"I believe that my impact as an educator has been in making Robinson High School a total resource center within its community," says Richard Jackson, principal of Robinson Junior High School in Toledo. Mr. Jackson has sought to make his school a reliable community partner by extending the school day and keeping the school open in the evenings and on weekends for community and family activities. The community's favorable response to Mr. Jackson's open-door style of leadership has furthered Mr. Jackson's philosophy of education as a comprehensive effort. As principal, Mr. Jackson has also implemented the innovative Academic Plus Program, which assigns groups of 100-125 students to a team of five teachers for the students' two years at the school. An important aim of the program is to give students ample time to develop significant relationships with their peers and teachers.
