Charged with the challenging task of combining two rival high schools, Principal Daryl Brown so successfully managed the consolidation that the biggest challenge was selecting the school colors. On the first day of school he held an assembly where he showed students a newspaper article predicting that the school would not be a success. He forcefully challenged that assertion, saying that Carvers Bay would become a blue ribbon school, a prediction that was met with a rousing ovation from students and staff. Well on its way to that distinction, the school has made impressive gains on test scores, added AP classes and started an ROTC program considered one of the best in the area. An innovative leader who is often the first in the district to experiment with new strategies, Mr. Brown created a Freshman Academy to ease the transition from middle school, even designating a separate wing for the program. He also began an initiative to provide breakfast for all of his students, making Carvers Bay one of the few high schools with such a program. Though his students have dubbed him "Papa Bear" after the school mascot, the profound transformation he has led at Carvers Bay is no fairy tale.
