Tyler Gilland hopes to shrink 'opportunity gap' for students as BCCHS principal

Tyler Gilland understands firsthand how a single conversation can change the trajectory of a person's life, and it's for that very reason that he chose to carve out a career in education.

Once a struggling student at Kalamazoo Central High School in the early 2000s, Gilland now serves as the new executive principal of Battle Creek Central High School, overseeing roughly 1,200 students in grades 9-12.

As he greeted students Wednesday for the first day of the 2022-23 academic year, Gilland couldn't help but reflect on what got him here.

The 35-year-old principal admits he wouldn't even be in education had it not been for a high school counselor that challenged him to do more for the next generation of learners.

"To me, freshman year in any high school in America is the most critical year," Gilland said. "If students stumble out the gate their freshman year, the rest of high school and post-secondary plans become exponentially more difficult. I’ve learned that the hard way myself."

Gilland remembers struggling mightily during his underclassmen years at Kalamazoo Central, failing multiple classes as he attempted to find his way in an environment where he often felt the teachers didn't really care about him.

With the support of teachers and his high school counselor, Gilland found his stride during his junior and senior years. But he often wondered where this level of support was in earlier years.

While voicing these frustrations to the counselor one day, Gilland was offered this challenge: to become the freshman teacher he'd wished he had.

"That was the thing that unlocked it for me," Gilland said. "I had no intention of really going to college but that challenge kind of sat with me and resonated with me for a long time. ... When you have a purpose, it changes."

Gilland now takes over for former BCCHS Principal Noah Hollander, who departed to become principal of Montgomery High School in Montgomery County, Texas, earlier this year.

Gilland had been the principal of Battle Creek Central's Freshman Academy since 2019. He joined the district in 2015 as a freshman history teacher after prior stints at Portage Central High School and Head Start Kalamazoo.

“With a transformational leader like Mr. Gilland, it's not just about what he can do and accomplish; more importantly, it's about the passion he brings and the way he shows up for his staff, students, and community every day," Battle Creek Public Schools Superintendent Kimberly Carter said. "I know I speak for everyone in the Bearcat community when I say we are so proud of Mr. Gilland and know that more great things are in store for him and Battle Creek Central High School."

Gilland said one of his main priorities is to continue to expand educational opportunities for students inside and outside the classroom.

"People often talk about the achievement gap, but we know that the first gap to address to overcome that achievement gap is really our opportunity gap, so we want to make sure we provide opportunities for students to see different careers," he said. "(We want students) to see what’s possible because if they can see it, they can be it."

Contact reporter Greyson Steele at gsteele@battlecreekenquirer.com or 269-501-5661. Follow him on Twitter: G_SteeleBC

This article originally appeared on Battle Creek Enquirer: Battle Creek Central High has new principal