Paideia Academy Hires New Director

Editor's note: The following is a press release from Paideia Academy.

After a national search, , an Apple Valley charter school, has named Ms. Marci Levy-Maguireas their new Director. She started on July 9, 2012.  Ms. Levy-Maguire came from Queens, NY where she recently started a new public high school and served as the school’s principal for two years.

Ms. Levy-Maguire grew up in a family of educators. Her father was an elementary school principal, and her mother started out as a teacher. After high school she attended Barnard College and received a degree in biology. She attended the University of North Carolina at Wilmington seeking a Master's in marine biology and transferred to Teachers College of Columbia University where she got a Masters in Science Education. According to Ms. Levy-McGuire, "While in school I was always teaching, and when in grad school I realized I wanted to be a teacher rather than a marine biologist. My training as a scientist is helpful. I understand and can use data very effectively." After obtaining her Master’s degree, she spent several years providing professional development for teachers and then seven years teaching at the high school level. She then spent several more years providing professional development before starting Queens Metropolitan High School in New York City.

Days after starting as Paideia’s director, Ms. Levy-Maguire met with the Paideia school board and gave her first director’s report. The board was impressed, as she really hit the ground running.  In a few short days she had already reorganized the family handbook and had added major sections to it, was in the middle of planning professional development for the teachers, and had reviewed many of the major issues in the school.

Ms. Levy-Maguire described the new position as very exciting. She commented, "Paideia Academy is in its eighth year of operation. We have dedicated teachers that are very invested in various programs and in educating the kids. So much good work has already been done. To take to school to the next level, we will work to refine this good work and make sure everything aligns to the school’s vision and mission statement." The walls of Ms. Levy-Maguire’s office feature multiple whiteboards. Paideia Academy’s vision and mission statement occupy one whiteboard so she can easily refer to it during her daily tasks.

The mission of Paideia Academy is to challenge and inspire learners by providing a rigorous, content-rich, classical education incorporating languages, music, and the arts while nurturing positive character development. "I was very happy to see character development as part of the school's mission.  Many schools lose sight of character development and focus on test scores, for example. Of course we will work on all aspects of education including helping students to meet or exceed in standardized tests.  However, people have to remember that schools are communities and that one aspect of a school is to teach students how to operate in a community as happy adults.”

Ms. Levy-Maguire sees her teaching and administrative experience at the high school level as a positive for Paideia Academy.  “I'm very well aware where students need to be upon entering high school. I also feel it's very helpful to guide students by letting them know what will be expected at next level of education." In addition, Ms. Levy-Maguire sees her experience in New York as a positive for Paideia Academy. She commented, "New York is at the forefront of education and they're always trying new things. It can be messy. Some things work and some things don't. I will be able to use my experience from New York to help incorporate the successful educational concepts as they are needed at Paideia Academy.”

According to Stephanie Abraham, current Chair of Paideia Academy’s School Board, “Two attributes I felt Ms. Levy- Maguire brought to the director position were her analytical skills, due to her strong science background, and her experience of working at the high school level. In her short time with Paideia Academy, she has already been analyzing student test scores, percentages of improvement and teaching methods to get a sense of where the school may need to tweak its program and how best to implement those changes for the greatest results. Science, a topic close to her heart, will receive a greater amount of attention. Also, having worked with high school students and seeing gaps in their education, Ms. Levy- Maguire will use that experience to ensure that our elementary and middle school students are being well prepared for high school.“