Marblehead celebrates success of METCO

MARBLEHEAD – METCO Director Kristina Kyles could be called a born-again educator who understands the value of history and first-hand reports.The former businesswoman, who has entered a doctorate program in education since she became Marblehead’s METCO head last fall, brought three students with her to last week’s School Committee meeting.METCO stands for Metropolitan Council for Economic Opportunity Inc. The program began in 1966 as a way of dealing with racial segregation in the Boston schools and Marblehead is one of the suburban communities that values it as a tradition. The METCO students who attend school in Marblehead must ride 6 a.m. buses Monday-Friday to reach school on time and they ride 5 p.m. buses home.The students, who brought photo displays with them, included Bell School third-grader Kimberly McLean, Marblehead High senior Anthony Corbin and Marblehead Veterans Middle School eighth-grader Marshea Kimble.McLean has been attending Marblehead schools since first grade and last year she had perfect attendance. Corbin has attended local schools since first grade and plans to study forensic science and criminal justice at either the University of Massachusetts or Northeastern University. His sister, Latisha Johnson, was in the new Marblehead High’s first graduating class in 2003.Kimble’s mother Lita graduated MHS in 1981. Her uncle, the late Tyrone Bumpurs, graduated in 1989 and her sister Lakeshia graduated in 2005. Bumpurs was shot and paralyzed while breaking up a fight in 1992. He died in 2000. Each year a spring gospel concert raises money for a scholarship in his name.Kimble told the committee she wants to make her “star shine.”After graduation Lita Kimble served in the Army for “seven years, 10 months and five days,” rising to the rank of sergeant. Today she is a conference coordinator with the National Bureau of Economic Resources.”The program has a lot to do with the success in my family,” she told the committee. “It taught me to push myself to the limit.”Praised by Superintendent of Schools Paul Dulac for enrolling in a doctorate program, Kyles compared her learning curve as METCO coordinator to “drinking from a fire hose.”She added that she is always looking for local families to serve as host families for METCO students, and she wants to encourage more friendship and engagement between students and host families.