Featured Alumni

Scott McCue - 2002 BES Fellow - Founder, Boston Prep - Boston, MA

Fellowship Year: 2002
Title: Head of School, Boston Preparatory Charter Public School
Enrollment: 290 students
School Opening: 2004
Grades: 6-12
Education: Harvard University, Bachelor of Arts; Columbia University Teachers College, Master of Arts

When you first meet Scott McCue you are probably not going to guess correctly what he does for a living. His erudition suggests a scholar, his attention to detail suggests an accountant, his focus suggests a great musician, but while he could probably be successful at any of those things, Scott instead pursues a profession that requires all three talents—charter school leader. Scott is the head of Boston Preparatory Charter School, a 6-12 school in Hyde Park, MA, which is a superior school by all accounts, especially according to the school’s MCAS scores, which are some of the highest in Boston. High performance in Boston is not uncommon, provided you’re talking about an exam school or one of the many private schools in the area, but Scott’s school is remarkable because it does not select its students or enjoy the significant financial resources of a private school. In fact, his school serves a population of students that need great education the most—low-income, urban students.

Everyone understands that great leaders are hard to come by, so where did Scott McCue come from? He grew up in a solid middle class home and always had access to

The secrets of Boston Prep’s success are really not secrets at all. The school, which has only one purpose, to prepare students for success in college, is built on a fundamental commitment to rigorous academics, high behavioral expectations, and full learning supports for all children. Students at Boston Prep go to school longer and engage harder classes with significantly more structure than students in most other public schools nationwide. There are no excuses for academic failure at Boston Prep, so each student receives the help that he/she needs to be successful. To walk the halls of the school, to watch deserving students receive the DuBois Award for excellence in scholarship and character, to see strong lessons each day that put students one step closer to college is to be at the very cutting edge of the best in urban school reform.

True to his nature, Scott deflects all of the credit for the success of the school to his staff, but we at BES along with other educational leaders understand clearly the pivotal role that his steady, focused, determined leadership plays in the continuing success of his school. Scott and Boston Prep have made it clear that there is.