Shabazz High School

When I first entered Shabazz, I found a lively school with the walls covered in quotes and inspirational sayings. The use of quotes is such a wonderful way to increase creativity among students and staff.

I was introduced to Aric Solderbloom the principal of Shabazz. I was impressed by Aric’s passion for education and the love he has for his students. Aric discussed the past challenges of Shabazz and how the school has effectively rebranded themselves changing the view of Shabazz from a credit recovery school to a school that is focused on making sure every student is college, career, and community ready. 

My next stop was the art room where I watched students work on a variety of projects using both digital and traditional mediums such as paper and wood. It was in the art room where I met the school celebrity therapy dog Crawford. Crawford, a yellow lab, provides emotional support for all students and staff. Students frequently can request Crawford for a class and he is beloved by students and staff alike.

My next stop was Ms. Aulik’s english classroom. It felt like I was walking into a well-lived local library. I had a fascinating discussion with Denise Aulik who is a veteran teacher at Shabazz.  We discussed the many successes of Shabazz’s students in the classroom and the work world. Ms. Aulik praises Principal Solderbloom’s leadership and stated that his leadership has transformed Shabazz into a school that prepares ever student to be college, career, and community ready.  

The final stop of my tour was the school library. Shabazz has a nice library but only a library aid and no librarian. This did concern me. We annually give up 1,000 dollar a year in aid funding by not having a librarian on staff at either Shabazz or Capitol High. If we truly want to view Shabazz and Capitol High School as equal to all other high schools in MMSD, then we need to fund these schools properly.

As I left Shabazz, I watched Crawford playfully interact with students and staff putting a smile on everyone’s face. Shabazz truly is a amazing school that has metamorphosed into a jewel of the district.