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New school leaders stress rigorous learning

Brake, Newsome start new positions upcounty overseeing school performance

Wednesday, July 12, 2006

Click here to enlarge this photo Johnny Simon⁄The Gazette Kathy L. Brake, until recently the principal of Washington Grove Elementary School, has been appointed the new director of school performance for the Gaithersburg, Damascus and Clarksburg school clusters.

Kathy L. Brake, principal at Washington Grove Elementary in Gaithersburg, and Edward Newsome Jr., principal at Maryvale Elementary in Rockville, say they will focus on raising the bar for learning as they take on their new positions this month.

Brake and Newsome work directly with new Community Superintendent Adrian Talley, helping to oversee the daily operations of 38 schools and nearly 28,000 students for the Gaithersburg, Watkins Mill, Magruder, Damascus and Clarksburg clusters.

This is the first year this group of schools will have two directors of school performance.

The addition of Clarksburg High School, the county’s first new high school since 1998, and a surge of development and growth in the upcounty prompted the additional position, school spokeswoman Kate Harrison said.

Combined, Brake, and Newsome, both 57, have served nearly 65 years in education as teachers and administrators.

They say their experiences working with particularly diverse school communities — made up of large pockets of African American and Hispanic students — will translate easily to their new jobs.

The schools they cover are one of the most diverse groups in the county. Minority students comprise more than half of the populations at Watkins Mill, Col. Zadok Magruder and Gaithersburg high schools.

‘‘That’s helpful, if they have a grasp on this area demographically. It’s a big part of it,” said Allyson Morrison, parent liaison for area schools.

New faces Kathy L. Brake Age: 57 Education: Bachelor of Science degree, Ohio State University; Masters degree, University of North Florida; Doctorate in Educational Leadership, Bowie State University. Career: 35 years in education; elementary school teacher and specialist for 15 years in Virginia and Florida; Kindergarten teacher at Farmland Elementary for four years; two years assistant principal and principal intern at county schools; 15 years principal at Washington Grove Elementary. On standardized tests: ‘‘They are only one picture. We must attend to them, but we also must continue to establish a nurturing, caring environment where all children can learn.” Edward Newsome Jr. Age: 57 Education: Bachelor degree in Education, Elizabeth City State University; Masters degree, Bowie State University; Doctorate in Educational Leadership, Nova Southeastern University. Career: 30 years in education; elementary school teacher for 15 years in Virginia, Washington, D.C. and Maryland; vice principal and principal two years in Prince George’s County schools; assistant superintendent for four years in Prince George’s County schools; Adjunct professor, Bowie State University from 1994 to present; principal, Maryvale Elementary, two years. The biggest challenge facing educators today: ‘‘To get all children performing at the maximum level. To do that, we need to bring all stakeholders together for one single focus.”

Directors of school performance typically work closely with principals, ensuring that staff development and the school’s daily operations are up to par.

Brake, who has taught in three different states, says one of the greatest challenges for educators is reaching out to parents. At Washington Grove, nearly 45 percent of the student population is Hispanic, a group growing in numbers across the upcounty.

‘‘In their home countries, [parents] may not have been allowed to participate in the school system. We want to break that barrier. We say, ‘No, no, no — here in Montgomery County we want all parents involved,’ ” Brake said.

Newsome has worked in elementary, middle and high schools in Virginia and Prince George’s County and was a professor at Bowie State University before taking a principal post at Maryvale Elementary in 2004.

His focus has long been on narrowing the achievement gap with minority students, especially at the middle school level, he said.

Newsome wants to work with teachers to help discuss different learning styles among students, which he says will help identify how to improve overall achievement.

‘‘We need to continue to establish rigor,” he said. ‘‘We do that by empowering teachers.”

Brake and Newsome replace Talley, who was promoted to community superintendent this year.

Another area principal, Eric Davis from Montgomery Village Middle School, was hired recently as school performance director for downcounty schools.

Brake and Newsome started their posts July 1.