Kevin Tate, 35, went from being a school counselor working closely with the students and being known
as a “cool person,” according to some of the
students at King College Preparatory High School,
to the assistant principal and having to show
authority with the students.
When Tate became assistant principal, he kept some of his duties that he did as a counselor and
added new tasks. Tate is still in charge of admissions along with the new responsibilities of
walking the halls and getting the students to class on time and working with Principal Jeffrey Wright
on school events such as pep rallies and school barbecue’s. The only thing he doesn’t still do now
is counsel the students one-on-one as he did as a counselor.
Even though his position involves a lot more tasks and having to be more involved with the school,
Tate feels this transition has been going smoothly since he had worked at King for five years as a
school counselor.
Instead of dressing in his normal dress shirt, tie and slacks that everyone is used to seeing him in,
he opted for blue-jeans, a black King sweat shirt and gym shoes on a day during spring break,
taking time from hosting a detention day for students to do an interview.
Tate has just finished the classes for certification in being an assistant principal this past summer.
He then decided to apply to the newly open assistant principal position at King in late March. The
former assistant principal had taken a new job as principal at another Chicago public school
leaving the seat for assistant principal open.
Although Tate was already working at King as a school counselor, he still had to go through the full
process of applying and being interviewed for the position.
“This process sort of happened all of a sudden,” Tate said. “I was definitely interested and I went
through the interview process just like anyone else would have. I had an interview with the teachers,
the principal and even some students and it just kind of worked out.”
Tate has a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and taught middle school kids for five years.
After teaching, he realized that he wanted to be more involved with the students so he went back to
school to become a certified counselor.
“I thought that the school counseling track would give me a lot more insight and sort of why students
are doing what they are doing,” Tate said.
After working as a counselor for five years, he decided to go back to school again because he
wanted a position as a leader of a school. So he went and got his second master’s in educational
leadership at Loyola University in Chicago and that’s how he is where is now.
“I think I have been in a school long enough where I know how to sort of mold and shape a school
so that it is successful,” Tate said. “My whole educational career has been pertaining to students.”
Tate wants King to be able to rank among the top college preparatory schools in the city and have
students with high test scores such as Jones College Preparatory High School, Walter Payton
College Preparatory High School and Whitney Young College Preparatory High School.
With assistant principal now as his job title, Tate has had to transition himself from working in an
office for the most part to communicating on a different level with the students than before when he
was a counselor and being an authority figure.
“At first, I used to just be in my office working with students, but now I have to walk the halls, tell the
students to get to class, checking them on their language, tell them to take their hats off and
greeting them at the door,” Tate said.
Tate thinks that because the students respected him as a counselor they will continue to do so as
an authority figure now.
The students have noticed this change in demeanor, and some support it.
“I like that Mr. Tate is the new assistant principal,” said Eric Moore, a senior at King. “He was very
nice as a counselor and I think he would be great at being assistant principal because he knows
how to communicate with the students on a level that gets the student to respect him. He doesn’t
treat us like little kids in elementary school. Instead he treats us like adults.”
Tate has also recognized that the students have perceived his new position.
“I think that they are very supportive and they have acknowledged that I’m someone who they have
known and has become a new leader now,” Tate said.
“The feedback has been good so far and some have said ‘Hey Mr. Tate, is there anything we can
do to help,’” Tate said laughing.
Not only has Tate had to adjust with working with the students on a different level but also with the
principal. As a counselor, Tate didn’t work as closely with Wright as he does now, although Wright
did come to Tate when he was adjusting to the school when he came about three years ago.
“Working with Mr. Wright has been an easy transition for me because we work so well together,”
Tate said. “I was the person he had to sort of lean on in his transition here because of my role of
recruiting for the school and admitting students and that is a very important role for a principal to
have a good relationship with that person because we have to sit down and go through and say
which student would be right for King.”
Wright said, “Mr. Tate is very good at what he does and he has been very instrumental in the
development of the fine college preparatory culture that has cultivated here in the last five years.
Parents and teachers have also given their feedback on Tate’s new role.
“I think Mr. Tate is a very good choice for this position because he knows the students so well
already and he knows King and how it works and the schools goals,” said Arthur Hart, a parent of a
student at King.
“I’ve worked with Mr. Tate for a while now with him being a colleague of mine and I don’t think they
could have chosen anyone better than him,” said Benjamin Washington, the band teacher at King.
“He knows this school and its goals of making King one of the top college preparatory schools in
Chicago. He even supports our school marching band by helping carry the school sign in parades
we march in and he inspires us to be the best Chicago public high school band there is,”
Washington said.
Kevin Tate hopes to become a principal of a school some day. What he has done thus far is just
preparing and leading him to that future goal.
“They say when an opportunity knocks you've got to be ready to bust through the door,” Tate said.
“So I’m just trying to learn as much as I can and get that hands-on experience so that when that
opportunity does come I will be ready.”
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