Name: Mike Porco and Patti Reeder
School: Godwin Heights High School
Godwin Heights — Spend just a few minutes with Mike Porco and Patti Reeder, and it’s clear: they may be in new roles, but they work seamlessly together. It’s no surprise, given that they both joined Godwin Heights around the same time and have since built a strong, collaborative working relationship.
This year, the two are teaming up in new roles, Porco as principal and Reeder as assistant principal, and are not hiding their enthusiasm for leading the high school into its next chapter.
“I think this is a great moment for innovation,” Porco said. “We’re in a strong position, with both staff and students thriving and eager for more. Our goal is to expand elective programming to better align with students’ interests, goals and dreams. Right now, we have a real opportunity to make that happen and to provide meaningful, relevant learning experiences for our students.”
Added Reeder, “I think it’s a very exciting time to be a part of Godwin, whether you’re a student, whether you’re a family member, parent, whether you’re a teacher or an administrator.”
‘We don’t want our students to feel they can’t make a mistake in this building, and we’re going to lead the same way: to try new things, explore, innovate and grow.’
— High school Principal Mike Porco
Previous positions in education: Porco started his education career at Grandville Public Schools, coming to Godwin Heights in 2014, serving as dean of students and the athletic director for two years, then as assistant principal for nine years.
Reeder was a student teacher at Godwin Heights in 2011, and “I really loved it here,” she said. She was hired as an interventional specialist at Godfrey-Lee and taught for a year there, then was re-hired 12 years ago at GHPS as a high-school math teacher.
How about jobs outside education? Porco had several different jobs: Two Men and a Truck, Gordon Food Service, Papa John’s, then selling cars at a Ford dealership. Most interesting to him was as a concrete cutter and construction worker.
“I really love building and creating things,” he said. “I just finished a large addition to our deck this summer.”
Reeder worked at the Burlingame Diary Dip, then at Fazoli’s for several years. She also worked for the TEAM 21 after-school program in Wyoming Public Schools.
What drew you to Godwin Heights? “It was two-fold,” Porco said. “One, I was really looking to become an athletic director at a high school. I really enjoyed that part of the educational system.” Friend Aaron Berlin was already working for the district, “and he said, ‘Hey, you might want to take a look at this and apply.’ And it was not long before I realized, this is where I wanted to be.”
Reeder said during her time as a student teacher, “I felt like I really connected with the staff and the students. It just felt very much like home. … I just never have envisioned anywhere outside Godwin, because even when I finished my administration degrees, people (asked) ‘Are you going to start applying to places?’ I’m like, ‘Nope, I’m waiting. I’m going to do it at Godwin or I’m not going to do it.’”
Why did you want to become an administrator? Having grown up in Canada, Porco said he wanted to be a hockey player. He played in college, which got him interested in education.
“Oddly enough, after I had my bachelor’s degree, I thought I was going to be a teacher/coach for the rest of my life, (because) that’s what I wanted to do. I became the coach, and then didn’t have the full-time job, and the dean of students job opened up at Granville High School where I was coaching, and I said, ‘Let’s try it out.’”
Reeder said she wanted to be a teacher since childhood, and education has always been part of their family; her father, Thomas Reeder, was a Wyoming Public Schools superintendent.
“I just felt like my impact could be greater outside the classroom,” she recalled. “I had spent a lot of time with students, and I really enjoyed that, but I just felt like there was more to give, and I was really excited about the new structure of Chad (Conklin) moving to superintendent, and the new opportunities for the district. It was good timing, but it’s just something I’ve always been interested in.”
Education degrees:
Porco:
- Bachelor’s in physical education with a health minor and a master’s in athletic administration, Western Michigan University
- K-12 administrative leadership certificate, Michigan Association of Secondary School Principals Path to Leadership
Reeder:
- Bachelor of science with 6th-12th grade math certification and a K-12 English as a Second Language certification, Aquinas College
- Master’s in education, Augustana University
- Master’s in administration and reading specialist certification, Calvin University
How will you encourage student voice in your building? Porco noted that the high school has laid a lot of groundwork to encourage student voice, which includes the recently launched initiative, “I Belong, I Matter.”
“Where we are right now is to increase that voice and implement those choices,” he said. “We don’t want our students to feel they can’t make a mistake in this building, and we’re going to lead the same way: to try new things, explore, innovate and grow.”
What book, movie, TV show or podcast have you loved lately? Porco called himself a “sports nut,” who watches hockey, lacrosse, baseball and football. The TV series he just finished is “Bosch.”
Reeder said she is doing a lot of professional development reading and has been trying to mix more “fun” books. She reads a variety of genres with a focus on young adult books, because “I like to talk to the kids about maybe books that they could read.”
Dogs or cats, and why? “I am a dog guy, 100%,” Porco said. He has an 8-year-old corgi, Howie.
“I’m the very opposite,” Reeder said. “I don’t want any dogs around me. If someone has a dog, that’s fine, but I’m 100% cats. When I go to someone’s house and they have a cat, I want to hang out with the cat.”
What is one thing on your bucket list? Porco’s is European travel, specifically Italy.
“My father was born in Italy, and the family all immigrated here in the 1950s. I’d love to go back and see the culture and the heritage.”
Reeder said she visited Greece last year, which gave her “a little taste” of traveling, and that she enjoyed the country’s slower pace and natural beauty. She said her travel list is long: Spain, Italy, England, Scotland and Ireland.
Read more from Godwin Heights:
• Expanded dual enrollment boosts students’ early college credits
• Opening career pathways through work-based learning
