Bishop Ward continues to thrive!
BISHOP WARD CONTINUES TO THRIVE ACADEMICALLY, by Crystal Booker
KANSAS CITY, KS – I am proud to say that I am a graduate of Bishop Ward High School. I recently went back to my Alma Mater to speak with a man I have loved, admired and respected for a long time; Mr. Dennis Dorr. Mr. Dorr was my Science Teacher when I attended Ward over 20 years ago. He is now the Principal and in my opinion Bishop Ward is in good hands. Under the leadership of Mr. Dorr Ward has continued to flourish, grow and stand strong. Below is my Q&A with Mr. Dorr. I also spoke briefly with Vice Principal Joel Heider. My Q&A with him follows.
CB: How long have you been teaching?
DD: This is my 33rd year in education in one form or another. I started in 1977.
CB: Wow! How long have you been Principal of Bishop Ward?
DD: This is my eighth year as Principal and my 24th year here.
CB: It must make you feel very proud to see former students that have succeeded and to know you had a hand in that success.
DD: Well whether or not I’ve had a hand in it or not it is exciting to see them be successful. It happens almost every day and the longer you are in education the more examples of that you see and that obviously justifies why this is such a great profession.
CB: What do you think is the difference or main ingredient for success for most former students that have had a private school education versus a public school education?
Dennis Dorr remains strong advocate of great education
DD: Ok, there are quite a few reasons why someone chooses a private school education, but ultimately it goes back to whether or not they want to be here someone wants them to be here. So, sacrifices have been made. I think the greatest thing about this place is that 99.9% of our parents support what we are trying do. So someone is making a sacrifice there and somebody wants them here to better what it’s going to look like down the road. Someone has made that commitment and investment and I think that’s the difference. It is just something that time is put into and then the chances for success I think are better.
CB: Do you think that when a parent makes the sacrifice to pay the tuition that it means a lot more for the student as far as learning because it forces them to really get involved to make sure their money has not been wasted?
DD: I think that involvement is just key to everything. If I know my parents are paying tuition to send me here then chances are I’m going to give my best effort. And if I can’t do it consistently for the most part I’m going to be trying. As long as you try eventually you’ll see that light bulb turn on and you can take it from there.
CB: Do you have many students enrolled that were previously in the public school system?
DD: We have quite a few that did not come up through the Catholic School System. You know, it is a transition period that takes place, but they can be just as successful as someone that has come up through if they buy into what we think is important and how we go about it.
CB: Have you seen a big difference in those students? Has there been a drastic improvement?
DD: No doubt, no doubt like I said there is that transition period that may be bit rocky, but once they accept us and the reason why they are here then the sky is the limit.
CB: What is your opinion about school safety?
DD: When we speak with students that may be having a few difficulties we tell them that we have these rules and policies in place for a reason. It is to create an atmosphere so they can learn. If you have a disruptive student that has decided that they don’t want to learn that day, but to take away from the other people in that class is where we draw the line and that is non-negotiable for us.
CB: What do you think about KCMO possibly closing 31 schools?
DD: It’s a double edged sword. Obviously money is driving one part of it to make these decisions. Now, if these decisions are being made to better the students in that school district that’s one thing, but if it’s only being made because of the financial part of it then there are some problems there and those need to be combined. The bottom line is after all is said and done how the students benefit by any juggling of how things are done over there.
CB: Has the recession affected the enrollment at Ward?
DD: I think so and something just came out about Kansas public school enrollments have somewhat picked up. I think if you are kind of living on the edge anyway from paycheck to paycheck and you have to cut something that may be a very difficult decision, but people have to eat, pay rent, people have to do these things, so yes it does affect us in a bad economy.
CB: What made you take on the role as Principal and leave the classroom because you were such a great teacher?
Bishop Ward Students are hard at work
DD: You are too kind. I just feel like there are a lot of things in administration that you can do in terms of looking at academic programs and policies that can benefit students. I just saw it as a challenge and something I felt I wanted to do, not that I dislike the classroom the classroom’s great too. I think you have a broader role that you can play through administration and going what I feel is in the right direction and things I’d like to see happen.
CB: I definitely think that under your leadership that Bishop Ward is definitely moving in the right direction.
DD: Once again you are being too kind.
CB: How do you feel about the progress in Wyandotte County under the leadership of our Mayor Joe Reardon, who is also a graduate of Bishop Ward?
DD: Bishop Ward High School has been such a viable part of this community for so long since the very beginning. I think revitalizing Kansas City Kansas can do nothing but benefit Bishop Ward High School and it is great that Bishop Ward Graduates are playing a role in its revitalization.
CB: Where do see the direction of education going in our nation?
DD: We have to stay positive. There are all kinds of speed bumps. In our society you see more single parents that are struggling to make ends meet. Nobody has ever written a book with instructions on being a parent. You learn as you go. I think in order to improve on education we have to make sure we give some tools to parents to give that support. The timing is so important that they support their students for the critical periods in their lives they know they are there for them. A good student can learn anywhere. It is those borderline students that are very capable of being successful that we need to be concerned with. Those are the ones we need to guide and help parents guide them. It’s a three pronged deal you have the school, the students and the parents. If all those three can come together than you have a pretty good chance. I don’t think that we should look at the negative parts you have to continue looking at the positive aspects of education and take it from there.
CB: Thank you Mr. Dorr for taking time out of your busy schedule and meeting with me.
DD: Thank you and may I say we are all very proud of you.
CB: Thank you.
After my interview with Mr. Dorr I walked the halls I used to walk on a daily basis back when I attended Ward. It was great to be home. During my journey back down memory lane I ran into a familiar face Mr. Joel Heider. He has been Vice Principal for many years. I had a brief Q&A with him.
CB: What do you think of a private school education versus a public education?
JH: I think that the discipline and values learned in a private school is much better. The Catholic Schools have more to offer than public schools. That’s just my opinion.
CB: What do you think about KCMO proposing to close 31 schools?
Vice Principal Joel Heider
JH: That’s scary I feel sorry for them because the kids are the ones that end up getting the short end of the stick. If they could get someone in there to stay then maybe they could get their district together. They have had so many problems for the last 30 years.
CB: Why do you think Ward has lasted so long?
JH: I think it’s the Alumni that stay involved and continue to support the school. Ward is a melting pot. It is very diverse. In the real world you will meet different people, so it’s great to have that experience while you are growing up
CB: Thank you for meeting with me Mr. Heider. It was great to see you again and to see you are still here.
JH: Thank you good to see you too.
Crystal Booker, a distinguished member of the Kansas City Film Critic’s Circle, is the movie critic of Kansas City’s Magic 107.3 FM. She is also a contributing writer to I Love Black Movies.com. To view her movie reviews, click here. For the latest reports, check out “Crystal on the Scene.” She welcomes both your questions and comments at crystalb@crystalsbonusandreviews.com