New KHS principal looks to lead wave of innovation

“Take risks but be held accountable,” Manuel said. “We understand that we have standardized tests, but English test prep should not replace an English curriculum.”

Tech-savvy

Manuel, an admitted techie, said that part of making the modern age accessible to modern students at Accion was making technology available to them. The classrooms in the school were retrofitted with smartboards, each teacher provided with a laptop and each student a netbook  — and later an iPad — to give them a link to education when they were at home with their families. Between the netbooks and iPads, Manuel reckoned Accion spent around $750 per student, a fraction of the annual cost of educating them. The money was at least partially offset by the school not buying new textbooks and instead having teachers shape their curriculum by using constantly updatable information found on websites through the Library of Congress and other legitimate sources.

A student’s academic growth wasn’t the only thing Accion focused on during Manuel’s tenure, either. Physical, social and emotional growth was also part of the picture. And discipline was viewed as something to be tackled before there was a problem whenever possible.

“We didn’t believe in discipline, which we had to always clarify,” Manuel said. “Discipline we see as an instructional issue. If students aren’t engaged in the classroom, they will act out.”

Students were also encouraged to perform community service – around 250 hours during their three years in the school – including helping with a food drive, cleaning local parks and visiting senior centers.

Manuel acknowledged that not every initiative worked, but he preferred to look at how to adapt those bumps in the road so they’d lead to success the next time around.

“I failed along the way, but I never saw it as a failure,” he said. “Everything is a learning opportunity.”

Change agent

Though Kingston High School is more than 10 times the size of Accion Academy, Manuel said the direction the district is moving — breaking up the school into smaller learning communities — and the energy and enthusiasm he’s seen to bring about change is why he believes a similar philosophy and culture change could work in Kingston.