Steffen Timmer interviewed Scott McKissick, the principal at Davenport Central High School to get his insights on how to run a high school with exceptional arts programs.
Date: 2/27/2017
Type: Expert Interview
Location: Phone Call
Team participants: Conducted interview alone
User Characteristics: Iowa High School Principal
Male
Principal of high school that deals with open enrollment and is known for great performing arts
What is this person about – what drives him/her? Driven to create the best environment possible for students to succeed.
What is this person’s biggest point of pain? Dealing with high schools in other districts that are better known for athletics or academics. For example, team that won state in basketball last year had three kids on team that lived in Davenport Central school district.
Memorable quote from interview: “Families go where kids think they can succeed.”
Top 3 Learnings:
- Finding ways to compete on a larger scale than other schools is key. Kids are naturally competitive and if you create opportunities where they can compete nationally than kids will be drawn in. Davenport Central sends kids to Disney World and NYC for show choir, Lucas Oil Stadium for band nationals.
- Tradition matters. If people went to a high school and enjoyed it, or people who you know enjoyed a high school, then that high school becomes more attractive.
- Alumni events are key. Between raising money for the school and keeping public perception of the school high, bringing alumni back to the school as much as possible is necessary. Davenport Central hosts ½ dozen alumni events every year in order to keep relationships strong. $250,000 scholarship fund at school funded by alumni.
Key Insight –
(1) Clay can better capitalize on alumni networks to make enrollment from the local area higher.
(2) Competing at a higher level than other local high schools is necessary.
(3) New additions matter. Davenport Central is finishing up a $28 million addition to school, which includes a new auditorium and swimming pool. Kids are already transferring to Central because the swimming pool is supposed to be the biggest, fastest pool in Iowa.
(4) Principal McKissick said his school had very good academic results and attributed a lot of this to the idea that band/arts students are generally hard-working, motivated students. Perhaps Clay’s target group is this student who focuses on high academics and high arts achievement.