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At Middleton, a new focus and new principal

Tribune photo by MICHAEL SPOONEYBARGER

"Middleton suffers from reputation, not reality," says the school's new principal Owen Young. "We're suffering because of perception. "

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By COURTNEY CAIRNS PASTOR

cpastor@tampatrib.com

Published: August 9, 2009

TAMPA - Middleton High School's new principal has only worked at the school for a year, but his ties go back decades.

Owen Young, 39, grew up nearby, and his father graduated from the original Middleton in 1969. Young attended the school when it was a junior high.

A historically black high school, Middleton closed in 1971 after desegregation, converted to a junior high and reopened in a new building as a high school in 2002.

Young attended Howard University in Washington, D.C., where the football player helped organize teammates to tutor and mentor inner-city middle-school students.

He earned an undergraduate degree in communications and a master's degree in education.

He worked as a guidance counselor and assistant principal in Maryland from 1994 to 2005 before returning to Hillsborough County as King High School's assistant principal for student affairs.

In 2008, he became the assistant principal for curriculum at Middleton.

The school board tapped him to take over as Middleton's principal last month, replacing Carl Green. He is charged with turning around a school that remains on a state watch list for low grades, based on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test.

What does it take for a school to succeed?

When you look at schools that are effective, they have several components. First, especially in a city school, you have to have a strong instructional focus that offsets some of the issues that the kids are bringing to school. It has to be a curriculum and an instruction that is relevant and rigorous to keep the kids engaged. That comes from the institution and myself as the instructional leader.

The second piece is the parents. The parents have to be empowered. They have to be able to identify what they do with their kids away from school and how it aligns with student achievement - such as a specific time to study every night.

The last pieces are the partnerships. I'm going to reach out and do partnerships with the business stakeholders in the area.

>b>How can you encourage parent involvement?

We have to go out to the community. We have to go out and meet parents on their turf. If you look around the country, there's a disconnect, especially with the inner-city schools. We have to go to the churches, the community centers and the recreation centers.

How will your background in guidance help you as principal?

You have to be sensitive to the needs of people. It's not always what's popular. Guiding doesn't mean you whole-heartedly accept everything. You provide the most beneficial service for the cause. Sometimes it's not nurturing. Sometimes it's tough love.

You have to be sensitive but make the hard decisions.

Middleton suffers from reputation, not reality. We're suffering because of perception. (Middleton has) some of the most committed instructional leaders I've seen. You have a superintendent and staff that (are) providing the support we need.

Middleton has an active alumni association. How can you use them this year?

The alumni have to identify with the overall vision of the school. They have to make sure Middleton is viewed in light of the great things that are happening here. We all have to be speaking the same language.

What did you learn from Carl Green?

Mr. Green is all about children. He's a very strong and focused leader. He wants what's in the best interest of children. He's very clear about that. He expressed a level of love for the kids. When that's in play, you could push them in the best direction.

Reporter Courtney Cairns Pastor can be reached at (727) 451-2343.

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