Featured News

Skillman Foundation helps Catholic schools, principals

By Joe Kohn
Of The Michigan Catholic
Published August 20, 2004

DETROIT – Sometimes, school administrators need a little help.

And, thanks to a Detroit-based organization called the Skillman Foundation, several Catholic schools in the city are getting it. This year, Loyola High School, East Catholic Elementary and St. Luke/St. Brigid Elementary will each have an assistant principal courtesy of the Skillman Foundation, which has given the Archdiocese of Detroit Office for Catholic Schools a grant of $180,000.

The money funds year two of a three-year, $540,000 endeavor, called a principal proficiency program, aimed at training principals for Detroit schools – public, charter or private.

"Our research in education tells us that a strong instructional leader is a key to good schools," says Alison Harmon, senior program officer of the Skillman Foundation. "Focusing on this initiative gives (participating schools) a much-needed opportunity for upgrading that leadership."

The assistant principals in the three Catholic schools will act as principals in training. They will report to each of the school's respective principals. The Skillman Foundation has agreed to grant the Office for Catholic Schools $180,000 for three years. This is the second year of the program.

Last year, the Skillman foundation funded the training of assistant principals at Christ the King Elementary, Dominican High School and St. Scholastica Elementary.

Those involved say the program already has paid dividends.

Michael Kaminski, who last year trained as assistant principal at St. Scholastica Elementary, is starting his first year as a principal, of St. Pius X Elementary in Southgate.

"I needed to see that this is what I wanted to do," said Kaminski, who two years ago was a teacher at Christ the Good Shepherd in Lincoln Park. "That's why the program worked very well for me. It really strengthened my views that I did want to be an administrator of a school."

On-the-job training is invaluable for assistant principals – but it's not the only training they get. The Office for Catholic Schools also facilitates workshops and sends the principals in training to national conferences.

Kaminski isn't the only one who was glad he could train as assistant principal at St. Scholastica last year.

Faye Vaughn, principal of St. Scholastica, said having Kaminski as assistant principal helped the school in various ways. For example, Kaminski helped facilitate the school's mentoring program. Also, his help with day-to-day administrative duties helped Vaughn devote more time to a school-wide math program to help students achieve higher grades.

"Often times, the (principal) needs the time to be innovative and focus on people – children, parents, teachers, community – but we are forced to manage in survival mode," says Vaughn. "Having an assistant principal allowed me to become an overall educational leader, as opposed to a school manager."

Freeing up the school's principal wasn't a side benefit, either, says John Rashid, associate superintendent for the Archdiocese Office for Schools. Rashid says the training program's potential to strengthen a school's administration for a year was what motivated the office to apply of the grant.

"One of the main goals is to free up the principal who is very busy," he says. "Oftentimes the academic piece (mean peace?) can get pushed to the back – so we're training these assistant principals to make it their priority to raise academic standards and the level of instruction."

So far, says Harmon, the Skillman Foundation is pleased with what it's seen in the principal training program. She says it's a benefit for all Detroit schools, since the principals become qualified to teach at Catholic, public and charter schools.

"At this point, we're encouraged by the results," Harmon says. "And we're confident that this grant, as well as others, is going to help us to achieve the goal of providing good schools to all the kids in the city of Detroit."

The Skillman Foundation describes itself as a resource for improving the lives of children in metropolitan Detroit.

Started in 1960 by Rose P. Skillman – widow of Robert Skillman, a vice president of Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Co. – the foundation has a grant-making budget of $21.7 million per year. It issues grant to help support education, foster positive relationships between children and adults, and build communities.