12
Interview
An Interview With: Erica Boone
Interviewer: Ravyn Johnson
Erica Boone, the head principal of James E Shepard Magnet Middle School, is in charge of 439 students.
RJ: How long have you been a principal?
EB: I have been in education for 20 years, an assistant principal for 4 years also a head principal for 4 years.
RJ: How many kids would you say you see in a day due to behavior issues?
EB: I would say about 4 to 5, but they are simply just middle school kids acting as such.
RJ: How do you handle kids’ behavior in middle school?
EB: The most important thing in education is building relationships. A lot of these kids are raising themselves and they really don’t have to be here. So building relationships and making them feel cared about can make a difference on their attitudes on coming to school.
RJ: How is the parent involvement in Shepard Middle School?
EB: Parent involvement is not a problem, but like any other school it could be better. As an estimate we only have about 10 parents who we call and they just don’t have the time for teacher conferences due to work or they are just out living their own lives.
RJ: Do you think the children’s behavior is more behavioral or their environment?
EB: The media has a tremendous impact on our kids, and they are also influenced by their parent’s behavior. African American children are just labeled “bad” whereas the Caucasian children’s behavior is labeled with ADHD or some other disorder.
Personal Interview
Ericka Boone