Principal Vicky Hamilton brings range of experience to Mendota School
By Virginia Scholtz
Northside News
Vicky Hamilton, principal at Mendota Elementary School, has been a leader for most of her life. She was the first in her family to graduate from college. She didn’t stop there. She holds several advanced degrees in the areas of Elementary Education, Administration and Counseling Studies. All of that schooling has equipped her to be a leader in the Madison Public School system.
She was born and raised in Mississippi. After high school she attended Mississippi Valley State University, a public historically Black university and a member-school of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund. After her university years, she was recruited by the school district of Beloit, Wisconsin, about 30 years ago as part of their push for more diversity in school staffing.
Hamilton came to Madison two years ago to become principal at Mendota Elementary. It’s a good fit for her. She says that throughout her youth, “kids were always drawn to me.” When she did babysitting in her hometown, playing school was part of the day. “I always taught things to the kids.” Working with numbers and letters was part of the program when she was in charge of her neighbor’s children.
Her current position is not without its challenges. It is still rare to be an African- American leader to a mostly Caucasian staff. Sometimes word choices and catch phrases can be misunderstood or taken out of context. As principal, Hamilton finds her counseling skills are often in use. Family dynamics are changing. She approaches each new situation with respect. Every day she carries her mother’s mantra with her, “You’re not better than others, just different.”
When asked about role models, Hamilton named two. First was her mother, the center of her family. Both her parents worked hard to provide a home and to operate their own business. The life lessons she learned have carried her through to the present day. The second is a fellow Mississippian, Dr. Darrell Williams. He grew up picking cotton, went to college and now has a long history in education. He was known in Milwaukee as the “turn-around principal” and has received national recognition for his achievements. He also served as interim superintendent of schools in Beloit. Governor Evers named him the administrator of Wisconsin Emergency Management.
For Hamilton, Mendota Elementary is unique in that while most students may be “underprivileged” they are rich in talent, intelligence and diversity. She believes school should feel and look like a place where people want to be. Her goals are to close learning gaps, elevate achievement scores and spotlight student talent.