We had a chance to chat with Cherise Ayers, the principal at Central High School in Saint Paul, MN during a recent transformation with collaborator 3M. She has a long history with Central as an alum and administrator.
“I am entering my third year as principal here at my alma mater. Central has a long history in the community and is the oldest high school in Minnesota. When I was a student here, my principal was Mary Mackbee, and my ninth-grade year was her first year as principal. Mary Mackbee is legendary and was the principal here for 26 years. There were three years between when she left and I got to come in and sit as principal.”
“It has been a joy to walk these halls as the principal, where I once did that as a student and a student body president. And it’s a double thrill that my mother walked these halls, and my sister and my children are walking the halls as students here. I am proud, honored, and humbled to be the steward of this great institution.”
There is certainly something special about Central High School, something you feel as you walk through the doors and pass their wall of fame, which includes graduates such as Amelia Earhart, Charles Schulz, and Dave Winfield.
“We are truly a microcosm of society and of Saint Paul. Saint Paul is everyone, everyone is here. You’ve got people from all different economic backgrounds who speak probably 60 different languages and all different kinds of community ties for people who’ve been here.”
It’s a place where they face equity head-on.
“The reality of our world is that we have racially predictable outcomes. It is expected that certain kids come to school and that they’re successful. For decades upon decades we’ve had these racially disproportionate outcomes. People come up with a lot of reasons why we can’t make things better. But here, we want to cultivate a Central where everyone thrives.”
How do we make sure that our outcomes are not racially predictable?
“We have to dismantle the systems that have existed for so long. And it’s one of the things about Central being the oldest high school in the state. There’s really great traditions that come with that, and then there’s also steeped traditions of racial inequity that come with that as well. What our research shows is that when you make an impact in communities of color, everybody does better.”
Cherise knows that Heart of America is a big part of pulling apart inequities.
“HOA does amazing work. You know, part of the thing about public education is that there are inherent inequities. An organization like Heart of America comes in and stands in the gap and recognizes that tax dollars go to fund schools, but it’s just not enough. In the place where there is not enough, you’re asking, what can we do to be effective?”
Some people choose to do nothing and some people choose to complain. And then we’ve got Heart of America that chooses to raise money and find volunteers and get people to come in and give to schools. Because our kids deserve it. Our kids deserve to have places and spaces that are intentionally designed for them to thrive and not just a place for them to be. I’m so glad that Heart of America can partner with these companies.
The collaborations with companies means a lot to educators and administration, but also to the students.
“Somebody put some time and intentionality into these spaces. Those are the things that tells kids what other people think about them and what they deserve. And so I love HOA’s work to help make that better because kids spend so much time in school. You want them to feel good about where they’re spending their time.”
We hope you enjoy your newly reimagined STEM room for years to come, Cherise. And a special thanks to 3M for the partnership in bringing this project to life!