Who WE Are – Kevin White

Wallin Principal Kevin White is an administrator on a mission. At Wallin, a high school for students with academic, behavioral, physical, and/or cognitive challenges, he is determined to make his school more than a place with alternative programs.

“We took steps to create our own identity and to give the students a school that they are proud to attend and wear their Wallin gear with our logo and our school colors.  Also, we wanted to prepare students for life after they graduated,” White says.  At Wallin, White believes in holding students accountable by being firm, fair, and consistent, while showing students they are valued and loved.  The numbers tell it all–since White became the principal at Wallin in 2015, reading levels increased by about 70% and the school now has a record 97% graduation rate. “Wallin has become a school where parents are ‘choosing’ to send their children, instead of being ‘placed’ there,” he says.

White joined Colonial 22 years ago where he spent most of his career as an assistant principal at William Penn High School (WPHS).  A husband and father of two adult children who attended schools in the district, this now grandfather of three considers Colonial his second family saying, “When I got to Colonial, I felt like the community of teachers, parents, and students really embraced me and made me feel like I was always a part of the Colonial family.  I have had professional colleagues turn into lifelong friends, and now I’m starting to have the children of former students.  I’ve enjoyed staying in one place and having the opportunity to see how students’ lives have turned out after you have invested so much time in their growth and development.”

White approaches education with the mindset that every student has talent. “The challenge is to find out what that is and cultivate it. That’s where we come in as educators. Our job is to provide the necessary skills and guidance to help them discover that talent, no matter how well it’s hidden.  One lesson that I like to teach is for students to find something that you love so much that you would do it for free, and find a way to make a living doing it.  That’s the key to longevity! “