Principals Named for New PGCPS Internationals High Schools

From Prince George’s County Public Schools:

Carlos Beato and Alison Hanks-Sloan have been appointed as design leaders/principals for the two new Internationals High Schools in Prince George’s County Public Schools.

To better serve the rapidly growing immigrant population in Prince George’s County Public Schools, the Internationals High Schools are being created. Students who attend the Internationals Schools, set to open in August 2015, are in the country four years or less and frequently score in the bottom quartiles on English language tests at the time of admission. Many students who fall in this population also have the highest risks of dropping out of school.

“The data is clear -- if we do more and better now to provide support to our English language learners and recent immigrants, we will reap the rewards as a school district and a community in the future. The new Internationals High Schools are one way to help this population graduate from Prince George’s County Public Schools ready for college and careers,” said Dr. Segun C. Eubanks, Chair of the Prince George’s County Board of Education. “Mr. Beato and Ms. Hanks-Sloan are accomplished educators with the skills, knowledge, and experience to lead these exciting and innovative schools.”

The schools will be part of a network of 19 schools in four states across the country and are made possible through a partnership with the Internationals Network for Public Schools, CASA de Maryland and a gift from The Carnegie Corporation of New York. In their inaugural year, the schools will each enroll 100 students and will grow by 100 students per year over a four-year span.

Beato and Hanks-Sloan will lead a multi-phased implementation plan starting with the design phase which encompasses instruction methods including blended learning and project based learning. As they begin their work, administration and board members have begun to, and will continue to, visit Internationals Schools in the region and engage with partners in New York to stay up-to-date on the best practices on proper roll-out and implementation.

“Mr. Beato and Ms. Hanks-Sloan are important appointments for the Internationals High Schools as they bring the necessary experience and leadership needed for a successful launch and implementation,” said Dr. Kevin M. Maxwell, Chief Executive Officer of PGCPS. “In a school district where our English Language Learners hail from over 150 countries and speak over 160 languages, there’s no question why these new high schools are important and necessary. It’s one more way we’re strategically shaping PGCPS to ensure all of our students, no matter where they are from, are college and career ready.”

Prior to joining PGCPS, Beato was Director of School Operations at New Vision Charter High School in Bronx, New York. Alison Hanks-Sloan was the Coordinating Supervisor for International Programs at PGCPS.