Shaker Heights Schools Minority Achievement Committee (MAC Scholars)

The Minority Achievement Committee (MAC) Scholars program involves a group of high achieving African-American male juniors and seniors who are acting as mentors to underachieving ninth grade African-American males, whom we call Potential Scholars. The MAC Scholars are models of high academic achievement and leadership for the younger students.

History & Rationale

The achievement gap is a chronic national problem. The MAC program grew out of a meeting of the Faculty Achievement Committee at Shaker Heights High School in 1990. Following a study which revealed the alarmingly low grade point average of African-American males, a group of high achieving African-American male students asked the Faculty Achievement Committee for an opportunity to work directly with underachieving African-American males. Thus, the MAC program was born. Currently, schools all over the country are following this model and creating their own MAC programs. A similar group, called the MAC Sisters, was established at Shaker Heights High School to serve female students.

The MAC Scholar program attempts to overcome the persistent negative portrayal of the status of African-American male high school students. It offers an opportunity for schools and educators to focus attention on young African-American male achievers who represent where educators are striving to be with African-American males. It is a source of pride for the Scholars and the Potential Scholars. It is also an opportunity for schools to heighten awareness regarding the achievement, leadership, and determination to recover lost potential that is present among African-American male students.

Precepts

In order to have a positive effect on the Potential Scholars, the MAC Scholars considered the following elements to be of the highest importance:

Respect: Scholars will hold the Potential Scholars in high esteem and expect them to behave respectfully in return.
Pride: Scholars will demonstrate pride in their schoolwork and instill this sense of pride in achievement in the Potential Scholars.
Honesty: Scholars will relate their individual school experience and urge the younger students to be honest with themselves about the reason for low academic performance.

Sensitivity: The Scholars will be cognizant of the low esteem in which most of the Potential Scholars hold themselves as a cause and effect of their low achievement.

Confidence: The Scholars will consistently affirm their genuine belief in the ability of the Potential Scholars to be achievers.

The scholars are steadfast in their belief that they can make an important difference and, in doing so, restore hope in the younger students that they will, indeed, have futures that hold promise.

The Pledge

Each MAC meeting begins with the following pledge, written by students:

I am an African American

and I pledge to uphold the name and image

of the African-American man.

I will do so by striving for academic excellence,

conducting myself with dignity, and

respecting others as if they were my

brothers and sisters

For more Information contact MAC Advisor Mary Lynne McGovern: mcgovern_m@shaker.org

MAC Web Page
http://www.shaker.org/about/schools/high/about/macscholars.htm

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Shaker Heights Schools
• Mac Scholars