Middletown Life recently met with Appoquinimink High School Principal Sam Postlethwait to discuss the school’s approach to education, its broad curriculum and new initiatives, the people who have inspired him and how he envisions the future of education in America.

Middletown Life: If there is a fundamental mission of education for Appoquinimink High School, it is perhaps best folded into the paradigm of the school’s 4C model of learning: Communication, Collaboration, Creativity and Critical Thinking.

Postlethwait: The high school landscape is about providing opportunities for kids to explore and find their space. A high school has anything and everything that you can think of to inspire that. There is music, sports, career tech, math, science, English and social studies – so there are many avenues and choices to find one’s way. We spend a lot of time talking about our school community – not only how large it is but what it feels like to be a student in any particular classroom. We’re trying to create a sense of belonging here.

Let’s look at one of those Cs: Communication. Every year, we identify an instructional goal, and for the last few years, student discourse has been one of our primary areas – to focus on getting students to communicate with one another through collaborative structures. We are in an age where technology is constantly tugging at our students for their attention. The communication age is real, and they have access to so much, but on the other side, they’re doing less talking. Our kids need to be able to communicate and talk, and not just on a device. Kids have time to think and kids have time to share, and all kids are expected to participate and contribute.

Where do we see this instructional goal in practice at the school?

We are establishing avenues of collaboration for all of our students. In one aspect of this intention, students who are working on a PowerPoint presentation will be linked in partnership with another student, who will provide written and verbal feedback on the project. We’re creating an avenue for all students to participate and to think critically, not just about their own project but about their partners’ project.

Years ago, most school districts subscribed to a “one size fits all” approach to education that crammed too many students through the same portal. There is not just one educational “pathway” for Appoquinimink High School students, but several. Within this framework, talk about the importance of how the school’s curriculum encourages each student to develop their own unique voice, their vision, their skills and their individuality.

Appoquinimink High School is about students finding their interests and exploring them. We have 24 pathways here that range from engineering, culinary to the music theater to the science, math, AP and foreign language. As a district, we have evolved the opportunities for students to explore, to the point where we have moved beyond not only have an immersive opportunity in any career pathway win our own building, but now, all students are required to have 50 hours of work-based learning opportunities – immersion outside of our school in the community.

Let’s talk about the student, for instance, who has a dream to own his own body detail shop after high school. If he goes through this immersive pathway designed specifically to match

his career goals, he likely knows much more than those who have the same dream but not the same in-school and out-of-school opportunity.

All students at Appoquinimink High School have a Capstone Project, and that project is related directly to their pathway. They are working to create mini businesses within our school infrastructure to make money. At the district level, Mike Trego, our supervisor for college and career readiness has done a great job creating those opportunities for our students.

Nearly every individual who has ever gone into education has been inspired by a teacher, a mentor or a coach – someone they got to meet through school. Who inspired you?

Several members of my immediate family worked in education. My mother worked at Ceasar Rodney High School for many years. My aunt was a nurse at the school and my other aunt was a school psychologist. My grandfather Dr. F. Niel Postlethwait was the Superintendent of Schools for the Caesar Rodney School District. As a student, I was very active. I was in the choir. I played three sports, and I had great coaches, including John Kovalesky, my football coach, whom I looked up to.

Growing up, I was very fortunate to have spent a lot of time around educators and around great leaders in education.

After graduation from Caesar Rodney High School, you attended the University of Delaware, where you were a quarterback on the school’s football team under legendary coach Tubby Raymond. Talk about his influence on you – not just as a player, but on your maturation as a young adult.

Tubby was an amazing leader, and he had the ability to captivate a room. He knew what to say, when to say it and how to say it in a way that would be most impactful. Execution and excellence were two of his motos and two great words to live by. There was no let up from Tubby; if he sensed players were dogging it or not working hard, he was quick with a correction and made it known that his expectations were for his players to give everything they had, day in and day out. 

I think from a leadership perspective, having high expectations and ensuring you get the most out of an individual on any given day is essential to achieving high levels of success.

There is not one parent of a child who attends Appoquinimink High School currently reading this article who does not worry about their child’s safety once that child enters the grounds of the high school. Without giving away confidential implementation, talk about the approach the school has made to safety over the past few years.

Appoquinimink High School and the Appoqunimink School District have placed students’ safety as one of the top priorities in the district. We know parents want to send their child to schools that are safe, and they want to know what steps we are taking to ensure students are safe every day. In my time here at AHS, we have taken several steps to improve student safety through additional staffing, management strategies and new technology. In January of 2023, we added a full-time constable to our AHS staff, an additional behavior interventionist and a full-time school resource officer. 

From a management perspective, we have daily monitoring protocols at student arrival, during student transitions and at dismissal. In addition, staff monitor the building throughout the day and our SRO and constable check to ensure doors are locked throughout the day. The district initiated a “Stop the Prop” campaign this year in an effort the minimize staff and students propping doors open. In recent years we moved all student parking to the front of the building, to reduce the number of doors students were entering and exiting each day, making our building a single exit/entry building. 

Technology has improved as well. We have a comprehensive camera system, and a number of cameras include software called “ZeroEyes,” a weapons detection software. Additionally, exit doors are alarmed to help monitor entry and exit and we are currently using an advanced weapons detection system at some of our sporting events. Every year, we invest professional development time and conduct safety drills to ensure that our staff is safety trained. The district has taken significant steps to increase the safety of our campuses across the district, and the investment in people, training, technology and management initiatives hopefully gives parents piece of mind knowing the district has prioritized student safety.

I have just given you the tools to share your vision for the future of high school education in America. Share some of that vision with the readers of Middletown Life. What tweaks, conceptual changes and fresh new ideas would you like to see implemented?

As a district, we are leading the way with our Work Based Learning opportunities and community partnerships. Right now, the workforce is changing rapidly, and I don’t think students know what’s out there. 

How can we provide immersive experiences for our students? How can we position them for success? How can we help them find their future? How can we make them better problem solvers? These are all questions I think schools are challenged with addressing, particularly when schools are competing for students’ attention when they have access to so much right at their fingertips. My vision would be to expand those opportunities for students to engage in the community and with the work force. We need to think about ways for further expose our students to what is available to them when their high school experience is over. Students are going to college, going into the military or directly to the workforce and equipping students with the knowledge and skills to make those decisions is more important than ever. 

I would like to see a scenario where students can explore more of what’s out there not only from a job perspective but to also immerse them in real problem solving. I would love to see our students working and creating solutions to some of the challenges the town of Middletown is currently facing. How can we get them involved in brainstorming solutions related to building projects, commercial projects, roads, infrastructure, fire/police and medical facilities as our community expands? Projects like these are real for students, because they live in this community, and these projects are naturally personalized because of that.

When envisioning the future of education in America, what do you see that gives you the most hope?

We are just beginning to see changes in the way we think about school through real educational innovation. By and large, school hasn’t changed very much in the last 40 or 50 years. Sure, we have increased the use of technology, but overall, if you really consider the classroom and how teachers are teaching it is very similar, but we are using technology to support learning. We are starting to see shifts in the way schools are engaged in the community. Students are being provided with real world work-based learning opportunities through partnerships with the greater community. This work is the next step in expanding the experiences our students are having in schools.

What are the moments that you enjoy most as the Principal of Appoquinimink High School?

Helping a student succeed never gets old. I think every educator gets into education with the notion they want to help and support young people. It is very rewarding to watch students grow during their high school years from the ninth grade to graduation and beginning that next chapter in their lives. Graduation is my favorite day of the year, but I truly enjoy seeing students in their classrooms, out of the field playing sports, in the theater acting, singing, playing instruments, performing and creating art. 

All of the extra elements of the high school experience are what I love the most. There’s nothing quite like seeing students succeed and excel in spaces beyond the classroom.

What is your favorite spot in Middletown?

Sushi Yama.

You organize a dinner party, and you can invite anyone – living or not, famous or not. Who would you like to see seated around that table?

Kobe Bryant, Tom Brady, Lebron James, Tiger Woods, Roger Federer and Derek Jeter.

What item can always be found in your refrigerator?

Milk and eggs.

To learn more about the Appoqinimink School District, visit www.apposchooldistrict.com.