Latest / Sidewalk Talks / Arshen Baldwin at Saginaw United
Transcript
- Phil: [00:00:00] Arshan Baldwin, take one. Phil: Arshan Baldwin. Congratulations. New, one of the new assistant principals at Saginaw United High Arshen: School. Thank you. Thank you so much. Phil: Um, I'm excited for you. I'm excited for this new school year. Um, I'm, I'm excited about this opportunity education for our kids. Um, when we were talking about what to talk about on the sidewalk talk, uh, you said, you said something and I'm gonna, I, I wrote it down so that I can quote you accurately. Phil: You said, you said this. Uh, education was my ticket out of poverty and changed the trajectory of generations. Arshen: Absolutely. Tell me more about that. So, um, I'll start by saying I was the second person in my family for several generations to go to college. Um, my mother, um, Valerie actually got her high school diploma [00:01:00] in prison. Arshen: Um, and she actually went to college after I went to college. So I would say that, um, me beginning to, you know, starting the journey, uh, a post-secondary education, um, created somewhat of a pathway for the rest of my family. My younger brother went to college. Um, I have a brother actually who's in prison, who's in college while in prison, and I have two sons. Arshen: Um, who are in college. So, um, although my aunt, Dr. Angela Prater, MEA was the first, I was the second, and I believe that we created a, a college going culture. We grew up very poor. My grandmother had 11 children, and, um, my mother had three. Uh, my grandmother ended up being the caregiver for my brothers and I when my mother went to prison. Arshen: And, um, so it was, it was. It was rough. Yeah. You know, um, we traveled, I lived in a bunch of places before I, we settled in Saginaw, settled here when I was about nine. [00:02:00] And, um, just generational poverty. Uh, we're from the south originally. Uh, my grandmother, Memphis, I was born in West Memphis, Arkansas. That's where my mother grew up with her father. Arshen: And, um, yeah, just, just generational poverty and, and education was our ticket to something different. Phil: Yeah. It, it says so much about, uh, ceilings. Yes. Like, you don't, you don't know what's possible until you're shown that it's possible. Absolutely. And not only that, it's possible that, that it's possible for you. Phil: And like the example always used about like the four minute mile, like Yes. Well, it's physically impossible for a human to ever run that fast, and then Roger Banister crushes it. Right. And then something wild like the following year, like. 20 more people broke the four minute mile. Absolutely. And you talk about like generational poverty and education and things like that. Phil: It's like, well, it's going to continue going on until it's shown that yes, no, like it, it can be different. And here's the [00:03:00] way, and you can, you can be part of this. Absolutely. Um, how, how does. Like, let, let's talk about the kind of that generational aspect of education. How do you, how do you look? I mean, we're, we're seated in front of this Gorgeous, yes. Phil: New, I'm still gonna call it new first school year. It's, it's very new. It's still very new. First school year, last year. Gorgeous. New high school. How do you see an investment like this, this new high school, this new way forward for City of Saginaw education? Um, how do you see it affecting generations of our, our kids and of the Arshen: community going forward? Arshen: You know, uh, building Saginaw United High School was one of the best investments Dr. Roberts and the Saginaw Board of Education could have ever made. You know, I've been an educator for about 15 years and I've worked in a few, uh, different buildings and they just weren't conducive to a great, uh, learning environment for our young people. Arshen: And, and, and this, um. I just [00:04:00] remember the first day of school and how excited the kids were last year and, and not only do we have a beautiful building, but we have some great programming with dual enrollment and AP offerings and different things like that. Mm-hmm. And I think it's just going to get better and better. Arshen: We all start somewhere. Yeah. Right? Yep. And so as long as we continue to build on what we've started. I'm, I'm excited to see what happens five years from now, 10 years from now. 20 years from now. Yeah. The, the Phil: excitement is so true. I talked to a few of the students after their first day on, campus last year, and, and a couple of them were very skeptical. Phil: They're like, you know, this is all hype, this is whatever. And I talk to them after and they're like. Yeah. This is dope. Yeah. And I think that means so much. I used to be a teacher myself and kids having that attitude Yes. Opens up so many doors. 'cause they bought in. Yes. And they're like, I wanna be here and this is a place for me. Phil: And honestly, it shows them that the community [00:05:00] cares about them. Absolutely. Like we, like we care enough about you to give you this. Arshen: Absolutely this place, and that's what it's about. The community, you know, there are a number of districts surrounding us that have attempted to pass a bond, and we did not face the struggles that some of them face. Arshen: We were able to pass a bond and then though, although we went through a contentious state where some community members felt like this is not what we need. Mm-hmm. There were enough community members that said, yes, this is exactly what we need. Mm-hmm. That the bond got passed and, and here we are. Here we are. Arshen: Within $85 million building, you know, we have our beautiful, we're actually sitting, uh, next to the field house here, the, the football fields, uh, going up. They'll be putting the, um, what do you call it? Uh oh boy. The trek, the field, the field. But it's called something. It's because we're not using grass. The turf. Arshen: The turf. That's it. Yeah. You know, my boys play football for most of their life, although my son is a state champion. Wrestl wrestling. Yeah, Uhhuh. They [00:06:00] play football. So that's what we did. So the fact that I forgot it was turf boy, I totally agree that they're gonna call you out on that's Oh yeah, definitely Lionel for sure. Arshen: Well, Phil: you, I mean, you can hear, you can probably, I don't know if you can hear it on the audio or not, but like constantly like beeping and TR trucks going by. Yes. And I think that connects to what you were saying earlier is like. You, you, you do something, you get it out into the world and then you get better every year. Phil: Absolutely. The programming, the offerings, the courses, the teaching, the instruction. Yes. And then you look over here and you see the athletic part of it. Yeah. The facilities and I mean, sports such an important part to Saginaw culture. Absolutely. And it's all happening right here. Absolutely. Why So you, you just became assistant principal? Phil: Yes. Why? I mean, I'm talking as a, as a former educator, and the thought of being an administration for me just is a terrifying thought. Yeah. And here you are with a smile on your face. Like, you, you, you look like you're at home. Why, why? Why did you wanna [00:07:00] step into this role? Arshen: You know, I, I, I, through my journey in education, you know, I started out as a special educator, moved to alternative education. Arshen: I, I see what happens where we meet kids where they are not where we think they should be. And so, you know, I am the assistant principal of a curriculum and instruction, and so I hope to bring that piece of meeting them where they are. Bringing them up to where they should be at, not just meeting them where I think they should be. Arshen: Yep. You know? Yep. And so, building them up, you know, I've spent many years building kids up. You know, I still have, uh, good relationships with my former students, especially those who were in my alternative education program, uh, the Success Academy, which has expanded beyond anything I could have mm-hmm. Arshen: Ever dreamed of. Mm-hmm. You know, and, and, and so that's, that's the piece for me. I want to be able to help more kids back when it was, uh, when I was, uh. Doing Success Academy, um, since its inception, I averaged about 60 to 75 kids. Now I have over a thousand Wow. That I'm able to affect [00:08:00] change and that's what it's about. Arshen: Being a part of their village, you know, as a kid, uh, and poverty, um, not from, uh, family. That valued education in that way. It helped to have your Theresa Doles back when I was at being a Vista High School. You know, uh, your Mrs. Bryants and, and, uh, people like that who, who poured into me, they became my village and I saw what was possible and I just wanna be able to do that for the young people here at Saginaw United. Phil: Yeah, I, I love what you said about meeting. Meeting the kids at where they're at. Yes. And then providing them with what they need. Absolutely. Uh, because especially in a community like Saginaw, you have to be able to, to listen and be aware and then respond. You can't just inflict. Absolutely. And uh, especially thinking about like what happened with COVA few years ago, like you expect certain competencies and that totally disregard the fact kids were not in school for two. Phil: Absolutely. Um, I think it just means so much success for, for future generations. What, for, [00:09:00] for you, what, like, what do you, what's a goal in your assistant principalship? Like, what do you wanna bring to the school this year? Well, Arshen: I, this year I hope to continue to, you know, we, um, started the process. Process of just, uh, bringing kids up where they need to be. Arshen: So I hope to continue to do that. Hope to continue to build a positive school culture, a place where kids wanna be, you know? Yeah. Yeah. Um, kids go where, where they're, they're loved. Mm-hmm. Kids go where they're valued. And I want our students to know that you're loved, you're valued. Come here. It's your safe place. Arshen: I didn't necessarily love school, but I felt safe in school. Yep. I, I could eat good in school. People love me in school. Yeah. They cared about me and it, and so I believe that's what made me get up and go to school every day, even though I didn't necessarily have to. Yeah. You know? And so, um, I hope to be able to bring that to kids and just create an environment. Arshen: All students wanna be not just our athletes, or not just our top 20 or top 30 kids, but [00:10:00] every kid where they wanna be and, and, and that they'll do whatever's necessary to be here and to remain here. I, I'm Phil: so encouraged by what you're saying as a former educator, because, uh, the, the courses, the programs, the, the, the craft of teaching all critically important. Phil: But if you miss the relationship part, yeah. None of that works. Arshen: That's the biggest part. Yeah. Yeah. It's the biggest part. Tell me more. It's, it's, it's my. My claim to fame, it's my best practice actually. I always say, you know, I dunno how great of a teacher I actually was, but I was great at building relationships. Arshen: Yeah. And so because I was great at building relationships, not just with my students but with my families. 'cause I have families that still reach out to me, even to this day who have kids coming through this system. Hey, how, what can I do? How do I go about this? Um, it, it's, it's, it's, it's my best practice. Arshen: Mm-hmm. You know, some people have the best practice of, you know, scaffolding or whatever. Mm-hmm. Building relationships with families is my best practice. Students will do whatever you're asking them [00:11:00] to do. Mm-hmm. If you build a relationship, if they feel like they're valued and they feel like they're loved, yeah. Phil: They're, they're gonna work harder. They're gonna think absolutely harder. They're gonna love harder. They're gonna. Act better. Absolutely. All of those things, like you said, if they come into an environment where they feel loved, they feel valued, they feel appreciated, Arshen: understood, and right, and they learn that anything is possible, right? Arshen: Mm-hmm. Even when it seems impossible. Because it hasn't been done before in my family. It's absolutely possible Phil: anything is possible. Arshan Baldwin, new assistant principal at Saginaw United High School. I want to thank you so much. You got a orientation to get to? I do, I do. Um, I just wanna say to you, and I know I speak for so many in the community when I say this, that, that we're so, so excited to see you and everybody in their roles in S United we're cheering you on. Phil: Thank you. We cheering the kids on and. Uh, you, you're gonna do great things, so thank you so much. Thank you. Awesome. You're great. Great. Thank you. I'm so, yeah, you're exactly, [00:12:00] but one, one brilliant question, and I have to ask this because the community has to hear this. So you as a school administrator Yes. Phil: What? What do you need from us? What do you need from the community to help make our kids Arshen: successful? I need them to join in. I need them to be a part of the village. I need them to call me. I need them to say, how can I help? Someone from consumers actually contacted me last week and said, how can I help? Arshen: We'd like to bring school supplies, whatever, if we need the partnerships. Mm. We don't do this alone. We don't, it, it doesn't work when we work in silos, but when we come together, we collaborate as a community. And the sky is the, the sky. Yeah. The sky is not the limit. Yeah. I want to say we can move beyond that. Arshen: I Phil: wanna say it's not just the schools. Yes. It, it takes a village. The school absolutely is the, the tip of the spear, but it takes the entire village. Those collaborations. Yes. Those partnerships, those parents Absolutely. Calling the administration. Yes. Phone before run into Facebook and saying, Hey, we have a situation. Phil: I, I gotta [00:13:00] talk to you about it. Let's work together and Yeah. And Arshen: make greatness. We, we make greatness together. Yep. Yeah. This, this is how it happens. Phil: Amen. Amen. Takes a village. Absolutely. You're amazing. Thank you. All right. Get outta here. All Thank you.