Greatest Person: Stephen Brandt

After graduating from Roxborough High School, Stephen Brandt was not going to be a teacher. He majored in English at Cabrini College and was on the pre-law track–until there was an opening at St. Mary's in Manayunk. 

"They were looking for a physical education teacher and asked if I'd be interested," the Roxborough native said.

And, after taking that job, Brandt said he knew teaching was for him.

"I've always had the disposition for it," he said. He was always very athletic and held a number of counselor positions at the Roxborough YMCA.

Before making it back to Roxborough, Brandt worked at Harding Middle School in Frankford, participated in a year-long educational leadership program at the High School of Engineering and Science, was vice principal of instruction at South Philadelphia High and moved to Jenks in Chestnut Hill for the 2008-2009 and part of the 2009-2010 school year.

"That's when I got a call from Roxborough," he said. "And I seized the moment. It was an opportunity to come home for me."

But he wasn't coming home to the same school.

"When I went to Roxborough, it was perceived as a top school. It had good academics as well as a good reputation, climate and culture," he said. "But when I came back it was not in good shape, but I like challenges."

His first goal as principal, he said, was to get the building under control.

During his short tenure, the school has:

• Increased its PSSA scores by 24 percent
• Decreased serious incidents by 65 percent and persistently dangerous incidents by 74 percent
• Been removed from the school district's persistently dangerous list
• Increased the school's graduation rate from 62 percent during the 2009-2010 school year, to 84 percent last year
• Increased the number of Advanced Placement courses being offered
• Created a freshman academy to make the transition from middle school to high school easier as well as teach the students the ways of the "new" Roxborough. 
• Increased attendance to 90 percent, up from 80 during the 2009-2010 school year.
• Re-established a Home and School Association in November

"One of the things that really helped the quick turnaround was the buy-in," the principal said. "Most of the upperclassman and the teachers bought this new way of doing things almost immediately."

The urban setting found him, more than he searched it out, the principal said.

"I grew up in Philadelphia," he said. "It's what I knew as a student and what I know as a teacher and administrator."

And, he continued, he's happy to be home.

"My whole goal was simply to make Roxborough a better place," he said, adding that the best perk of the job is the kids.

"It's very rewarding," he said. "It's so great to see them change and grow and hear their perspective on certain issues."

Although he's happy at Roxborough, Brandt said he hopes to go back to school for his doctorate and become a superintendent of a school district.