Sung-Joon Pai's
name means intelligent or brilliant in Korean. But Pai wasn't named the
headmaster of the newly formed Media Communications and Technology High
School for his name, but because he exhibits the meaning of his name.
The MCT school is one of four new theme schools
at West Roxbury High School created by the Boston Public School system to
take advantage of smaller classes and to better engage students with faculty.
Like Superintendent Thomas Payzant and Mayor
Thomas M. Menino, Pai has witnessed the importance of having smaller classes
at the Boston Arts Academy. He is a founding faculty member of the academy,
where he's taught science, writing, advised, coordinated curriculum and
chaired the science department.
"I think there's a lot of studies out
there showing that small schools and themed high schools are working and
that more personalization is working, too," said Pai, a Roslindale
resident. "We have schools in Boston that are small and have been working."
Pai has also worked at the Fenway High School,
and both schools have received recognition for their achievements.
Pai said the National Association of Secondary
School Principals, a project funded by Microsoft billionaires Bill and Melinda
Gates, recognized both schools as two of 12 breakthrough high schools that
have at least 50 percent minority students, 50 percent students who are
eligible for free and reduced price meals, and both 90 percent high school
graduation and college admission rates.
"You get to customize your education
to the students' needs," said Pai about small schools. "I think
it really changes how high schools function given how our population is
changing. There are lots of special needs students, and there has been so
much research into learning styles. Teachers have learned how to teach to
those students."
Luckily, many MCT teachers have already been
working in the program, which has been operating in the school since 1991,
according to Pai. The program also already has a good reputation with students.
Prior to this year, students have received
high school diplomas as well as MCT certificates. Students will still receive
those documents as well as a MOUS certificate; for becoming a Microsoft
Office User Specialist. Being MOUS-certified means that a student will be
an expert in programs such as Excel, Microsoft Office and PowerPoint. Pai
added that businesses readily acknowledge MOUS certificate recipients.
MCT students may also take classes in graphic
design, Web design, visual arts such as photography and digital photography.
Other classes will be offered in print journalism, graphic arts, television
and video.
Pai said the school already has excellent
television and video equipment because it has existed since 1991.
The new headmaster said that out of the 375
students, about 80 or so will be Haitian who will be working in a sheltered
English immersion program. After being named headmaster, Pai has been working
with Haitian community organizations to learn about their culture and community.
He's even looking forward to learning Creole to communicate better with
his students and their parents.
MCT faculty also already have a partnership
with Boston College, Home Inc., which participated in the design of the
school. Home Inc., has also offered up its services to teaching MCT teachers
media literacy to teach teachers how to teach better.
The Private Industry Council will also be
working with MCT to help students find summer jobs and internships. Pai
said he's looking forward to creating partnerships with local newspapers
such as the Transcript, and local television stations.
And the teachers are already gung-ho about
MCT, Pai said 26 of the 29 teacher slots are already filled, and the other
three will be filled in the coming weeks. Pai added he's happy that most
of the teachers already know the building and many of their students.
As for the students, they will know by the
end of April which school out of the four they will be attending. Students
will also be taking core classes such as English, math and science along
with their theme classes. Students will also have the option to take a core
curriculum if they so desire, according to Payzant.
Pai added he's looking forward to the challenge
of starting a new school.
"The first three to five years, you try
out new systems, trying to find advantages to having a smaller school. At
the Boston Arts Academy, we would try something out for a while, see if
it works and adapt it. It takes patience to go through a growth period like
that."
But Pai isn't pushing for every single student
to go into a media, communications or technology career.
"My hope is that the graduates will always
be the media-savvy consumers. Whether they do it for a career is not the
point, but that they are intelligent about the media is."
David Ertischek can be reached at dertisch@cnc.com. |
