Messmer High School’s Shenora Staten-Jordan is “Committed to Kids”

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In early February, the Milwaukee Messmer High School Principal, Shenora Staten-Jordan, invited me to visit her school on Seventh and Capitol in the inner city. To get to her office, I had to walk a long hall with walls of blue lockers. Students were all in class, and I was captivated by the silence of the old building. I could have been on a wellness retreat. I stopped to admire a striking mural covering one wall. It was titled the I AM mural, a collage of 500 hundred paper squares, each with one handwritten word or phrase: Strong, I Am Black, Brave, Blessed, Caring, Loved, Confident, Helpful, Worth It, Perfectly Imperfect, Funny, and so many more.  

When I met the principal in her office, I immediately inquired about the I AM mural. 

“It is a wall of affirmation,” she explained, “a one-or-two-word love letter by students to themselves describing who they currently are or who they aspire to be. I AM teaches them the power of words, that when you put together 500 words by our 500 high school students, the mural becomes a wall of positivity.” As I would find out, Principal Staten-Jordan advocates teaching students the power of positivity.

We sat before the small conference table and chatted for a while. If students and parents could design their ideal school principal, it would be 39-year old Shenora Staten-Jordan. Somewhere along her career journey in education, she bottled enthusiasm and added a jigger of charisma. She knows high school kids. Her children include a 12th grade daughter and a 9th grade son. She has earned two master’s degrees, one in Educational Leadership, the other in Special Education.

Tell me about your background, where you grew up, your family, neighborhoods, and schools—and take me forward to your present job as Principal of Messmer High School.

I’m a Milwaukee native. I grew up initially in McKinley Gardens, low-income housing on the North Side near 24th and Vliet, and my family later purchased a home in Sherman Park in the late ‘80s. My father worked for Milwaukee Public Schools as a school safety supervisor. My mom worked at the VA and at the Milwaukee Mental Health Complex. I have a younger brother, Isiah. I went to Urban Day School, K through 8. For high school, I went to St. Joan Antida High School for two years ,but it wasn’t very diverse, so I transferred to Rufus King High School, and I loved it there. 

After you graduated from high school, what do you do next? What was your career goal?

I had it in my mind I’d either be a teacher or a business owner. I started at UW Whitewater in May 2005, and earned a BA in Organizational Communications and Business Management. I had my daughter in April 2005, and had to earn money, so I worked at a family funeral home for a while, and then I started substitute teaching, found out I loved teaching. I enrolled in the MTEC program and earned a certification to teach Special Education students. I taught in the Milwaukee Public School system for six years, but I wanted to grow instructionally. Thanks to Robb Rauh, the CEO of Milwaukee College Prep, I got a job at that school teaching 7th and 8th graders. Over the five years I taught there, I did very well. But I aspired to a leadership role, and I was hired as the Carmen High School Southeast Campus Dean of School Culture. A year later, I was made principal at that same school. After a few years as principal at Carmen, I was hired to be principal at Messmer High School where I am now. This is my third school year here.

What is the key to being a good teacher? 

You need to be committed to the kids. My students and I had great relationships. They knew that I expected the most out of them and that I loved them. That made them feel safe, able to try new things, not be afraid to fail, and be vulnerable with me, the teacher, but yet to meet my expectations. I apply this same commitment in my job as the principal.

How is the Messmer High School curriculum designed and who designs it?

We call it the MHS PathWAYs curriculum, and it’s partially based on student testing and interests. My instructional team—the department chairs, two deans of instruction and myself—design course trajectories for the PathWAYs based on student needs and desires. We have 10 instructional MHS PathWAYs, but currently we are focusing on three PathWAYs: the Trades, Health Care field, and Education. As far as the Trades, we have a training center downstairs where students learn practical skills like carpentry, welding, building trades, and computer coding. In our welding program, students can earn their welding certification because they get hands-on experience on the school grounds. In the Healthcare PathWAY, students can earn their CNA nursing assistant certification. For our Education PathWAY, students can serve as teacher assistants in the summer, and they get paid, and they also can get college credit through UWM. In the future, we will be adding courses through the fire and police departments, meaning young people will eventually have future careers as Milwaukee firemen or policemen. That is called the MHS Community Service PathWAY.

Not enough schools offer practical courses in the Trades. I think learning the Trades is important so that students can earn good paying jobs as electricians, welders, and carpenters, for instance.

Some of those entry level jobs in the Trades are paying $24-$27 an hour. We just want our students to make informed decisions as to their careers and graduate with marketable skills even if they go on to a four-year college. At the end of the sophomore year, each student chooses from 10 MHS PathWAYs careers. They can earn certifications in their area of skills, meaning they become qualified for jobs. If they choose a college career path, they can still use those marketable skills to work part time or in the summers.

I read this about your school: "Messmer’s learning environment and college preparatory curriculum prepares its graduates to excel in college, to succeed in the workforce, and to become productive citizens.” How many of your graduates go on to higher learning?

Ninety-one percent of last year’s graduating class went on to college. We try to help students decide their career goal so that they pick the right college. We also help them figure out the debt they will accumulate, depending on the college they attend. For instance, we have an exceptional student who wants to be an engineer and hopes to attend the historically Black college, Jackson State, in Mississippi. I asked him if Jackson State is noted for engineering. He was also accepted by MSOE and by Marquette, both offering him substantial financial help. I made him go on the Marquette University tour so that he is exposed him to that choice. There are colleges where students can end up $250,000 in debt. Finances must be a consideration when attending college.

When it comes to getting a college loan, there is this entrenched system. The student visits the college loan officer who arranges for a tuition loan at some bank or credit union and then the bank is backed by the Federal government to collect the debt. The college has no obligation to collect student loan debt. I don’t know how this system got adopted, but shouldn’t colleges have some risk when it comes to arranging for student loans?

Yes, they should. My daughter is a senior in high school, and she wants a career in nursing. Her college choice is Marquette, but Marquette’s tuition is $60,000 per year. Big investment for our family.

I read this about the Messmer School Community: 

“Poverty and violence in the Milwaukee’s underserved communities are obstacles to students’ success. Parent and teacher involvement, community partnerships, and alumni support build a positive environment to improve students’ performance and success in life.” In a practical sense, how do you get parents, teachers and alumni involved on a regular basis?

We issue a challenge to parents, whom we call Partners. With the parent, we ask you to attend conferences, parent meetings, recitals, athletic games, and school activities. We ask a parent to be just as invested in their child’s success as our teachers. We have high expectations of students: you will wear a uniform, be on time, attend class, and behave in a civil manner. In other words, I have high expectations for my teachers, students, and for the parents. We all have to share responsibilities for the betterment of our kids.

On your LinkedIn page, you described yourself this way: 

“Founder and Educational Leadership Coach to push urban school leaders to be strategic, data-driven, and culturally responsive leaders to create positive and constructive school cultures.” What exactly is a constructive school culture?

At Messmer, I centered our 2022-2023 school year around Good Trouble, which is our rally cry. The word ‘Trouble’ comes from Civil Rights activist John Lewis, who said, ‘If you could do anything, make good trouble.’ My staff and I find the current state of education in trouble. We decided that we don’t have to do things the way it’s always been done. We make changes. We make trouble, but it’s good. When the George Floyd protests happened a few years ago, our students were upset, but I urged the students to demonstrate activism inside the classroom. Good trouble is rigorous instruction, instituting effective strategies, and ensuring our school is culturally responsive, constructive and aspirational. We want the students to know what the boundaries and high expectations are. We also want the students to know we love and value them. That’s Good Trouble.

The Classes

After our conversation, she took me on a brief tour. All classes are organized into hall wings: for example, History, English, and Science. Since Messmer is a Catholic school, all students are required to take Theology classes. In the Theology wing, she led me into the Chapel, a small quiet room designed in church style. She explained, “Not all pupils are Catholic, but we instruct in Catholic Social Teaching or Catholicism. Our students often lead the prayers.” 

Next, she took me downstairs into the lower level. A few students filtered out of the cafeteria where most were eating lunch. We passed by a huge mural of inspirational drawings, keeping with Principal Staten-Jordan’s mantra of positivity. We ended up in a classroom the size of a gymnasium. I saw a lineup of large worktables and machines. She explained, “This area used to house the swimming pool but now is devoted to the Trades—engineering design, carpentry, plumbing, welding. In this facility, our students learn practical skills and even build structures like small bathrooms.”

She introduced me to Justin Spaeth, the Trades teacher. “Justin is an engineer and could be making a lot more money in the outside world but felt that God called him to teach young people.” 

Spaeth told me, “I worked as an engineer in the business world for a while, but I wasn’t feeling a purpose. I’ve been at Messmer for ten years. I get a lot out of teaching kids, being a part of their growth.” 

Before I left the school, I did a portrait of Principal Staten-Jordan in front of the I AM mural. The positive words fit her so well.