'Watch the repairs': Here's what new Brockton High principal plans to do to end the chaos

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BROCKTON — Brockton High School's new, permanent principal Kevin McCaskill addressed the public for the first time at last week's special Brockton School Committee meeting, where he spoke to parents and teachers about safety and security in the high school.

McCaskill's passionate speech earned a large round of applause from the full crowd at the meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 31.

“I use the analogy when you buy a house as is. When you buy a house as is, well, you owe all the taxes that the previous owners didn't pay. The hole in the roof, that's yours. Well, this is my house as is. I'm proud to own it. But watch the repairs. Watch the repairs,” McKaskill said to applause from the packed crowd.

The committee introduced McCaskill roughly three weeks after he started his role. His introduction was postponed due to the school committee's vice chair election stalemate that began at their Jan. 3 organizational meeting and is still in progress over a month later.

“The reception has been fantastic, and I mean that sincerely. The students have been nothing short of phenomenal,” McCaskill said.

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High School faces extreme challenges

McCaskill inherited a school that's facing turmoil and numerous extreme challenges — from a massive teacher shortage, to shocking levels of violence, cutting of classes and disrespect toward staff, multiple teachers and staff said at the meeting. Recent fights between students have led to one student being taken away in an ambulance. Many students leave the building during the school day or sneak people into the building through unmonitored entrances, the teachers said.

But McCaskill said he believes the problems can be fixed if the Brockton High School community works together, and he seemed to inspire many staff members in attendance.

"Brockton seems like home to me. I don't live in Brockton. I was not a Boxer — although I did some boxing in Patterson, New Jersey. But there's something about Brockton that reminds me of my home city of Patterson, New Jersey. There's something about Brockton that reminds me of the city in which I raised my family, Springfield, Massachusetts, for over 30 years. There's something about Brockton that reminds me a little of Boston where I currently reside," McCaskill said.

"Each and every day I feel the pulse and the heart of folks in this city, that the high school is a lifeblood of this city. And I truly believe the high school is the jewel and will be the jewel of this city."

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But McCaskill said he can't turn the high school around on his own.

“You're not hiring Superman because Superman does not exist,” McCaskill said he told Superintendent James Cobbs when McCaskill was hired.

"It's going to take a lot of hands, a lot of hands, a lot of tears, a lot of sweat, hopefully not too much blood, to really make systemic changes going forward," McCaskill said at the Jan. 31 meeting.

Who is Principal Kevin McCaskill?

Prior to Brockton, McCaskill served as assistant superintendent of secondary schools for Boston Public Schools. He was also executive director at Madison Park Technical Vocational High School from 2015 to 2021 and director of school design and programming at the Hartford Public Schools from 2010 to 2015.

While McCaskill lived in Springfield, he served as principal of Springfield's high school, middle school and elementary schools.

McCaskill also served as principal at Putnam Vocational High School. During his tenure, a city audit alleged that school officials mishandled school funding, and the audit, which was completed after McCaskill left the school, led to the firing, demotion or resignation of seven school district employees, according to MassLive.

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McCaskill's BHS improvement plan

At the Jan. 31 meeting McCaskill said he has a track record of improving schools and districts and is committed to doing the same in Brockton. He said it even after listening to teacher after teacher tell wrenching stories about the magnitude of the problems.

"I still believe that this is possible, and that's not a pipe dream. And the reason why I say it, I don't like to lose, just ask my mother, I'm a sore loser," he said.

McCaskill outlined a number of the action items he is implementing to address the turmoil at the high school:

• The school is in the process of bringing back the option of in-school suspension. Despite a state law that puts up roadblocks for out-of-school suspensions, in-school suspensions are permitted and recommended under the new law. "That's something that gives you the immediacy with some of the behaviors, like skipping," McCaskill said.

• The district plans to hire another administrator for BHS's green building, which he said “will help tremendously.”

• The district is hiring six more safety and security specialists, increasing the total number to 18, and retraining the ones already on the job.

• McCaskill plans to institute a structured mentoring program of volunteers, especially men in the community to "mentor some of these young men who are causing most of the difficulties in our schools," he said. "If they are church and faith-based, we're utilizing them. If they are former military, we're utilizing them," he said.

• He added that teachers will more strictly enforce rules against violence, drug use and bringing in weapons — as even the new state discipline law allows for out-of-school suspension for those behaviors.

5 principals in 8 months

In a stunning move, back in June, the Brockton School Committee announced Superintendent Mike Thomas was taking on an additional role of interim principal of Brockton High School alongside Principal Cynthia Burns.

But then in another shocking development, in late August, Mayor Robert Sullivan, who serves as chair of the School Committee, announced that a large deficit had been found in the previous year's budget and Thomas had informed the board he was taking an indefinite medical leave.

The next day, on Sept. 1, Cobbs was appointed to serve as acting superintendent and he also took over as acting principal of the high school.

Then in October, Jose Duarte, retired principal of South Middle School, was named acting principal of Brockton High School, to serve until a permanent replacement could be found.

McCaskill was hired in January to fill that role.

McCaskill in Brockton for 'as long as it takes'

McCaskill said he plans to go the distance in Brockton.

"I'm really looking forward to the next, not one year, not two, as long as it takes. This is it for me. This is truly my last stomping grounds. And Brockton is the ideal place to do it," McCaskill said at the Jan. 31 meeting.

This article originally appeared on The Enterprise: Brockton High Principal Kevin McCaskill's plan to turn school around