Indianapolis Public Schools educator Linda Davis has returned to Broad Ripple High School as their new principal where her teaching career began. She recently discussed her objectives for the school's future and her background.

"Broad Ripple has been a magnet school for a long time. Currently, it houses the magnets for performing arts, visual arts and humanities. That means we have not only the "regular" neighborhood students, but also the students from all over IPS who are talented enough and interested enough to apply for one of the magnets", she explained.

"Next year, Broad Ripple will be made up totally of magnet students. It will be Broad Ripple Magnet High School for the Arts and Humanities. At that time, we will have ONLY magnet students, not any other students from this area. The curriculum will be designed for all students to be in the humanities magnet, plus, if they so desire, one of the other major areas - performing arts, visual arts or media communications. The academic curriculum, being based in the humanities, will be rigorous," she emphasized. "In fact, rising juniors and seniors may choose to be "grandfathered" in next year, but they must be aware of and prepared for the demands of the new curriculum. If students don't maintain a "C" average, they will have to leave and go to either Tech or Arlington High School. The school should be among the best in the country for its academics and its preparation for students in the arts," Davis added.

Describing her recent appointment as BRHS principal, Davis mentioned, "I've been placed here this year to oversee the transition and to develop the "new" Broad Ripple. In order for me to best do that, I've been given not only two vice principals, but also a principal on special assignment to oversee the day-to-day running of the building. When Dr. (Eugene) White made the decision to put all this hope into Broad Ripple High School, he asked me to be at the helm of designing this school. I started my teaching career here in the seventies and was the dean here starting in the nineties for ten years. I most recently was the principal at Shortridge Middle School and although I've done what he considers to be, I'm sure, a fine job as an administrator and curricular leader, my background in the arts was certainly part of the reason he chose me to be here," she said.

Her educational credentials complement her artistic performing career, which began early in her life. "I graduated from Manual High School. While there, I participated in singing groups as well as the band and orchestra. I sang solos at church, played the cello in high school and participated in city-wide orchestra, where I played the timpani. I actually started at Indiana University as a theater major, but eventually changed to French. When I graduated, my first job was here at Broad Ripple. It was at that time that I got back into theater here at the school, working with the legendary Gene Poston, as well as into local theater. I even drove to New York and auditioned at the Ed Sullivan Theater for the title role in a traveling production of Abie's Irish Rose--and got it," she exclaimed!

Taking a short break in her teaching career, she returned to school. "I left Broad Ripple to go back to get my master's at the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana in Expanded French Studies, with a concentration area in French art," she said. "When I returned to teaching, my love of the arts took me to Northwest High School where, besides teaching French, I directed and choreographed the musicals and choreographed the swing choir's numbers. I was recently married at that time. My husband and I also wrote, produced and starred in a comedy cable television show called Nooby Loopkin. So, the arts in one form or another have always been a part of my life, ever since my first dance lessons at age four," Davis recalled.

"I taught French and English for many years at Arlington High School and taught 6th-8th grade French at three grade schools for a year. I even took a leave of absence between teaching at Arlington and my dean's job at Broad Ripple to go to France for a year and teach English in a French school," she noted.

She also discussed her objectives as principal. "In terms of goals for Broad Ripple, I would certainly, in the short-term, like to see the morale of our students boosted and their achievements rise to a level that is at least on a par with the rest of the state. In the long term, I expect this to be a world-class school for the performing arts, certainly the best in the Midwest. My philosophy regarding teaching is that every student deserves the very best education possible, which is only possible if we provide the best teachers with the best training for them," Davis mentioned.