Principal Ivor Mitchell is a force of nature. Everything he says and does ends with an exclamation point! Whether he’s talking about the new Ninth Grade Academy or the basketball team, each sentence is exultation, each word a declaration. He rattles off statistics that fly under the radar: Roosevelt High had the second-highest Advanced Placement (AP) exam pass rate among the non-application high schools last year; 33 percent of Roosevelt’s 11th and 12th grade students are taking at least one AP course; a 5 percent increase in the number of advanced and proficient scorers in DC CAS English, to name a few. The story of Roosevelt is one of steady progress.
Beyond numbers, he eagerly talks about students and the impact they have made on the school—right in front of them. They look sheepish, and then proud, as their larger-than-life principal sings their praises—with gestures, a strong voice and most of all, true admiration.
Jarrell Allen and Seleny Giron are in the principal’s office. Both seniors taking advanced classes, they’ve earned several scholarships to college. Both could have attended any high school of their choosing, says the principal, but they chose to thrive at their neighborhood school, Roosevelt.
“Jarrell—his nickname is Kobe,” Principal Mitchell said. “He’s deadly from the three-point line. But what’s even more impressive is that he’s a good human being. He’s very focused and he doesn’t put sports above learning.”
“[The teachers and staff here] make me feel welcome,” Jarrell said. “They make you feel safe. They push you. And even if you say something wrong in class, they don’t make you feel bad about it.”
Jarrell is interested in becoming an architect and sits on the school’s modernization committee. He also recently completed an internship with the DC College Access Program.
Principal Mitchell then turns to Seleny, an amazing student who is also a new mother. “I remember when she first came to Roosevelt. She was trying to figure out how to handle life as a teenager like everyone else,” Principal Mitchell said. “I noticed she paid attention when adults were speaking to her. You could tell she was listening. When she got pregnant, she could have looked at it in one of two ways: as a reason to give up on life, or as motivation. She chose motivation.”
When Seleny had doctor’s appointments, she sought extra help before or after school. She set an example for all the young women in the school, Principal Mitchell said. Because of her experiences with her child in the hospital, Seleny now seeks to pursue a career in medicine and will enroll in Trinity Washington University in the fall.
“When I started showing during my pregnancy, administrators and teachers asked me how I was doing. They were always available to help. You can go to them for anything, and you can tell them anything,” Seleny said.
“The fact that she wants to become a doctor, that does my heart good,” Principal Mitchell said. “You know how her story could have dropped off? It didn’t. I look up to her.”
Jarrell and Seleny are examples of the school’s underlying mission lived out: Address the issues that hold students back from learning, and then teach them well. In other words, “We recognize the challenges, we address the suffering, but then we say OK, what’s your plan today?” Principal Mitchell said.
To help with each student’s “plan”, Roosevelt features a one-stop shop to design their futures: the College and Career Center. When Principal Mitchell first arrived at Roosevelt over three years ago, he consolidated several offices and college prep organizations into one central location for students to access resources for post-high school. The Center helps students successfully exit Roosevelt.
As for entering students, 83 percent of Roosevelt ninth graders are currently on track for promotion to the tenth grade, the highest of any Academy in the district, said Chrisanne LaHue, Director of Ninth Grade Academy for DC Public Schools. The vision for Ninth Grade Academy is to give entering freshmen a seamless transition from middle school and propel them to high school success. To do this, the Ninth Grade Academy is like a school-within-a-school which puts all first-year freshmen together and coordinates curriculum and activities to give students a streamlined experience at the beginning of high school.
To add to the momentum, the Chancellor just announced that in school year 2015-16, Roosevelt will be transformed into an International Relations high school—combining the school’s brand new building with a brand new focus. Within the international theme, Roosevelt may offer dual-language programming, international travel for students, career and technical education programs, and partnerships with the community and universities.
After Principal Mitchell has finished talking about Jarrell and Seleny, they had something to say to him.
“Thank you. I appreciate everything you did for me,” Jarrell said.
“This school has done so much for me. I wish I could see how it grows,” Seleny said. “I don’t want to leave!”