Jeb Bush introduced last year.
``The legislators have the right intent in raising the bar, but they're not educators,'' Davis said afterward. ``Even though their intent is good, they're not on the front line. Principals have to be the ones doing the implementation.''
Davis, whose school at 13125 SW 72nd St. has 4,700 students, said educators need smaller class sizes, less-crowded schools, up-to-date technology and more community investment in early education to do the best job possible.
``It's disheartening to get youngsters at the senior high who have not had the opportunity to master the building blocks,'' Davis said. ``We have to make sure that our youngsters can compete by giving them the tools that they need at an early age, and not putting them in overcrowded kindergarten classes.''
The education reforms introduced last year grade schools A through F, largely based on student performance on the state's critical-thinking skills test, Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test.
Many of the top-graded schools were in mostly affluent areas, while all of the F-graded schools were in high-poverty neighborhoods. Sunset High School - in a largely middle-class neighborhood - received a ``C'' grade last year.
``When you raise expectations and try to narrow the achievement gap, we need to have the tools to empower our teachers,'' Davis said.
A panel of peers, parents and teacher union leaders said they chose Davis because of his ``enduring enthusiasm,'' his ``ability to bring consensus'' and his ability to make a school that has twice as many students than it was built for feel ``intimate.''
``The man is in charge of a school with 4,700 students, and you couldn't tell that there were that many students,'' said Annette Katz, who was representing the United Teachers of Dade as a panel member.
``He's supportive of students,'' said Adriana Garcia, 16, a junior at the school. ``He's always encouraging us, and he's always patrolling the hallways, so you see him. He's just a nice guy.''
Davis began as a biology and math teacher in 1968 at the former Mays High and has held administrative posts at six South Dade schools before being named principal of Sunset in 1992.
For winning the distinction, Davis received a $5,000 check from First Union Bank.
The runner-up, Santiago Corrada, principal of Edison High School, received $2,500. Edison received an F grade last year.
Corrada, too, criticized the governor's grading plan.
``I think if we want schools to be accountable, we have to look at the schools individually and look at the improvement that has taken place and not impose one blanket standard,'' Corrada said. ``All children can learn, but they learn at a different pace.''
Also honored at the Radisson Mart Plaza Hotel was the Assistant Principal of the Year, Eugene Butler Jr., of South Miami High, who received $2,500.
``The legislators have the right intent in raising the bar, but they're not educators,'' Davis said afterward. ``Even though their intent is good, they're not on the front line. Principals have to be the ones doing the implementation.''
Davis, whose school at 13125 SW 72nd St. has 4,700 students, said educators need smaller class sizes, less-crowded schools, up-to-date technology and more community investment in early education to do the best job possible.
``It's disheartening to get youngsters at the senior high who have not had the opportunity to master the building blocks,'' Davis said. ``We have to make sure that our youngsters can compete by giving them the tools that they need at an early age, and not putting them in overcrowded kindergarten classes.''
The education reforms introduced last year grade schools A through F, largely based on student performance on the state's critical-thinking skills test, Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test.
Many of the top-graded schools were in mostly affluent areas, while all of the F-graded schools were in high-poverty neighborhoods. Sunset High School - in a largely middle-class neighborhood - received a ``C'' grade last year.
``When you raise expectations and try to narrow the achievement gap, we need to have the tools to empower our teachers,'' Davis said.
A panel of peers, parents and teacher union leaders said they chose Davis because of his ``enduring enthusiasm,'' his ``ability to bring consensus'' and his ability to make a school that has twice as many students than it was built for feel ``intimate.''
``The man is in charge of a school with 4,700 students, and you couldn't tell that there were that many students,'' said Annette Katz, who was representing the United Teachers of Dade as a panel member.
``He's supportive of students,'' said Adriana Garcia, 16, a junior at the school. ``He's always encouraging us, and he's always patrolling the hallways, so you see him. He's just a nice guy.''
Davis began as a biology and math teacher in 1968 at the former Mays High and has held administrative posts at six South Dade schools before being named principal of Sunset in 1992.
For winning the distinction, Davis received a $5,000 check from First Union Bank.
The runner-up, Santiago Corrada, principal of Edison High School, received $2,500. Edison received an F grade last year.
Corrada, too, criticized the governor's grading plan.
``I think if we want schools to be accountable, we have to look at the schools individually and look at the improvement that has taken place and not impose one blanket standard,'' Corrada said. ``All children can learn, but they learn at a different pace.''
Also honored at the Radisson Mart Plaza Hotel was the Assistant Principal of the Year, Eugene Butler Jr., of South Miami High, who received $2,500.
Caption: photo: Dennis Davis (a)
PETER ANDREW BOSCH/HERALD STAFF HONORED EDUCATOR: Sunset High School Principal Dennis Davis, Miami-Dade County Principal of the Year, addresses his colleagues Thursday night at the Radisson Mart Plaza Hotel.
Memo: LAST NIGHT
PETER ANDREW BOSCH/HERALD STAFF HONORED EDUCATOR: Sunset High School Principal Dennis Davis, Miami-Dade County Principal of the Year, addresses his colleagues Thursday night at the Radisson Mart Plaza Hotel.
Memo: LAST NIGHT
Edition: Final
Section: Local
Page: 2B
Record Number: 0001220109
Copyright (c) 2000 The Miami Herald
Section: Local
Page: 2B
Record Number: 0001220109
Copyright (c) 2000 The Miami Herald
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