Principals Strive to Improve Their Schools

During the first week of school, Greenbelt Middle School's new principal Sharon Porter spent much of her time in the cafeteria supervising the midday lunch period.

Dressed in khaki pants and a black polo shirt, a uniform identical to that of her students, Porter shuffled children from lunch tables to lunch lines, picked up trash and cleaned up leftovers.

That's not work one might expect from a school principal, but in this case, Porter's presence in the cafeteria was strategic.

Porter and her entire administrative staff are new to the school. Charging administrators with lunchtime duty was part of a larger plan to introduce students to new rules and regulations set in place by the new administration.

"The [former] administrative team was replaced along with several teachers," Porter said.

The school is undergoing alternative governance for failing to meet the Adequate Yearly Progress goals in reading and math set by the No Child Left Behind Act.

Porter, a native of North Carolina, spent the last two years as principal of Lamont Elementary School in New Carrollton. She replaced former Greenbelt Middle School principal Judy Austin earlier this summer.

The idea of working with middle school students and being part of a positive change for an ailing institution lured her to Greenbelt Middle, she said.

"I really feel that I can make a difference at this school," Porter said. "And I really like the uniqueness of the developmental stages that middle school students go through."

Greenbelt Middle is home to about 800 students.

As principal, Porter's main charge is to improve standardized test scores, an area where the school has struggled.

"The instructional piece is the reason why I'm here," said Porter, noting that she intends to create a climate for academic excellence that will enable all students to thrive.

Porter said that under her leadership, students at Greenbelt Middle can expect rigorous, quality instruction.

"That means ensuring that students are totally engaged in the activities, extending learning beyond the school building in the form of field trips, and also having parents involved in the instruction," she said.

Across town, Natasha Jenkins is starting her second year as principal of Springhill Lake Elementary School.

Jenkins, a New York native, has spent her time focusing on getting to know the community and working with them to provide students and families with the resources they need, including English language translators and school supplies.

In June, the Prince George's County Board of Education adopted a $1.63 billion budget, a cut of nearly 5 percent from previous spending levels. Jenkins stressed that her school has been mildly impacted by the cuts. Parents and other community members have shored up any loose ends, she said.

"Sometimes I solicit support from the community to get composition notebooks or pencils or papers. Because of the economics, sometimes it's hard for parents," she said. "But we're going to make sure that we get everything students need to be successful in the classroom."

When Jenkins first arrived at Springhill Lake last year, one of her first assignments was to talk to students. Students informed her that they wanted to have more fun.

"Learning should be fun. I instituted student of the month, where I'm recognizing the efforts [not grades] students make," she said. "They also wanted some work done with their playground. We just redesigned the playground."

Jenkins said she is committed to cultivating high-performing students who will mature into lifelong learners. She is working to build a strong visual and performing arts component to Springhill Lake's curriculum. The school currently offers art and dance classes.

During these economic times, Jenkins said she is not interested in cutting teachers, staff or programs for her 800 students.

"There are vast amounts of community resources. It's just a matter of asking. If you tell me no, that just gives me more adrenaline to go somewhere else," Jenkins said. "We have to be warriors for education."