July 5, 2007 Issue                                       

©2007 The Chestnut Hill Local

Fresh start for Jenks with Brandt
by KRISTIN PAZULSKI

Stephen Brandt

The J.S. Jenks Elementary School received a breath of fresh air this month, with Stephen Brandt taking the helm as the school’s first new principal in 31 years, replacing Cheryl Eisenberg, who is retiring.

“I thought Jenks would be a good fit for me,” said Brandt, who is certified to be a principal for K-12 and has interned as a resident principal at the High School of Engineering and Science in North Philadelphia. He left his position as assistant principal at South Philadelphia High School for the Jenks position.

Brandt, a 31-year-old with energy that’s almost tangible, grew up in Roxborough and was educated in the Philadelphia School District from kindergarten through high school.

He earned his degrees — a bachelor’s in English, a master’s in education — and his principal certification at Cabrini College in Radnor.

He returned to the district in 2000 as a reading teacher at Warren G. Harding Middle School in Frankford.

After growing up in the school district, it was easy to make the choice to teach in the public school system.

“I wanted to get back to the city,” he explained, having taught in California in the late 1990s.

The position at Jenks is Brandt’s first as a principal. Two years ago, he completed the school district’s principal training program at the Academy for Leadership in Philadelphia Schools or ALPS.

“Jenks can be the best school in the city,” Brandt said. “This year is about getting in there, seeing what works, what needs work and what can be enhanced — then we will see what’s needed to move the school forward.”

Cindy Fitz, president of the school’s Home and School Association, who joined the conversation with Brandt and the Local, said Jenks already is strong academically. Through the association and Brandt’s leadership, she hopes to boost the students’ extracurricular activities, such as after-school clubs.

“Brandt can take Jenks to the next level,” she said. “If he only implements half the ideas he shared during his interview, we’ll still be ahead of where we are now.”

Brandt also said he’s interested in getting the community more involved with the school, and was meeting with the new community manager of the Chestnut Hill Community Association, Martha Sharkey, to start rolling with that idea.

“We’re going to be looking to companies to help with these [after school and other programs],” Brandt said. “We want them to help mold and cultivate our students.”

For the summer, Brandt is preparing his office and working at Jenks part-time while also serving as summer school principal at Gen. John F. Reynolds Middle School in North Philadelphia.

In the last two weeks of August, Brandt said the school building will open for new student registration and he’ll be there to greet parents.

Contact staff writer Kristin Pazulski at 215-248-8819 or Kristin@chestnuthilllocal.com.