It isn't uncommon for Mfon Archibong to work 10- to 12-hour days as the director of a North Minneapolis alternative school where more than 75 percent of the students live in poverty and many have been kicked out of other schools. Archibong took the reins at the 115-student Minneapolis Urban League Academy elementary school this fall after serving as the school's assistant director. His new job comes with the reality that school leaders are the most influential factor in students' academic achievement after classroom instruction. Yet studies also point to a dearth of high-quality training for all school leaders, but especially at nontraditional public schools, at a time when charter school enrollment is growing.
Even so, Archibong won't face his first year as a school leader alone, thanks to a new initiative called the Minnesota Leadership Academy for Charter and Alternative Public Schools. He's one of 14 current and aspiring school leaders receiving a year of training and mentoring from business and education leaders on the instructional and managerial responsibilities of non-traditional public schools.
'Sharpen my goals'
"I've always had this passion around learning how to help different groups of kids learn," said Archibong, a former Head Start teacher and administrator. "But what this does is help me sharpen my goals for this school."
The Center for School Change at the University of Minnesota launched the academy last fall, supported by a five-year, $600,000 state grant. The initiative comes as enrollment in state charter schools has doubled since 2003 to more than 28,000 students.
"One of the needs we've perceived in expanding school choice is the need for strong, well-qualified leadership," said Morgan Brown, assistant commissioner of the state Department of Education. "That's one area where charter [and alternative] schools have struggled. We know for [those] schools it's even more important because of their autonomy."
Earlier this month Archibong met with his mentor Al Fan, a former General Mills executive, to discuss initiatives such as boosting attendance by developing systems to update parents' contact information and recognizing students whose attendance and grades have improved. Archibong's education mentor is John Sedey, a former Mounds View schools administrator.
In them, Archibong said, he has access to proven advice and support from both fields.
