omecoming
These former
students have come
back to the Shaker
Schools as teachers
to share what worked
for them with today’s
students.
By Ellen Schur Brown
52 SHAKERONLINE.COM | WINTER 2014
Photo by Kevin G. Reeves
“It says a lot about this
school environment
when people are
attracted to
come back.”
Michael Griffith
When Shaker Heights High School
Principal Michael D. Griffith talks about
diversity, he doesn’t think only about
the clearly visible differences like race,
culture, or religion.
“There’s a diversity of thought
that cuts above everything else,” he
explains. “There are all different ways to
be successful at Shaker – not just in the
classroom. Some kids are driven and take
all AP classes, some struggle to overcome
obstacles, some are musicians or athletes
or actors or scientists. Sometimes I think,
‘Wow! These are truly gifted individuals.’
“We’re going to do whatever it
takes to help a kid be successful, but it
doesn’t look the same for every student.
Sometimes we have to step out of the
box to get the best answer for this young
man or that young lady, even though it
wouldn’t fit everybody.”
Understanding that school culture
can be a challenge for a new teacher who
didn’t grow up with it, says Griffith. New
teachers who want a lot of rules and
guidelines for every situation sometimes
struggle at Shaker.
Three of the district’s newest
employees understand that whatever-ittakes
attitude from their days at Shaker
Heights High School. They’ve come back
to the Shaker Schools as teachers to share
what worked for them with today’s students
– and to keep growing professionally.
They are among six new faculty
members this year alone who have joined
the ranks of about 70 teachers who are
proud Shaker graduates. And although they
took different paths home, their stories
illustrate why Shaker grads want to come
back and what they bring to the classroom.
The