Changing of the guard at MVB
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f By Steve Wilson
Although summers are typically quiet in our New York City schools, it was an eventful period at MVB. Sam Sochet, our principal for the last seven years, and the recipient of Principal of the Year 2019 for Queens, ended his tenure by retiring in August. Then, just before Labor Day, his much-anticipated successor was announced. Tracy Martinez has just been installed as the Principal at MVB and begins her leadership of a school that continues its rejuvenation. Today, we are witnessing a rebuilding of the student enrollment and the continued recovery in our graduation rate this past year. She is now challenged with continuing to build on the momentum and appears well equipped to do so, having been successful as an assistant principal at the Frederick Douglass Academy in Brooklyn after a long history of being an educator within the NYC school system.
We thought it was a fitting time to pay tribute to Sam and introduce Tracy to our alumni community.
Sam Sochet first stepped into the principal’s role at MVB in September 2012. Prior to tackling this daunting assignment Sam had bonafide Queens credentials, having grown up in Flushing and graduated from Jamaica HS. He began his teaching career at Stuyvesant instructing biology and worked his way up the ladder, finally reaching the role of Assistant Principal of science at Thomas Edison.
He had walked into a very difficult situation. Nothing in his career had prepared him for the challenge he was about to take on. MVB was designated a priority school, ranking amongst the lowest 5% of all schools in New York State, as enrollment at the school was at an all-time low and the graduation rate had cratered to 46%. This meant we were on the chopping block, at risk of being shut down, and the clock was ticking. It was safe to say student pride and staff morale had hit rock bottom.
Fast forward to 2018 and we were the most improved high school for our four-year graduation rate from when Sam arrived. We were removed from the ranks of renewal schools and this fall we have our first gain in enrollment in a quarter century. He introduced a number of efforts to help our struggling students like adding Saturday instruction, while continuing to challenge our top scholars with such elite programs as DNA research, robotics, and pre-law. We all wish Sam well in his retirement and are grateful for the efforts from him and all of his staff to get MVB back on a solid footing and prepared to continue its rejuvenation.
Tracy Martinez finds MVB in a very different place but certainly far from devoid of challenges. The school continues to focus on improving academic outcomes and expanding enrollment, but is now forced to do so with less resources. No longer a renewal school has required that the additional financial support we received in this program has now vanished and we need to do more with less, no small feat.
Tracy, a Brooklyn native (no one’s perfect), steps in as principal after a 17-year career in teaching. Her previous roles as a teacher, coach, and assistant principal has honed her instructional skills. But what makes her stand out is her passion and dedication to children. She will bring a level of energy and commitment to raise the bar for all our students to ensure greater student achievement and post-secondary success. She embraces technology and plans to foster an environment of collaboration amongst the staff and throughout the student population.
On the job for just a few weeks Tracy has had to hit the ground running, keeping “the trains on time” while beginning to lay out her longer-term vision for what MVB can be. She has already identified a desire to emphasize improving the instructional core, focusing on student debate and discourse as a vehicle in developing deeper understanding of essential topics and issues. She is also keen to develop and implement programs that will positively impact school culture and community. She has embraced an openness in her communications inside and outside the school. Her approach is best summed up by two quotes she shared with me.
“Be the change you want to see”
“The challenge of leadership is to be strong, but not rude; be kind but not weak; be bold, but not a bully; be thoughtful, but not lazy; be humble, but not timid; be proud but not arrogant; have humor, but without folly.” Jim Rohn
We are so excited to have her at the helm to steer our school to even greater heights in the years ahead. Please join me in welcoming Tracy to the MVB family and working with her and her team to help make her as successful as we can in positioning MVB to thrive.
Although summers are typically quiet in our New York City schools, it was an eventful period at MVB. Sam Sochet, our principal for the last seven years, and the recipient of Principal of the Year 2019 for Queens, ended his tenure by retiring in August. Then, just before Labor Day, his much-anticipated successor was announced. Tracy Martinez has just been installed as the Principal at MVB and begins her leadership of a school that continues its rejuvenation. Today, we are witnessing a rebuilding of the student enrollment and the continued recovery in our graduation rate this past year. She is now challenged with continuing to build on the momentum and appears well equipped to do so, having been successful as an assistant principal at the Frederick Douglass Academy in Brooklyn after a long history of being an educator within the NYC school system.
We thought it was a fitting time to pay tribute to Sam and introduce Tracy to our alumni community.
Sam Sochet first stepped into the principal’s role at MVB in September 2012. Prior to tackling this daunting assignment Sam had bonafide Queens credentials, having grown up in Flushing and graduated from Jamaica HS. He began his teaching career at Stuyvesant instructing biology and worked his way up the ladder, finally reaching the role of Assistant Principal of science at Thomas Edison.
He had walked into a very difficult situation. Nothing in his career had prepared him for the challenge he was about to take on. MVB was designated a priority school, ranking amongst the lowest 5% of all schools in New York State, as enrollment at the school was at an all-time low and the graduation rate had cratered to 46%. This meant we were on the chopping block, at risk of being shut down, and the clock was ticking. It was safe to say student pride and staff morale had hit rock bottom.
Fast forward to 2018 and we were the most improved high school for our four-year graduation rate from when Sam arrived. We were removed from the ranks of renewal schools and this fall we have our first gain in enrollment in a quarter century. He introduced a number of efforts to help our struggling students like adding Saturday instruction, while continuing to challenge our top scholars with such elite programs as DNA research, robotics, and pre-law. We all wish Sam well in his retirement and are grateful for the efforts from him and all of his staff to get MVB back on a solid footing and prepared to continue its rejuvenation.
Tracy Martinez finds MVB in a very different place but certainly far from devoid of challenges. The school continues to focus on improving academic outcomes and expanding enrollment, but is now forced to do so with less resources. No longer a renewal school has required that the additional financial support we received in this program has now vanished and we need to do more with less, no small feat.
Tracy, a Brooklyn native (no one’s perfect), steps in as principal after a 17-year career in teaching. Her previous roles as a teacher, coach, and assistant principal has honed her instructional skills. But what makes her stand out is her passion and dedication to children. She will bring a level of energy and commitment to raise the bar for all our students to ensure greater student achievement and post-secondary success. She embraces technology and plans to foster an environment of collaboration amongst the staff and throughout the student population.
On the job for just a few weeks Tracy has had to hit the ground running, keeping “the trains on time” while beginning to lay out her longer-term vision for what MVB can be. She has already identified a desire to emphasize improving the instructional core, focusing on student debate and discourse as a vehicle in developing deeper understanding of essential topics and issues. She is also keen to develop and implement programs that will positively impact school culture and community. She has embraced an openness in her communications inside and outside the school. Her approach is best summed up by two quotes she shared with me.
“Be the change you want to see”
“The challenge of leadership is to be strong, but not rude; be kind but not weak; be bold, but not a bully; be thoughtful, but not lazy; be humble, but not timid; be proud but not arrogant; have humor, but without folly.” Jim Rohn
We are so excited to have her at the helm to steer our school to even greater heights in the years ahead. Please join me in welcoming Tracy to the MVB family and working with her and her team to help make her as successful as we can in positioning MVB to thrive.
paying it forward
My first Van Buren memory is fear! … pure paralyzing fear. My Aunt Stella brought me to the school during the last week of August 1966, to register me as a new student. As we approached the front door I just froze up and for a few seconds I could not move. My Aunt, being a very no-nonsense type of gal, practically dragged me inside, without any sympathy for my high anxiety. For background, only 2 months before this first trip to MVB, I literally just got off the boat (steamship) which brought me from my native Poland to New York City. I spent my first American summer vacations meeting my many US relatives, discovering the city, and being totally dazzled by my new surroundings.
I was sixteen when I emigrated from Poland, where I already completed three years of high school, with relatively decent grades. And, although I have taken a year of English in Poland, upon my arrival I would give my knowledge of English a 3 out of 100, which grew a bit to about an 8 by the time I first entered MVB. Practically speaking, I knew, at best, a few words and phrases … long way from being capable of attending a proper academic high school. But Van Buren quickly changed all that.
Registering me in the new school was relatively simple and quick. But, determining where I should fit, and what should I study, took another ~4 hours. Recall, I already did 3 years of HS in Poland, and I was about a year ahead of my age group. My Aunt who spoke a very passable Polish for never having been to Poland (and of course, perfect English being a US native) worked hard with several teachers to translate my Polish report cards into English. It also helped that I brought with me a handful of my Polish textbooks which showed what material I have already covered.
By the end of this tumultuous first day it was declared that I will be a Junior. And, my new curriculum was brilliantly simple -- and entirely focused on one overriding objective –- learn English as quickly as you possibly can. I did get to take Math., Chemistry, and Russian like other Juniors, but since I was generally ahead of my VB peers in those subjects, I would concentrate on learning these subjects in my new language. Then came two of my most memorable (and ultimately helpful) courses that semester -- Speech Clinic, and English for Foreigners. (At that time MVB HS was wonderfully set to bring students from other countries, as well as Americans for whom English was their second, or even third language., and get them fluent in English by the graduation time).
In these two special courses I was delivered into the hands of two super-caring, lovable and tough-as-nails Jewish mothers who were totally determined to pound the basics of the English language and speech into the heads and mouths of about 20+ students. Their methods did sometime verge on corporal punishment … like Mrs. Newton “wrapping me on the mouth” numerous times to get my voice box to properly pronounce the words like “the” and “therefore” (an impossible sound for any Slav). I want to be sure to underscore here that what she and Mrs. Rabinowitz did was amazing, and most appreciated by us students, even if it shocked us a bit in the beginning. Importantly, my English was getting quickly better and better. By the end of that first semester I would have given myself a 55 out of a 100 …. long way from fluency, but a most welcome progress.
In the second semester of my Junior year, my curriculum included all the usual suspects, and two truly fun courses – Economics, and Music Appreciation. I was raised in a socialist/communist eco-political system; Economics introduced me to the basic functioning of capitalism. The Music course was just nothing short of unapologetic delight. I was raised on classical European music, and have learned to play some piano. Mr. Santonochito quickly recognized my love for music in general, and proceeded to expose me to the music I new less about – American composers like Gershwin, Copeland, jazz, and most especially the American Broadway musicals. Realizing the need to grow my English skills, Mr. S gave me an old and well-worn record of “My Fair Lady”, a libretto of its songs, and told me to learn all the songs/recitations of Rex Harrison as Prof. Higgins. That also helped a lot, and by the end of my junior year I was feeling much more comfortable with my new language. That is, until I got the PSAT results …. which basically told me I had a long way to go, and by the way, college was not likely in the cards.
By the second semester of my Junior year I was doing especially well in chemistry, and here is where I first met my two archangels – Dr. Joseph Castka (Chair of the Chem. Dept.), and Ms. Patricia Robbins – a teacher who ran the chemistry labs. And these two amazing people just took me under their wings, and proceeded to redefine the rest of my academic life – in high school and as well as college. Just about the time I was deeply depressed about my PSAT scores and poor likelihood of getting to college, these two wonderful teachers really got after me with lots of encouragement and occasional “readings of the riot act”. They insisted that I will go to college, that PSATs were just the first tests, and the ones that really mattered were the SATs which I will be taking in my Senior year.
Importantly, they absolutely insisted on two things. First thing was that at the SATs I not only take the required English and Math., but that I also take the Chemistry exam. And this was a truly brilliant guidance – I aced the Math. and Chem. Tests, and predictably, did poorly in English (esp. the grammar part). While I sent out a bunch of college applications, my two archangels absolutely insisted I also apply to Columbia University in NYC. Honestly, I though they were crazy. On my Mom’s minimum wage salary I could not afford even the subway fare, never mind the tuition and fees, which were more than my Mom made in the entire year. But, what I did not know was that Dr. Castka and Mrs. Robbins were both Columbia alumni, with very close connections to the university.
Well, I did get accepted into several colleges. But what sent me totally over the moon – I was accepted to Columbia University’s School of Engineering. I will never forget the weekend of shear agony I spent reading over and over the acceptance letter, and weeping with fear because the letter offering a full scholarship did not arrive until the following week. (I was told the two letters – acceptance and scholarship - would arrive together). But, I made it, just like my two archangels predicted. Even now, 51 years later, I often offer a prayer of gratitude for those five angels who propelled me on a career I could not have imagined in my wildest dreams. Thank you, Martin Van Buren HS, you completely changed the trajectory of my life.
Today, I am fast approaching the 70th year of my life, and am working on an update to my Last Will and Testament. My education has brought me a very satisfying 30-year career with Procter and Gamble, which also gave me enough money to retire early. When my time on this earth is over, a large chunk of my estate will go to my family. But there will also be a generous bequest going to my High School. I certainly could not have made it without MVB.
Jacek J. Kedziora; Class of ‘68
I was sixteen when I emigrated from Poland, where I already completed three years of high school, with relatively decent grades. And, although I have taken a year of English in Poland, upon my arrival I would give my knowledge of English a 3 out of 100, which grew a bit to about an 8 by the time I first entered MVB. Practically speaking, I knew, at best, a few words and phrases … long way from being capable of attending a proper academic high school. But Van Buren quickly changed all that.
Registering me in the new school was relatively simple and quick. But, determining where I should fit, and what should I study, took another ~4 hours. Recall, I already did 3 years of HS in Poland, and I was about a year ahead of my age group. My Aunt who spoke a very passable Polish for never having been to Poland (and of course, perfect English being a US native) worked hard with several teachers to translate my Polish report cards into English. It also helped that I brought with me a handful of my Polish textbooks which showed what material I have already covered.
By the end of this tumultuous first day it was declared that I will be a Junior. And, my new curriculum was brilliantly simple -- and entirely focused on one overriding objective –- learn English as quickly as you possibly can. I did get to take Math., Chemistry, and Russian like other Juniors, but since I was generally ahead of my VB peers in those subjects, I would concentrate on learning these subjects in my new language. Then came two of my most memorable (and ultimately helpful) courses that semester -- Speech Clinic, and English for Foreigners. (At that time MVB HS was wonderfully set to bring students from other countries, as well as Americans for whom English was their second, or even third language., and get them fluent in English by the graduation time).
In these two special courses I was delivered into the hands of two super-caring, lovable and tough-as-nails Jewish mothers who were totally determined to pound the basics of the English language and speech into the heads and mouths of about 20+ students. Their methods did sometime verge on corporal punishment … like Mrs. Newton “wrapping me on the mouth” numerous times to get my voice box to properly pronounce the words like “the” and “therefore” (an impossible sound for any Slav). I want to be sure to underscore here that what she and Mrs. Rabinowitz did was amazing, and most appreciated by us students, even if it shocked us a bit in the beginning. Importantly, my English was getting quickly better and better. By the end of that first semester I would have given myself a 55 out of a 100 …. long way from fluency, but a most welcome progress.
In the second semester of my Junior year, my curriculum included all the usual suspects, and two truly fun courses – Economics, and Music Appreciation. I was raised in a socialist/communist eco-political system; Economics introduced me to the basic functioning of capitalism. The Music course was just nothing short of unapologetic delight. I was raised on classical European music, and have learned to play some piano. Mr. Santonochito quickly recognized my love for music in general, and proceeded to expose me to the music I new less about – American composers like Gershwin, Copeland, jazz, and most especially the American Broadway musicals. Realizing the need to grow my English skills, Mr. S gave me an old and well-worn record of “My Fair Lady”, a libretto of its songs, and told me to learn all the songs/recitations of Rex Harrison as Prof. Higgins. That also helped a lot, and by the end of my junior year I was feeling much more comfortable with my new language. That is, until I got the PSAT results …. which basically told me I had a long way to go, and by the way, college was not likely in the cards.
By the second semester of my Junior year I was doing especially well in chemistry, and here is where I first met my two archangels – Dr. Joseph Castka (Chair of the Chem. Dept.), and Ms. Patricia Robbins – a teacher who ran the chemistry labs. And these two amazing people just took me under their wings, and proceeded to redefine the rest of my academic life – in high school and as well as college. Just about the time I was deeply depressed about my PSAT scores and poor likelihood of getting to college, these two wonderful teachers really got after me with lots of encouragement and occasional “readings of the riot act”. They insisted that I will go to college, that PSATs were just the first tests, and the ones that really mattered were the SATs which I will be taking in my Senior year.
Importantly, they absolutely insisted on two things. First thing was that at the SATs I not only take the required English and Math., but that I also take the Chemistry exam. And this was a truly brilliant guidance – I aced the Math. and Chem. Tests, and predictably, did poorly in English (esp. the grammar part). While I sent out a bunch of college applications, my two archangels absolutely insisted I also apply to Columbia University in NYC. Honestly, I though they were crazy. On my Mom’s minimum wage salary I could not afford even the subway fare, never mind the tuition and fees, which were more than my Mom made in the entire year. But, what I did not know was that Dr. Castka and Mrs. Robbins were both Columbia alumni, with very close connections to the university.
Well, I did get accepted into several colleges. But what sent me totally over the moon – I was accepted to Columbia University’s School of Engineering. I will never forget the weekend of shear agony I spent reading over and over the acceptance letter, and weeping with fear because the letter offering a full scholarship did not arrive until the following week. (I was told the two letters – acceptance and scholarship - would arrive together). But, I made it, just like my two archangels predicted. Even now, 51 years later, I often offer a prayer of gratitude for those five angels who propelled me on a career I could not have imagined in my wildest dreams. Thank you, Martin Van Buren HS, you completely changed the trajectory of my life.
Today, I am fast approaching the 70th year of my life, and am working on an update to my Last Will and Testament. My education has brought me a very satisfying 30-year career with Procter and Gamble, which also gave me enough money to retire early. When my time on this earth is over, a large chunk of my estate will go to my family. But there will also be a generous bequest going to my High School. I certainly could not have made it without MVB.
Jacek J. Kedziora; Class of ‘68
