Looking Through a Unique Lens: Merlin Schenk

Sarasota County Assistant Principal of the Year

By Edna V. Sherrell

If having a sense of humor is a prerequisite for working in a school environment, Merlin Schenk has it down pat.  When “whatever it takes” to support students includes singing an off-key song on the morning announcements or wearing a tutu during spirit week, Merlin is all in.  Student achievement and data are his thing, and his school spirt is legendary.  He believes it takes a community to make a difference for a student, and his leadership has not gone unnoticed.

Mr. Schenk has been selected as Sarasota County School’s Assistant Principal of the Year.  This prestigious award makes him a finalist for the state of Florida’s Assistant Principal of the Year. 

The Florida Department of Education’s Outstanding Assistant Principal Achievement Award – also called Assistant Principal of the Year –  was established in 1997 to honor assistant principals that have utilized teamwork and leadership to increase student achievement and greatly improved school environments.  Schenk believes in the people he works with as he strives to positively impact students daily.

“I greatly enjoy my role as a leader at Booker High School and am thankful to have the support and encouragement from a spectacular team of professionals.”

He is one of four assistant principals at Booker High School. 

A former student said, “He was one of the funniest teachers I ever had, and humor is the way to my heart.” Merlin is known for bringing humor into every aspect of what can be a stressful job. But his motivation for supporting students comes from a place that isn’t funny at all.

A graduate of Booker High, Merlin knows firsthand the struggles that families face. “My childhood was filled with adversity,” he says. “My parents would get into fights and argue frequently until they split up. I lost my mom when I was 12 to drugs.  I remember living off Old Bradenton road in a house with no electricity or running water… gallons of water and candles throughout the house. My dad did his best raising two kids; we lived on boats, in hotels, and one time in a friend’s garage.”

Merlin believed education was the way to change his life. He enrolled in the University of South Florida and received a bachelor’s degree in mathematics. Teaching was his first job. His unique background gave him a special lens through which he viewed his students. “I realized I wanted to help change the trajectory of students’ lives.” Merlin’s dedication to making an impact didn’t stop with students at his first assignment, teaching math classes at Sarasota High.  In looking for ways to increase student achievement, he discovered a program which would prove to have a far-reaching impact to students far beyond Sarasota High. 

A rigorous honors program – the University of Cambridge’s Advance International Certificate of Education –  was piloted by Sarasota High under Merlin’s direction. It was wildly successful, according to district officials. The program is now used at Sarasota, Booker and North Port high schools.  He manages Booker’s AICE program now. The decision to introduce this program had a domino effect on Merlin’s life.

“Starting the AICE program at SHS gave me the opportunity to run a program that involved almost 800 students before I got my first administrative job. Without that experience, I would have never gotten into administration; I had no ambition to leave the classroom.”

The fruits of his labor have only increased; Booker AICE students have scored the highest in the country on AICE exams.  Merlin gives the same attention to students ready to graduate that he does to students struggling to meet their graduation requirements.  He is pulling for everyone to do their best.

He doesn’t forget what it’s like being a teacher, or a student. When asked how to help children from adversity get a meaningful educational experience, Merlin’s advice is simple: “Believe in them and support them. Don’t be negative, and always remember that you have no idea what they may or may not be encountering at home. Those factors at home are why they are acting the way they do. Be there for them, and never give up on them.”

 BHS Principal Dr. Rachel Shelley was elated to see Mr. Schenk recognized. “Merlin’s story is incredible.  He has such a spirit for helping the underdog. Merlin cares about deeply about his teachers, and he is so well-liked by both teachers and students. Booker High is fortunate to have him on our team.” 

Among all the accolades, Merlin’s sights are still on the students.  Whether he is chosen in summer 2020 for the statewide Assistant Principal award, for him, it’s back to the grind of helping every student everyday,

“From managing Booker High’s Cambridge AICE program, to working on increasing our already strong graduation rates through Project 10, I consider it an immense privilege to serve my school community.”