"I think our goal as educators is to graduate students we would one day want as colleagues," says Mary Wilcynski, principal of Metro High School in Cedar Rapids. Dr. Wilcynski credits a decade-long association with the Coalition for Essential Schools for many of the positive changes effected at her school. She continues to be an avid supporter of the educational principles promoted by the Coalition: the concept of exhibitions, the teacher as coach and the reliance on portfolios. In responding to the crises facing many schools in urban settings, Dr. Wilcynski has developed a comprehensive program to help students at risk of failure and their families. Under Dr. Wilcynski's leadership, the school works closely with the juvenile justice department, the police department and community agencies in an effort to develop concrete solutions in a supportive atmosphere. In 1994, Dr. Wilcynski was named Secondary Principal of the Year by the School Administrators of Iowa.
1974 University of Wyoming, B.A.
