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October—l99s-National BLACK MONITOR
MONITOR
Mentor
Some years ago, a prominent feature of
the National BLACK MONITOR was the
MONITOR Mentor column. Herein we ex
tolled the achievements of outstanding
African American men and women who
serve as role models for us all. This month
we reinstate this column with a look at the
accomplishments of Dr. Jacqueline B.
Miller.
A December 1994 issue of the Michigan
Chronicle, a Black Detroit weekly newspa
per, featured Southeastern High School of
which Dr. Miller is the proud principal,
made the following report:
"Southeastern High School, located
on Fairview off of Mack Avenue, has
served as a strong ship inthe commu
nity. Southeastern has experienced its
share of rough water as well as calm,
but the school looks to a new captain
to keep it on course to friendlier seas.
Dr. Jcqueline B. Miller has stepped
into the captain's chair as principal at
Southeastern High School and will be
steering her ship into friendlier ports."
Dr. Miller has indeed accomplished this
feat. The General Superintendent's Annual
Report for 1994/95 cited Southeastern as
one of the "Outstanding Partnership
Schools." It is to that report that we turn
now for an official appraisal of the work
being done in one corner of our world.
The purple, it's everywhere: on the walls
in the hallways, on the doors, on the ath
letic jerseys, within the school song, inher
ent in the school yearbook's namesake
jewel, the" Amethyst." it'sthe color of choice
for stencil lettering adorning bulletin
boards, onteachers' blotter pads, on vari
ous classroom decorations, on the age
old floortiling, onthe covers of the student
handbook, on staff name badges, and
embedded in the feltink of magic markers.
It's worn prominently each Friday of the
school year.
As one of the more unusual school col
ors, shared by only one other, consider
ably newer high schoolonthe other side of
the city, the birilliant hue conjures up its
symbolic interpretations of power, high
rank and authority--all deserved by this
mighty fortress and source of pride mark
ing the city's eastern landscape. Actually,
this tale, passed on through many genera
tions, pins the crigin of the school's colors
on some spring time flowers that adorned
the swampy fields surrounding the school
site on what once was the outer stretches
of the city. That was 82 years ago.
Page10
Meet Dr.
Jacqueline B.
Miller
| fi‘ .
"The history of Southeastern High School
is strongly entrenched in the minds of staff
and students, and carried on by our
alumni," says Dr. Jacqueline Miller, who
became principal in the fall of 1994. In
reference to the weekly tradition of dis
playing even more of the school's colors.
she notes, "No one has to say it's Spirit
Day. They know it's Spirit Day."
Now that spirit also supports the 1,150 -
student school's successful efforts to be
come a High School of Technology, pro
claimed by the General Superintendent as
the school district's model for technology
innovations. The two phase project en
tailed professional development and tar
geted 11th and 12th graders. Beginning
next year, all students will have equal ac
cess to the technology, with each depart
ment connected via a local area network
and each classroom possessing a mini
mum of four computers and a printer.
Some rooms will be outfitted with video
equipment, laser discs, CD-ROM and sat
ellite capabilities. And the school didn't
forget the installation of appropriate secu
rity.
Principal Miller assesses her successful
first year at Southeastern. "We seem to
have sparked a new sense of enthusiasm
within the building, and with the addition of
several new staff, an upgraded curriculum
and positive, student oriented people,
we've given everyone something exciting
to think about and latch on to."
These [are combined] with the Ronald
Edmonds Academy for future educators,
a proud Detroit Compact partnership with
theIRS -yes, thelnternal Revenue Service,
anaward-winningAcademic Games team,
and numerous other clubs and extracur
ricular activities.
Have you made a contribution to the NAACP, Operation PUSH, SCLC, or the Local Urban League This Month?
MIS-EDUCATION OF AFRICAN AMERICANS
(Continued from Page 8)
XlI-Q. WHY IS The ADVANCER SYSTEM
PREFERRED TO OTHER COMPEN
SATORYAND/OR SUPPLEMENTAL
LEARNING MEASURES FOR URBAN
YOUNG PEOPLE?
XlI-A. First, the system was developed by
widely-experienced Black educators--and
always will be administered on a totally
not-for-profit and partnership basis with
each school system. AOIP's concernis the
salvation and transformation of all of our
urban communities, and its leaders know
that this cannot be done without a close,
Besides a doctorate in education Dr.
Miller also holds an M.A. in Teaching, an
M. Ed. in Secondary Mathematics and a
B.S. in Elementary Education. She has
also pursued postgraduate studies in Com
puter and Information Science.
Dr. Miller holds membership in a number
of prestigious organizations. She is the
Recording Secretary of the National Alli
ance of Black School Educators (NABSE).
The other organizations include the Na
tional Association of Secondary School
Principals, National Sorority of Phi Delta
Kappa (Detroit Chapter), Michigan Coali
tion for Staff Development and Supervi
sion, and the Association for Supervision
and Curriculum Development.
From the long list of her achievements
and professional activities, Dr. Miller singles
outthefollowing as particularly significant:
Organizer of the Metropolitan Detroit Alli
ance of Black School Educators
(MDABSE); Professional Development
Workshop, a program of professional de
velopment for Detroit area educators; Pre
senter at the 1990 Ronald Edmonds Sum
mer Academy in Atlanta, Georgia; Pre
senter at the 1990 annual conference of
NABSE in Dallas, Texas; Developer of the
Ronald Edmonds Academy, School-
Within-a-School Program at Southeastern
High School of Technology; Immediate
Past President of MDABSE; Former Vice-
Chair of NABSE's Local School Adminis
tration Commission; Former Executive
Board Member of the Professional
Women's Network of Detroit; and Editor of
the MDABSE Newsletter.
Before coming to Southeastern, Dr. Mill
er was the Principal of Cadillac Middle
School in Detroit; Assistant Principal at
Redford High School; Mathematics De
partment Head, Redford High; Mathemat
ics teacher, Southeastern High; and el
ementary, middle and junior high school
math teacher in Detroit.
Dr. Miller is married to Calvin Miller, a
school administrator. They are the proud
parents of Joseph Miller, a software engi
neer.
flexible and mutually-respectful relation
ship with each school district in every ur
ban-area community.
Second, the professionals who have cre
ated The ADVANCER "fun-to-learn" news
paper insert element of the system--and
who will continue updating materials, etc.
on an every-week basis--are largely retired
urban area educators, importantly includ
ing the National Alliance of Black School
Educators' (NABSE) Commission on In
struction and Instructional Support, along
with a broad cross section of profession
als from other disciplines who work under
the overall direction of the project coordi
nator (please see end of article), who al
ways is available whenever questions/con
cerns cannot be resolved otherwise.
Third, AOIP volunteers--importantly includ
ing local religious and other groups--will
be dealing with parental involvement (im
portantly including some seemingly-unco
operative or extremely hostile to teachers
type of behavior) in a "hands-on" way not
easily possible by--or wise for--the school
system alone. Also, we know this will be
one of the most sensitive areas of all.
Fourth, AOIP's retired educators (and oth
ers where needed) are available for con
sulting/planning with the classroom teach
ers and administrators on a continuous
basis.
Fifth, the system is designed to be in op
eration all through the twelve months of
the year so that continuity in learning is
not lost, and time consuming new momen
tum efforts will not have to begin anew
each school year.
Sixth, time consuming field testing is to
tally eliminated since this is a supplemen
tal system designed primarily to bring joy,
excitement and commitment to the learn
ing process.
This Q & A coverage of The ADVANCER
System will continue in the November Va
tional BLACK MONITOR. If you have ques
tions and/or comments, please address
them to Ms. Emille Smith, National AOIP
Coordinator, or Dr. Betty Mansfield,
Deputy Director of AOIP and Project Co
ordinator of The ADVANCER, 231 West
29th Street, Suite 1205, New York, NY
10001; Telephone (212) 967-4000.
/O\ v