Liberty STEAM Charter School's Khalil Graham

KHALIL GRAHAM

"In reflection, the excellence in the school excellence in the school wasn't in test scores. I wasn't in test scores. I couldn't tell you what couldn't tell you what our test scores were at our test scores were at Poly Prep. I could tell you, Poly Prep. I could tell you, though, people walked though, people walked through the halls and they through the halls and they felt a standard for 'this is felt a standard for 'this is what it means to go to this what it means to go to this type of school.' I look type of school.' I look back now, and I am back now, and I am like, 'They just like, 'They just expected it.'" expected it.'"

'Part of the change'

Liberty STEAM Charter executive director wants school to be ‘spark’ for area education

BY BRUCE MILLS

From high school dropout to promoting excellence as a standard in K-12 education. From poverty and rough neighborhoods in Brooklyn, New York, to creating opportunities for students.

That is the "unlikely story" of Khalil Graham, in his own words.

Graham is executive director of Liberty STEAM Charter School, Sumter County's fi rst-ever tuition-free public charter school, which opened for its inaugural tuition-free public charter school, which opened for its inaugural year in fall 2021 to serve kindergarteners and fi rst-graders. With year in fall 2021 to serve kindergarteners and fi rst-graders. With the addition of a new 110-student kindergarten class chosen the addition of a new 110-student kindergarten class chosen through a lottery system in this spring, the fall 2022 year will through a lottery system in this spring, the fall 2022 year will serve 330 students in grades K-2. The school will add one grade serve 330 students in grades K-2. The school will add one grade per year until it is built out through K-12. per year until it is built out through K-12.

Graham’s role is similar to a district superintendent, inspiring Graham’s role is similar to a district superintendent, inspiring and equipping teachers and staff toward excellence in a school and equipping teachers and staff toward excellence in a school and changing the landscape for what kids and their families and changing the landscape for what kids and their families believe is possible. believe is possible.

OPPORTUNITIES PASSING BY OPPORTUNITIES PASSING BY

Graham's story starts in sixth grade. As "a talented, innerGraham's story starts in sixth grade. As "a talented, innercity kid," he said, he received a scholarship to attend a highcity kid," he said, he received a scholarship to attend a highperforming private school in Brooklyn named Poly Prep Country performing private school in Brooklyn named Poly Prep Country Day School. Day School.

Excellence was the standard and the expectation at Poly Prep, Excellence was the standard and the expectation at Poly Prep, he said, and it offered him the opportunity to see what a good he said, and it offered him the opportunity to see what a good school looked like. school looked like. "In refl ection, the excellence in the school wasn't in test "In refl ection, the excellence in the school wasn't in test scores," Graham said. "I couldn't tell you what our test scores scores," Graham said. "I couldn't tell you what our test scores were at Poly Prep. I could tell you, though, people walked were at Poly Prep. I could tell you, though, people walked through the halls and they felt a standard for 'this is what it through the halls and they felt a standard for 'this is what it means to go to this type of school.' I look back now, and I am means to go to this type of school.' I look back now, and I am like, 'They just expected it.' like, 'They just expected it.' "And me being there over the course of time, I learned to "And me being there over the course of time, I learned to expect, 'Oh, excellence is something that is achievable when expect, 'Oh, excellence is something that is achievable when people hold that as a standard and don't let go.' So, I am really people hold that as a standard and don't let go.' So, I am really glad I had that experience." glad I had that experience."

It was a totally different dynamic from his neighborhood, It was a totally different dynamic from his neighborhood, school. said. students. things simply given to him. college. me to see and be more."

where he admits he was "fl oating by without a purpose" in high where he admits he was "fl oating by without a purpose" in high school.

In October 2002, as a junior, he dropped out. Then his In October 2002, as a junior, he dropped out. Then his grandmother who raised him kicked him out of the house, he grandmother who raised him kicked him out of the house, he said.

Graham would live on the streets of New York and the Q Graham would live on the streets of New York and the Q Train, which runs from Coney Island in Brooklyn to mid-town Train, which runs from Coney Island in Brooklyn to mid-town Manhattan and Central Park, for about a month. Manhattan and Central Park, for about a month.

On the train, he got to see the highs of the city and lows of On the train, he got to see the highs of the city and lows of tougher neighborhoods, he said. tougher neighborhoods, he said.

He also met homeless, runaway kids and learned their He also met homeless, runaway kids and learned their stories. They were smart, but hard circumstances had forced stories. They were smart, but hard circumstances had forced opportunities to pass them by, he said. opportunities to pass them by, he said.

The experience ignited a fi re in Graham to get back in school The experience ignited a fi re in Graham to get back in school with the ultimate goal of creating change opportunities for with the ultimate goal of creating change opportunities for students.

His grandmother let him come home, but she told him his life His grandmother let him come home, but she told him his life was going to be about developing his own goals and not having was going to be about developing his own goals and not having things simply given to him.

He fi nished his junior year at the local public high school, He fi nished his junior year at the local public high school, George Westinghouse Vocational Technical High School, where George Westinghouse Vocational Technical High School, where Graham was put in a program to learn how to reinstall computer Graham was put in a program to learn how to reinstall computer boards in the large computers of the time. boards in the large computers of the time.

That school year, 2002-03, he said, out of a graduating class That school year, 2002-03, he said, out of a graduating class of 400 students at George Westinghouse, six planned to go to of 400 students at George Westinghouse, six planned to go to college. "It was eye-opening," Graham said, "because you think since "It was eye-opening," Graham said, "because you think since you are from Brooklyn and you maybe grew up closer to those you are from Brooklyn and you maybe grew up closer to those neighborhoods that you would be just like those kids. But, in neighborhoods that you would be just like those kids. But, in reality, my mind was a mile away from that type of environment. reality, my mind was a mile away from that type of environment. I really wanted to be in a place that would develop me and help I really wanted to be in a place that would develop me and help me to see and be more."

The same group that initially offered him the scholarship to attend the private school stayed in contact with Graham when he

THE GATEKEEPERS THE GATEKEEPERS

The same group that initially offered him the scholarship to attend the private school stayed in contact with Graham when he dropped out. dropped out.

The agency helped him get into a boarding school about 2.5 hours from home in Windsor, Connecticut, for his senior year. That year away taught Graham how to become self-suffi cient, he said.

Next, he received an academic scholarship to attend the University of Richmond and played - "watched mostly from the sidelines" - football. He learned how to be part of a team, Graham said.

Seeds had already been planted in him to desire a career to help other people, and now he was growing in the world of education, he added.

BECOMING INVESTED IN EDUCATION

After graduation, he got his fi rst job in education, serving as a tutor and in other roles in Richmond.

Graham's next pursuit was his master's in education at Sacred Heart University in Fairfi eld, Connecticut, while continuing to teach. In his fi rst year back in Connecticut, he taught at a charter school. In his second, Graham taught in a public school.

With his master's degree in one hand and teaching certifi cation in the other, he began looking into doctorate programs.

He earned a scholarship to attend the University of Kentucky. While in its Ed.D. program from 2010-13, had the opportunity to meet and learn from outstanding educators across the state and country, including Michelle Rhee, the former chancellor of Washington, D.C., Public Schools when it was going through reform efforts.

After earning his doctorate in education leadership and urban education, Graham started pursuing K-12 school leadership jobs.

WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF PUBLIC CHARTERS

His fi rst position after Kentucky was with the charter network Yes Prep, based in Houston, Texas, as an instructional leader at one of their campuses. The network serves about 20,000 students across Houston.

Next, Graham got an opportunity to open a grade 6-12 college prep school as a principal in San Antonio, Texas, in 2014 with IDEA Public Schools, a national charter network that currently serves more than 70,000 kids.

He likens that experience to Sumter and Liberty STEAM. "Learning all of the ropes in that process was helpful with what we are doing here," Graham said. "Because so much of it was similar. Like, alright, you don't know what you don't know, so you got to go fi gure it out. Being there for that the fi rst time was helpful."

When that school opened, 65% of its students were twoplus years below grade level. Graham said he was "sad and heartbroken" that kids went to schools like that.

But, by the end of his tenure, the school's distinction in the state was for having 80% profi ciency across the board, he said. "When you see that stuff and you have literally fl ipped that narrative for the same group of kids, it's really powerful in what it looks like," Graham said.

In 2017, he decided he wanted to get closer to home and took the head post of a turnaround charter school in Washington, D.C., with Friendship Charter Schools Network and saw more of the same situation.

Then Graham went back to Texas, taking a leadership coaching position for new principals in Dallas with Teaching Trust. In the job, he taught at Southern Methodist University, mentoring 35 new principals each year at public schools and charter schools both big and small.

His focus was building up leaders and giving them the support they needed, he said.

"When you see people live it the right way and the sacrifices they make for themselves, for their families, for the betterment of kids in a community, that part really resonated with me. And, I was like, 'If I can have an impact, I wanted that to be my legacy: to be part of the change that a lot of our kids deserve."

"I have been extremely blessed along the way to work with some amazing educators and to learn from some fantastic organizations that have really grounded themselves in putting kids first," he said. "Now, that is a phrase that every educator will say. It's part of our motto and creed. But you can tell real quick when you go through people's doors who does it. "When you see people live it the right way and the sacrifices they make for themselves, for their families, for the betterment of kids in a community, that part really resonated with me. And, I was like, 'If I can have an impact, I wanted that to be my legacy: to be part of the change that a lot of our kids deserve."

THE PANDEMIC AND A CALL FROM A FRIEND

Graham said he enjoyed living in Dallas, but then "the world stopped" in March 2020 with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Next, he received a call from a friend and associate who worked with a group called Building Excellent Schools. She wanted a couple names of people who might be interested in an executive director position with a new charter school opening in South Carolina.

Knowing the history of rural education in South Carolina through watching the documentary called "The Corridor of Shame" in graduate school, Graham said he was curious and wanted to know more. The film documents poor student achievement along Interstate 95. "It pulled at my heart," Graham said. "But I wished at that time that I knew how to make an impact. I didn't know when I was in grad school and teaching statistics classes at the University of Kentucky. But, at this point in my career, where I knew so many good leadership practices and I had gotten to do them at different schools, it felt like something I could have an impact on. So, I decided to come and have the conversation."

ON TO SUMTER

He said meeting people in Sumter when he arrived for the interview sold him the most.

Graham talked to people in stores on Main Street who said they never liked going to school while growing up here. Their kids didn't like school, and their grandkids didn't like school.

Then he met Liberty's founding Board of Directors. "I see a board of people who were like, 'We want to find somebody who really wants to make a change,'" Graham recalled. "I told them, 'I can help you get to this level, but here is what it's going to take. You got to invest in these areas.' And nobody ever flinched. Nobody said, 'How much is it going to cost?' Nobody said, 'Why are we doing that?' "They just said, 'Will these give us excellent schools for kids?' and I said, 'Yeah.' "And since then, the commitment has been there, which has been something I have been really, really thankful for."

Liberty ran its first year at a renovated campus just south of West Liberty Street with 192 students split evenly between kindergarten and first grade.

He said the school is already changing the landscape for what kids and their families believe is possible. Kids are learning at a solid rate, and nobody has left. "When you open a bad school, guess what? The families don't stay," Graham said. "When you look at the data that shows what the kids are learning, I am really excited for when we get to the point where we are able to go and showcase them with the state exams and say, 'Hey, there is nothing wrong with our kids.'”