Maddrick may have left Michigan after starting her educational foundation as a high school student in Detroit, but her heart never strayed far even while teaching in Dayton, Ohio, and Milwaukee. A transition into school administration even took her to Baton Rouge, Louisiana for nearly 10 years. But when the opportunity arose at Knapp, she knew it was time to come home.
“I wanted to take advantage of an opportunity to return to the state where my own education began,” Maddrick said. Maddrick comes to Knapp after her time as a dean at one of National Heritage Academies’ (NHA) sister schools, Inspire Charter Academy. It was there that she cultivated a school cultural identity, helped students be fully prepared for college by implementing rigorous curricula and assessments, and facilitated one-on-one coaching for the professional development of elementary school teachers.
In her career she has helped earn a five-year charter renewal, devised and deployed behavioral intervention, attendance and incentive plans for students, and earned the trust of parents by collaborating and maintaining a positive environment.
“I chose education as a profession because I have a love of learning and enjoy seeing scholars succeed and reach their personal academic and social goals in school and within the community,” she said.
While her favorite part of serving as a principal is the daily engagement with scholars and parents each day, Maddrick also takes great pride in long-term growth in performance from scholars and staff, which also drives the satisfaction of parents in making the right school choice.
Encouragement, one of NHA’s Moral Focus virtues, is the backbone of the ideology Maddrick brings to Knapp. By sharing and showing encouragement through daily actions and interactions, she hopes to continue and build on the success that has allowed Knapp to outperform the district for 14 years.
“Parental involvement is key to a scholar’s success,” Maddrick said. “Parents’ partnership with the school provides an outlook to the scholars and school community that we support one another and have the same goal – success of our scholars.”
Quick Facts:
- She earned a bachelor’s degree from Wilberforce University and two master’s degrees from the University of Dayton, one in middle childhood education and the second in educational leadership.
- While in college she had a radio show and was in stage plays.
- She enjoys watching football, Christmastime, and elephants.
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About Knapp Charter Academy
Knapp Charter Academy is a tuition-free, public charter school in Grand Rapids, Michigan, serving students in Young 5s through eighth grade. It is part of the National Heritage Academies network, which includes more than 100 tuition-free, public charter schools serving more than 65,000 students in kindergarten through 12th grade across nine states. For more information, visit nhaschools.com.
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