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Michael Mann became a principal at North Star Academy Charter School in 2005. To mark 20 years in that position, Mann reflected recently on the winding road that led him to a career in education.
“I entered education accidentally,” said Mann, who now serves as head of school at Washington Park High School, part of the North Star Academy system in Newark.
After graduating magna cum laude from Harvard University in 1991, Mann pursued a career in foreign service in the U.S. State Department. He had been interested in working in government and studied Chinese languages for years. He quickly realized, however, that foreign service wasn’t the path for him.
“I left government work with the goal of living in Asia, but the only way I could afford it was to teach English,” Mann said. “That experience changed my life.”
The turning point led to a 32-year career in education, including two decades as a principal at North Star schools, one of the largest charter school systems in Newark.
“I really loved teaching and was good at it,” Mann recalled. “When I returned to the United States, I decided to apply to Teach for America because it seemed like the best way to create positive social change. I was right.”
The veteran educator recently shared with Chalkbeat some advice for early-career educators, his thoughts on education policy affecting his school community, ways he stays engaged with families, and more.
This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.
What was your first education job? What made you want to become a school leader?
I first taught in the District of Columbia Public Schools for three years. Then, I taught for two years at a charter school in Massachusetts. During that time, I worked with lots of great people, but I did not see good examples of leadership. After getting my master’s degree in teaching from Harvard’s Graduate School of Education in 1998, I wanted to get back into urban education.
I visited North Star Academy in Newark, even though I had never been to New Jersey. I met Jamey Verrilli and Norman Atkins, co-founders of North Star Academy, and knew that I was in the right place. I had never met such committed, honest, blunt, transparent leaders. They scared me and inspired me. After seven years of watching Jamey run our middle school, I offered to start our second middle school. That is now our Clinton Hill Middle School.
Tell us about your own experience with school and how it affects your work today.
I did not have great teachers. Some of my teachers were charismatic narcissists, and I saw how ineffective and selfish they were. That has made me wary of teachers who want to be the center of attention. I don’t believe that those teachers are effective. From my experience, the best teachers are humble, nerdy, former athletes. They know how to work together, they understand perseverance, and they put the goal of student growth and achievement above other things.
Can you share an experience, recent or not, with a student that changed your perspective or approach to an issue?
I have control issues. I prefer order and structure because I think it promotes safety and success. But a few years ago, one of our senior class leaders asked to do a walkout to protest gun violence in schools. I tried to talk her out of it, but she was very determined. So, we planned it out. Almost the entire school participated in the walkout in Harriet Tubman Square by making signs, giving short speeches, releasing balloons, etc. The students organized all of it. I just watched, impressed. It was in the news. After it was done, we all walked back to the school and finished the day. Interestingly, the former senior class leader who organized most of it is now my colleague at Washington Park High School. She is an excellent special educator!
After 20-plus years in the field, what’s the best advice you have for educators starting out in their career?
Good intentions aren’t enough. In order to be an effective teacher, you need to spend time really preparing and paying attention to student work. Most teachers don’t spend enough time looking at student work.
What issue in education policy is having a big impact on your school right now? How are you addressing it?
We all need to do more to support undocumented students and their families. Schools need to communicate to all families that their children are safe at school and that we will do everything to protect them.
This spring, we did a project where we put up framed, permanent posters all around the school and at all of our entrances — in English and Spanish — to tell all students and families that they are valued and protected while at school. The posters also gave support information for families with questions or concerns. We put together “red cards” in four languages that we made available to staff, students, and parents at four of our schools. With these cards, undocumented students and parents could give them to police or federal agents in lieu of questioning. My son, who is 17 and goes to Verona High School, worked with our juniors on this project, to put up the posters, create the cards, and distribute them.
Our security teams already know that we will not allow federal agents into our buildings. We will only cooperate with local law enforcement.
Tell us about how you engage families to participate in your school community. Is there a common piece of feedback you get from families, and how do you respond to it?
I am outside at dismissal every day — rain, snow, or shine. Parents know this, so they will sometimes use this as an opportunity to give me feedback, ask questions, lobby for a cause, or give me information. When they are upset, they let me know. For a while, the parents of transfer students complained that we did not do enough to support them. They were right. We ended up changing our approach. Now we provide a lot of math tutoring for transfer students.
How do you take care of yourself when you’re not at work?
Well, I take care of myself at work, too. I have an excellent staff. I don’t try to do everything. At home, I have three sons and a great wife, who is also a teacher. We are usually at a soccer game, traveling to a tournament, or watching the Premier League!
Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.
