Our Administrators

Principal Will Brown

Many children dream of being a teacher when they grow up. For fun, those children line up their stuffed animals in rows and pretend to teach them to recite the alphabet and count. Will Brown was not one of those children. When he was younger, he often thought, “You have to be crazy to want to be a teacher.” Mr. Brown would not realize until later in life that he was born to be an educator.

Mr. Brown is a proud native resident of Philadelphia. He grew up in South and North Philly. He attended Kirkbride Elementary and Central High School. A defining moment that brought Mr. Brown closer to a career in education was joining a non-profit organization called the Youth Outreach Adolescent Community Awareness Program (YOACAP). At YOACAP, Mr. Brown served as a Peer Educator. His job was to teach other teenagers about common issues that teens face such as drug and tobacco use, safe sex, and conflict resolution. This job helped to teach Mr. Brown many of the skills he uses today and the importance of building strong communities.

Mr. Brown attended Mansfield University where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Management. His goal after graduation was to pursue a career in non-profit leadership. Mr. Brown joined various student activities to develop his leadership skills. He served as President of Student Government, Sigma Tau Gamma, and Men for Progress. In the summer, he worked at a summer camp for young people with disabilities. One summer, a coworker, who was an educator, told him he should pursue a career in education since he was good with children. This comment helped him to see that a career as an educator would be perfect.

Mr. Brown attended the University of Pennsylvania where he received his Master’s in Elementary Education. Upon graduation, he received an offer to teach at a charter school in the Frankford section of Philadelphia. Later, he would return to the University of Pennsylvania to receive his Principal’s Certification. Next, Mr. Brown served as an Assistant Principal at Jules E. Mastbaum AVTS before becoming Principal of Parkway West High School.

Will Brown’s goal is to show youth that a career in education is a perfect fit for them. His original goal was to lead non-profit organizations to help communities. That goal of helping communities was fulfilled through working in education as a teacher, athletics coach, and school leader. Mr. Brown would like every student to consider a career in education because in his words, “No matter what your dream is, there is a pathway directly related to working in education.”

 

Assistant Principal

Dear Families,

From a small country farm on the Eastern Shore of Maryland where crabs are a part of life, it is with great enthusiasm that I write this letter of introduction as the new Assistant Principal of Parkway West High School. I am incredibly grateful and excited to join the Parkway West Family! I look forward to working in partnership with Mr. Brown and the staff to continue the work of advocating for and providing all students and families with an educational experience where values, reaching goals, and diversity is celebrated.

I am committed to working alongside Mr. Brown – as we continue to provide leadership and build a structure of collaborative relationships in the school and community –  so that ALL students have various opportunities to succeed!  I look forward to meeting all students and families this coming school year and celebrating their greatness!

If you wish to move mountains tomorrow, you must begin by moving stones TODAY.   -African Proverb

Best Regards,

Mr. Tate

Congratulations to Principal Dr. McCladdie on her retirement after serving the Parkway West Community for over a decade!

Dr. Kathleen McCladdie

“What is your why?”  The answer to that question is a simple one for Dr. McCladdie: working with children and adults to realize and achieve their maximum potential as individuals and as a people so that they can have a better quality of life and reach back to pull up the next generation.

One of the School District of Philadelphia’s most seasoned school principals, Dr. McCladdie has been active in the field of education for the past 36 years.  She earned a Bachelor of Science in Education with a dual major in Early Childhood Education and Elementary Education from California University of Pennsylvania and went on to earn a Master of Science and a Doctor of Education, both in Educational Leadership, from St. Joseph’s University.  Dr. McCladdie maintains Early Childhood N-3 and Elementary K-6 teaching certifications, as well as administrative certification for Elementary Principal and a Superintendent’s Letter of Eligibility.

Before transitioning into administration, Dr. McCladdie was an elementary and middle school teacher for 10 years.  While in the classroom, she taught 3rd through 6th grades at W. S. Pierce Middle School, located in her stomping groups of South Philadelphia.  With the mentorship of Armita Simms, a highly respected regional superintendent, Dr. McCladdie took a leap of faith and threw her “hat in the ring” for a principalship.  In 1997, after a brief stint at Gompers Elementary School, she was appointed as the principal of Overbrook Elementary School.  While at Overbrook El, as it is affectionately referred to by the staff and area residents even through today, Dr. McCladdie established the first and only Pre-Kindergarten through 5th grade Montessori Education Program.  The success of that program and the achievements of Dr. McCladdie and her staff caught the eye of the District brass.  Soon thereafter, she was tapped to serve double duty as Principal of Overbrook El and as the Director of Montessori Education Programs.

Desiring a “change in scenery,” Dr. McCladdie approached the Superintendent of the West Region at the time with an interesting request – “let me try my hand at high school.”  Without hesitation, she was sent to Parkway West High School.  From her first day there, Dr. McCladdie began setting the stage to make her vision a reality – creating a pathway that would prepare high school students for careers in urban education with a focus on early childhood education.  After years of lobbying and advocacy, through the collaborative efforts of staff from Philadelphia Academies, Inc., the Delaware Valley Association for the Education of Young Children (DVAEYC), Drexel University, and her Administrative Assistant, Dr. McCladdie’s vision crystallized.  Parkway West is now the District’s only high school that has a Career and Technical Education (CTE) program for Early Child Care and Education.

For this, Dr. McCladdie has two words: Destiny Fulfilled.  In spite of her dream becoming a reality, Dr. McCladdie is not done yet!  She enjoys being the principal who “gets to know every student’s name and story.”  Dr. McCladdie looks forward to continuing to walk the walk of the talk she talks – staying positive, maintaining communication, and always doing what is right for the CHILDREN!