The Renaissance Man: Magnet Coordinator manages responsibilities to students and family Math & Science Academy Dante' Edwards assists students recently in a computer lab. - Phylicia Cash Monday, November 17, 2008 By Phylicia Cash Advertising When you see him walking down the hall, you might tag him as just another teacher. But Danté Edwards, with his gleaming eyes and jovial smile, is much more than a teacher. Edwards is a juggler of many hats. From handling the questions, complaints, and concerns of the students, paying attention to administrative duties and experiencing the joys of fatherhood for the first time, Edwards has a lot on his plate. So how does he chew and swallow it all? One bite at a time. Edwards, formally a math teacher, is now the coordinator for the Mathematics and Science Academy at Mays. Does he love his job? "Oh, absolutely,” he says with a smile. And for anyone worried about his possible departure from the Mays family, his answer is "No time soon." He enjoys being a coordinator of the academy. "I love the students and the faculty. In my opinion, we have the overall best collection of teachers in the district and students need stability from their educators; I’m in a position to provide that stability,” says Mr. Edwards. Besides, living close to the school and being able to make it to work for two weeks on one tank of gas adds its own perk to the job. With a genuine concern for students' well being, Edwards certainly stands out. One of the favorite parts of his job is the actual counseling that he does. "I get to deal with the students as a whole—not just with the discipline side,'' said Edwards. ``I see everything that they bring to the table.'' Beyond his caring nature, Edwards is a busy man, often answering two telephones (his office and his cell) to get the work done that comes with presiding over his flock of Math and Science students. Seeing an average of 15 to 20 students per day and addressing all the hard and out-of-this-world questions that come with them, Edwards proves to be a truly gifted educator. "He really cares about us, the students. He has this Open-door Policy where no matter what's going on, we can come talk to him. He's has helped me on many occasions," said senior Magnet student Latrese Dean. But Edwards is more than just a magnet coordinator, he is more than the go to guy when your schedule is incomplete, and he is definitely more than the guy who's always smiling. He is a first-time husband and father. A typical day in Edwards' life starts long before he steps in the doors of Mays. His day normally starts with waking up his 1-year-old daughter and getting her ready to nursery school. “I love doing this—it gives me bonding time,” he says, with a fond smile. By the time he gets to Mays, it’s 7:30 am. “I go through emails, observe classes, and begin all the various tasks that come with the job,” he says. The various tasks include—as usual—things for the students. Be it scholarships, summer programs or even internships, Edwards is constantly working on making things more accessible to the student. Even with all of this on his plate, Edwards still finds time to attend to his administrative duties. Like every truly great person, Edwards knows that he didn’t get where he is by himself. He counts Elizabeth Murray, the head counselor at Mays, as his current mentor. “Mrs. Murray knows everything,” he laughingly says. He also gives his wife credit: “I know that without her supporting me and being there while I’m always studying, I would not be as great—or as successful—as I am now.” Edwards also knows that it’s not always your present that shapes you; sometimes it’s your past. “I model myself after my father and his ability to stick with something—he stayed married to my mom for 45+ years—and the way he took care of me and my siblings…He showed me that family comes first,” he says wistfully. Edwards is a living example of what it means to actually love what you do. He is so passionate about his job and his students that he—along with Assistant Principal Dione Simon—spent the bulk of their summer vacation successfully writing a grant that gave Mays $100,000 to improve our AP program. "When I learned that we'd gotten the grant, I was like 'YES!' " said Edwards with a triumphant grin. He counts the grant as one of his greatest accomplishments—other than earning his Specialist's degree. Even with all the new things on his plate since becoming magnet coordinator, Edwards' first love will always be teaching math. 'I plan to come back into the classroom occasionally," he says. In fact, he's already started doing it.

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