Schools
SHS Principal Finalist: I Want Opportunities for All Students
Natalie Collins, the sole finalist for the principal's job at Shorewood High School, says she wants to do more than just focus on the high achievers at the school.
The woman who wants to be the next principal of Shorewood High School told a group of parents Monday that if she gets the job, she will focus on meeting the needs of all students, not just the high achievers.
While saying that she would like to see an increase in the number of students who take advance placement courses, Natalie Collins also stressed that the school and its staff cannot forget about those who may not be on the college track.
Collins recalled how when she was a high school student, she was steered away from taking advanced courses.
"Just because I wasn't an honors kid, I wasn't allowed to pursue something that was my strength and interest," she said. "I want to provide as many opportunities to all students as we can."
Collins, who is the associate principal at Brookfield Central High School, spoke to about 50 people at an informal session at the Shorewood High School library.
Parents asked a variety of questions - ranging from how she would resolve potential parent-teacher conflicts to how she tackles the drug problem in her current position on Brookfield.
To say Collins is the frontrunner for the position is probably an understatement as she is the only candidate under consideration right now. A second finalist withdrew from consideration because of family issues, said Superintendent Marty Lexmond.
However, Lexmond said, that doesn't mean Collins is a lock for the job. Collins has been vetted by two interview panels Made up of teachers, administrators, residents, parents and students. After Monday's meeting, the district's hiring committee will make a final recommendation to the full School Board. If Collins is not the choice, the district would review other candidates, Lexmond said.
Collins has been at Brookfield Central since 2005. Before that, she was an English teacher at Custer High School in Milwaukee.
She is a 1999 graduate of Marquette University, has a master's degree from Marian University and a doctorate from Cardinal Stritch University.
Collins is vying to replace Matt Joynt, who resigned this month to take an assistant superintendent position in the Mequon-Theinsville School District.
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