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Meet David Stein

Marsha A. Green

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David Stein helps weave the university and the Durham public schools closer together.

 

Name:      David SteinPosition:    Senior educational partnership coordinator, Duke-Durham Neighborhood PartnershipYears at Duke:    10What I do at Duke is: I help blend the university and the Durham public schools closer together. I try to bring together students and teachers, mix them together with Duke students, faculty and staff, and create a an enriching experience for everyone involved. Sometimes, like in School Days,  we introduce 8th graders to the college environment (with help from over 100 members of the Duke community), add some educational "yeast" and watch the Durham students' expectations rise about attending college. Some of the approaches, such as with our BOOST program, are developed over many years. BOOST pairs underrepresented minorities and economically disadvantaged Durham students with Duke Medical and Graduate School students to encourage a whole new generation of scientists and doctors. I also spend a lot of time off campus in the schools, eating lunch with students, sitting on eight School Improvement Teams, and finding creative ways to leverage Duke resources into the schools. It's incredibly rewarding.

The skills I bring to Duke are: Being a good listener. I want to work from what the problems are, not from any agenda I might have. And I guess I'm good at turning ideas into programs. Last fall, I launched a program for at risk students in less than three weeks at Rogers-Herr Middle School.

If I had $5 million, I would:     Create a structure for school principals to take a sabbatical, recharge their batteries and then come back to school rejuvenated.

The best advice I ever received was: Follow your passion. Years ago, I worked in industry and I was offered lots of money to be a brand manager for contact lenses. I turned it down to work on creating education partnerships, and I've never regretted it. 

My first ever job was: Painting fences in high school. Just like Tom Sawyer.

What I love about Duke is: My job. It is a nice balance between day-to-day work with the kids and program planning.

When I'm not at work, I like to: Do carpentry, garden, and read. I'm in a book club that is currently reading "When a Crodokile Eats the Sun," a book about the slide into chaos in Zimbabwe. 

Something most people don't know about me is:     I set a Little League record when I was 10: only kid ever to get hit by a pitch twice in the same inning. Nominate a colleague for Blue Devil of the Week.