Retiring Mark Grishaber reflects on his 10 years at the helm of Taft HS

by BRIAN NADIG

Looking back at his 10 years as principal of Taft High School, soon-to-be-retired Mark Grishaber feels the school’s success can be tied to increased collaboration among the teaching staff and the hiring of top-notch administrators and educators.

“I feel good that we got through one pandemic, two work stoppages and opened a new (freshman) campus. … My best accomplishment was our ability to identify great leaders and teachers. If you get great teachers,” success is inevitable, said Grishaber, who overcame leukemia while he was at Taft.

“70 percent of students … up from 49 percent 10 years ago … go to a 4-year college. The others are at a 2-year college, in the military or four or five percent take a gap year.”

He added that the fact four assistant principals at Taft in recent years have gone on to become principals, including Ryan Glowacz as Grishaber’s successor, demonstrates that Taft’s “blueprint” for success is working. “I think that blueprint is demanding excellence from everyone, funding (initiatives) and getting teachers to talk to each other.”

Setting the academic bar higher, such as getting students — and their parents — to believe they could succeed in an honors or Advanced Placement class, was needed at Taft when he arrived, Grishaber said.

A stronger emphasis also was placed on collaboration among teachers in an effort to ensure students were learning the proper skills each year to ease the transition, for example, from first-year English to second, Grishaber said. “It can be so much harder at the next level.”

Grishaber said that successful schools also must find a way to “touch kids’ hearts.” He has said that students can have bad days because of issues with their personal or home life and that schools need to be prepared to deal with these problems.

Grishaber said that his experience as a teacher or administrator at Saint Patrick High School and Whitney Young High School prepared him well for Taft. “I (also) grew up in the neighborhood and I knew the school.”

Grishaber said that Taft has become the first option for many local families, whose parents in the past might have had to take a second or third job to pay for private school tuition. When Grishaber arrived, Taft’s enrollment was at about 3,000 and is now at 4,300.

He said that Taft’s sports facilities are much improved, including a new stadium where “Friday Night Lights” are now a neighborhood tradition. The school now competes at a city or state championship level in several sports, he added.

The campus also has 100 new trees, new tennis courts and a garden that honors former principal Sam Ozaki, he said.

“When I arrived, I didn’t want Taft to be compared to schools to the south and east (in the city), but to Maine South … Stevenson,” Grishaber said. “I think I can look in the mirror (and) say Taft is a better school than 10 years ago. “

He said that under Glowacz’ leadership, he expects Taft continue to make more strides and attract more local children. About 90 present of Taft’s enrollment comes from its attendance center or preference zone, which is the area around the freshman campus.

On a final note, Grishaber said that when he was criticized, he tried not to dwell on the fairness of the remarks but took it as a challenge to work harder and make Taft better.

“When I’m on my porch reading poetry (in my retirement), I’ll know I didn’t take the safe route and keep the boat in the harbor,” but instead ventured out and tried to figure how to best navigate the waters.
His last day at Taft is Friday, Aug. 9.

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