Principal Art Copper Retires From Revere Middle School

Principal Art Copper, who had spent the last 16 years of his 35-year education career at Paul Revere Charter Middle School, retired on June 27. ‘I can’t just walk out,’ he said. ‘I will be coming back to sit and talk with the new principal and I’ll be available to answer questions.’ Once a replacement is hired, Copper plans to invite the new principal to lunch and tell him/her about the Palisades community as well as giving the new principal a history of the California Distinguished School. Significant changes occurred at the school after Copper became principal five years ago, including an after-school program that was nonexistent before 2003. With Copper’s cooperation, parents were able bring in programs that ranged from sports to foreign languages and drama. ‘I think one of my strengths has been my ability to facilitate all stakeholders in the educational process,’ Copper said. In addition to new programs, the school’s academic index (API), which measures the academic performance and growth of schools, rose. It was 753 in Copper’s first year and rose to 817 in 2007’one of the highest middle-school scores in the state. Copper supported and backed his teachers, while still holding them accountable. ‘I tried to allow them to do their job and not breathe down their necks,’ he said. He also started investigating the pros and cons of having Revere become fiscally independent like Palisades Charter High School. ‘We’re renewing the charter in two years, and I want everyone to be informed and educated,’ Copper said. Revere’s principal was also a proponent of the arts, music, drama and shop electives. ‘Students don’t live for academics alone,’ he said. ‘If it hadn’t been for music, I would’ve never become a teacher.’ He started playing the saxophone in junior high school and by the age of 15 he was playing professionally at major venues (including the Coliseum and Universal Amphitheatre) and touring with James Brown and Blood, Sweat and Tears as an opening act in a band. He started taking the ‘easy’ courses in high school because he had no plans to go to college’until his general science teacher did a section on acoustics. This kindled an interest because of music. ‘One unit, one class, made me rethink college,’ said Copper, who signed up the following year for college-prep classes. If one thing could convince Copper to come out of retirement and go back into education it would be to restructure middle and high schools to bring back industrial arts, auto mechanics and other hands-on classes. ‘I think it’s why we see such a huge dropout rate,’ he said. ‘Many students who are going through school can’t explore their interests. We’re instructing everyone like they’re going to a four-year college. ‘Once educators started using the word ‘tracking,’ it came to have a negative connotation,’ Copper continued. ‘We need to find out a student’s interest and see how that relates to academics. We can’t cram academics down every child’s throat.’ When he retires from education, Copper plans to try real estate because a good friend invited him to try it. He hopes to have his broker’s license by the end of the summer. ‘It’s lending, sales, staging properties and helping people,’ he said, admitting that he’s looking forward to a new career because he’s not the kind of person who actually retires. ‘I get antsy after a couple of weeks, even when I’m on vacation.’ Copper does admit it will be hard to leave Revere. ‘After eighth-grade graduation, as I was walking off the stage, I thought of a way we could improve it next year,’ he said. ‘Then I realized there wouldn’t be a next time.’ His advice for the incoming principal is simple: ‘Listen to all stakeholders, be flexible and learn how to work within the district guidelines whiloe still giving the community what it needs.’ Copper and his wife, Kandee, live in Baldwin Hills with their son James, who attends Westview School. His daughter Leilani and husband Terron Brooks had their first child, Andrew, last August.