When Michael Tipton signed up for Teach For America and requested a spot in any New York City high school teaching history, he didn’t expect Dangerous Minds or Mr. Holland’s Opus. Well, maybe a little bit.
“There’s always a little bit of Hollywood that sticks in your head,” he says. “But what those movies leave out is the day-in and day-out consistent working.”
After giving an assessment exam at the beginning of the school year, he realized just how daunting his job would be. Some of his students couldn’t correctly answer “Who was George Washington?” in multiple-choice tests. And these students needed to pass a Regents exam⎯similar to a Graduate Exit Exam⎯for his American History class. In the beginning, only 2 of his 110 students were at a pace to pass. After a year, 78 of his students passed.
The key to their success⎯high expectations and hard work⎯are things Tipton says hadn’t necessarily been integral in his students’ lives. But from Day One, he started talking to his students about college, excellence and not just getting by.
His two-year teaching commitment ended in June 2007, but Teach For America wasn’t done with him and neither was he. There was an executive position open in Louisiana and he got it, returning to his hometown to lead 74 teachers in four parishes.
Now the double-degree man (history and political science from LSU) is fueling his passion for education while deepening his skill set: conquering everything from media relations and fundraisers to working with school districts.
“If it’s possible to be exhausted and exhilarated at the same time, I think that’s a fair description.”
When he’s not knee-deep in pedagogical matters, you might find the new homeowner working in the yard or reading a book. He’s currently expanding his knowledge through Einstein: His Life and Universe and if you’re not careful, he might teach you a thing or two.
If you could have a job other than your own, what would it be?
“Governor. We have an amazing state and yet there are still plenty opportunities for progress.”
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