Barbara McFall, Betsye Sargent
Founders and heads of The Phoenix School

“Don’t do it,” said a marketing team from Suffolk U. after evaluating the potential for opening a new school in Salem in 1981, but Barbara McFall and Betsye Sargent paid no attention and went ahead anyway. You may remember 1981 was a time much like today. Budget deficits, staff lay-offs, programs cuts were all having a serious impact on the Salem Public Schools. As employees of the Salem Public Schools, we were not willing to see the substance of the gifted and talented and magnet school programs decimated, so we left the system and founded The Phoenix Enrichment Center, now The Phoenix School. Truly rising from the ashes of an economic downturn, The Phoenix School continues to offer a vibrant, innovative educational opportunity in downtown Salem.

The Phoenix School is now located at 89 Margin St., next door to the Salem Police Station. In addition to a full-time educational program for children in Pre-K through grade 8, it offers enrichment programs on Saturdays and vacations as well as during the beginning and end of the summer. These ‘adventures’ are especially designed for bright, curious kids looking for the intellectual and creative challenges that may not always be offered in their regular schools.

27 years of challenges

Like any small business we faced a myriad of challenges over the last twenty-seven years. We were educators; what did we know about running a business? Contributing $300 each and our retirements, we went ahead anyway. Twenty families believed in us and joined us on this adventure. “It wasn’t always easy, but we always found a way. When our first space wasn’t ready for the opening of school, we simply packed our school supplies into the back of my station wagon and headed to school on Winter Island for several weeks,” Betsye remembers. “Thank goodness it didn’t rain.”

In the beginning our financial books were done by hand, carefully color-coded to show each expense. We knew where every penny went, but our first accountant almost fell off his chair laughing when he saw them. Needless to say, although our books may not be as pretty to look at, they now follow proper accounting practices.

Whenever we thought things were settled, there was always a new challenge. When the City told us our 120 Washington St. building was unsafe, we packed the entire school in three days and moved into the auditorium of St. Mary’s School, thanks to the generosity of the Immaculate Conception Church and the Archdioceses. All Father Murphy asked was that we didn’t move in on Good Friday. Or when we had all our school supplies packed up ready for our move to 118 Washington St., the space wasn’t finished in time for the beginning of school. What did we do? We boarded a yellow school bus every day with our backpacks, clipboards, and lunches and went ‘on the road’ to learn.

An education especially suited to the new and rapidly changing demands of the world

No matter what the challenge was, we didn’t miss a beat. The educational program never suffered; perhaps it was even enriched. The kind of thinking that allowed us to meet each new challenge is part of what makes a Phoenix education what it is today, an education especially suited to the new and rapidly changing demands of the world –flexibility, working together to solve problems, creative thinking, excellence. When one thing doesn’t work, regroup and try something else has been our philosophy and it is what we teach our students. “We talk with our kids about ‘climbing mountains’ or finding ways to meet personal challenges, taking risks, and learning from mistakes,” said Barbara McFall. “Although there may be T.B.P. (temporary brain pain) along the way, there is no better feeling than reaching the top of the mountain and experiencing the feeling of success. This is what builds self-esteem — finding one’s own personal strengths inside – and give ourselves our power to succeed.”

The vision, energy, and passion of the founders

“One cannot talk about Betsye Sargent and Barbara McFall without talking about The Phoenix School,” said long-time music teacher Linda Hall, “ because the School and what it represents embodies who they are as well as their contributions to the Salem community and to the education of children. Although they have won numerous awards for innovative educational programs in math, science, technology/engineering and for community service, it is really their vision, passion, and energy that has allowed them to weather the ever-changing directions in education, the economy, and shifts in demographics.”

Over the years we have often felt like we are on a ship, holding steady in the midst of the storm. Whether it was economic conditions, shrinking demographics, changes in educational philosophies, MCAS, safety, or Gen-Xers demand for measurable outcomes, there was always something to consider. We have come to realize that the core values of The Phoenix School are just as valid now as they were in 1981, perhaps even more so. Preparing students of today for success in the world in which they will live is not as simple as MCAS scores and fancy facilities. It is the love and excitement for learning, the quest for excellence, the concern for making the world a better place as well as the ability to collaborate, to think critically and creatively, to be open to new ideas and challenges, to be willing to reach beyond where we know we can go that will meet the requirements for success in the Innovation Economy in which we now live.

Two strong women are now three

What began with two strong women sharing a vision for education plus the passion, energy and, skill to bring it to life has become three. Embracing the philosophy of the founders, Leslie Levesque has added extensive skills and knowledge to the team, another empowered woman to ensure the viability of The Phoenix School into the future.