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Health & Fitness

Messmer Catholic Schools Appoints New President

Brown Deer High School Principal James Piatt to Lead Messmer’s 1,600 students

Milwaukee, WI -- July 24, 2013 – After completing a nationwide search, Messmer Catholic Schools announced today the hiring of a new president to oversee the school’s 1,600 students at its 3 campuses.  James Piatt was appointed President by the Messmer Board of Directors this week.  Mr. Piatt will be transitioning from his current position as Brown Deer High School Principal to Messmer Catholic Schools President in the next month. He officially starts in his new role Aug. 20.

Mr. Piatt is not an unfamiliar face at Messmer; from 1991-1996, he served as both a math and computer teacher at Messmer High School as well as the Girls’ Basketball Coach.  In 1996, he was named Associate Principal at Franklin High School, then went on to serve as Principal at Dominican High School from 1998-2004. The Brown Deer School District hired Mr. Piatt as Principal of its High School in 2004.

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According to Messmer Board Member and search committee chair Peter Salza, “The search committee at Messmer was quite struck by Jim Piatt’s passion for excellence in urban education.  In the last several years, the successes of Brown Deer students in core academics have received much well-deserved attention.” He added, “We were also very excited that Jim knows Messmer and its school community very well, considering his years as a teacher and coach here.”

Among other accomplishments while at Brown Deer, Mr. Piatt was responsible for implementing an aggressive literacy program that has resulted in 84% of Brown Deer’s black sophomores rating proficient or advanced in reading, compared with 78% for all students in the state and 48% for all black 10th graders in the state (Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Exam - Grade 10, 2011-2012).

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The Brown Deer district, like Messmer’s, is made up of predominantly minority students.  And like Brown Deer, the Messmer school community is diverse economically, yet with more families that are at or near the poverty level.

Despite the high level of poverty among its students, Messmer has achieved success through its disciplined strategy of educating the whole child intellectually, spiritually and physically.  Today, Messmer celebrates a 95% attendance rate at all of its schools and more than 85% of graduates go on to attend higher education.

“The unprecedented dedication of the supporters, educators, leaders, and families of Messmer Catholic Schools has been an inspiration to many people in our community, myself included,” said James Piatt. “For more than two decades, Messmer has been a leader in Milwaukee and nationally for the historic reform of the educational market for children.  As this market is changing and rapidly expanding, I look forward to guiding Messmer Catholic Schools as we encounter a new set of challenges and opportunities in 2013 and beyond. I feel deeply blessed to have the opportunity to return to Messmer in a new role.”

About Messmer Catholic Schools

Messmer Catholic Schools dedicate themselves to serving a diverse, urban population and providing their students with an education that represents the schools’ Catholic heritage. Messmer Catholic Schools prepare their graduates to excel in college, to succeed in the work force, and to become productive citizens. Messmer Catholic Schools serve over 1,600 students in grades K4-12 at three campuses: Messmer High School, Messmer Preparatory Catholic School and St. Rose and St. Leo Catholic School.  Strong in academics, grounded in faith, rich in diversity, Messmer Catholics Schools can be found online at www.messmerschools.org.

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