Meet MICMS Principal Dr. Scott Nicklas

School has been in session for a little over one month now, and as the students at Marco Island Charter Middle School (MICMS) wrap up their day, newly appointed principal Dr. Scott Nicklas could be found engaging with the students and saying hello to parents in the pick-up line.

Originally from Pennsylvania, where he began as a history teacher, the majority of Nicklas’ career has been spent in Charlotte County, Florida. He attended the Great Florida Teach-In, an annual job fair organized by the Florida Department of Education, where, with a background in Track and Field, he wound up getting the head coaching job at Lemon Bay High School, a school that also needed a history teacher.

Once there, he became involved with many other facets of the school, including guidance and counseling. After volunteering his time, he decided to go back and obtain his master’s degree in guidance and counseling.

He was then hired as a guidance counselor at Port Charlotte High, beginning a pattern of a steady upward climb.

“They wanted somebody that understood how to work with kids and get a result, not so much a heavy hand,” said Nicklas. “And that is how I operate.” He explained that he took on the brunt of the discipline role, “I’m not a pound-of-flesh type of person. I’m looking to solve the problem.”

He became the assistant principal soon after and oversaw special education. He has honed in on this area ever since, “no matter what role I had, I've focused on special education.”

Next, accommodating his own family’s school and activity schedules, he began to work at a middle school for ten years. “It went very well, but it got to the point where I felt like it was time for me to move up, but there was no opportunity to,” said Nicklas.

He transitioned from Charlotte to Lee County with an opportunity to learn and work with Jennifer Seluk in Estero, making him familiar and comfortable with a longer daily commute.

While there, he received a call from IMG Academy, who was looking for a Director of Educational Support Services. He took the role; however, he lacked a sense of fulfillment in both public and private schools and sought something different. Something smaller and more community-based.

He happened to see the position at MICMS open up, and it drew him in. “It was more of an emotional draw for me to come to a place like this because it was more in line with what I wanted and what I knew I could bring to the table.” He was offered and accepted the position only weeks prior to the start of the school year.

LEADERSHIP

‘Transformation’ is his leadership style. “I try to work more of a coaching aspect into what I do,” said Nicklas. “Being able to work, mold, teach, and coach is how I operate. It is trying to take that nuanced way of supporting my staff.” He added that he will roll up his sleeves and do the job alongside you. “I don’t believe in a boss being someone who just dictates what to do. When I am free, I will be helping in the cafeteria, cleaning, taking out trash; I am not below that. This style has helped me build relationships with my staff. I'm here with you; we're in this together.”

DAILY CONTRIBUTION

Looking at the day-to-day operations of the school, when asked what his most important contribution was, he answered, “Supporting the staff, being visible, and trying to coach up who we have are important pieces.” He went on to share how the clerical side of his job is a key component, as they ‘play in the same sandbox’ as the district and there are several aspects they need to comply with as a charter school to ensure a healthy and functional operation.

“There are multiple hats to be worn, but I came in confident because I've been in so many spaces within education.”

DISCIPLINE

On the topic of discipline and behavior management in a middle school setting, his approach is personal. “Every kid is individual; it's not cookie-cutter,” said Nicklas. “There are expectations that we set, but how I dig into each kid and deal with them is going to be more on a personal basis.”

There are standardized disciplinary ways of dealing with certain issues; however Nicklas reviews the situation, the scenario that ensued, and then the child as a whole, going on to say that some kids may just need a stern look, whereas others may require a sit-down with a parent. Once you know the background, you will have an understanding of where they are at.

The chance to get to know every single student is a goal for him, and he feels that with time, he will obtain that goal.

TEACHERS

MICMS has the ‘Observe for Success’ format when it comes to teacher evaluation and developmental growth, and he is not planning on changing that.

“I've historically used the Danielson model and the Marzano framework for evaluation, but they are all similar in merit and I am not going to make the teachers learn something new.”

Before an evaluation, he believes in having a pre-conference with the teacher to learn about the lesson they are laying out. “I am not one for ‘gotchas’ with my staff,” said Nicklas. “I want to talk it through and see what they can do, giving me time to hear and digest the information before I walk in for the observation.”

He explained this helps with context, as when you walk into the classroom you may miss the first five steps it took for the teacher to get where they are at.

He then does a follow-up, encouraging a back-and-forth with the teacher as he shares his thoughts, “It is a conversation where I can give feedback and insight on adjustments or tweaks that give opportunities to embed a deeper understanding for the kids, helping them even more and resulting in higher scores.”

“If you're evaluated and then implement those strategies that are proven to show success and help students learn, you're affecting student success.”

MORALE

“You have got to enjoy what you do. You have to have fun.” He aims to maintain a workplace environment where each faculty member looks forward to coming into work each day.

Nicklas also hopes to begin small traditions with his staff that will go a long way with making each member of the team feel seen, heard, and appreciated. He is working with his assistant principal, Teri Bush, to make this happen.

COMMUNICATION

“I like to do a weekly call on Sunday evenings,” Nicklas said on his preferred method of communicating with the parents. With a three-minute time limit, he focuses on the highlights of the past week, upcoming events, or things that have transpired that they should be made aware of.

He has also found the option of SMS text message blast to be helpful, especially with rainy day dismissals or a short topic that he wants to get the message out right away.

He is in discussion with Bush about beginning a quarterly newsletter and hopes to have more information regarding this soon.

Acknowledging his untraditional arrival to the school, he praised the faculty and the board for their provision and support, allowing him to perform at his best. “I came in very quickly and the board has really helped support me in a lot of different things. We have a great relationship, and it’s been a good experience,” said Nicklas.

He talked about the kids, “Middle school is tough; it’s a very intricate time of life. They are trying to navigate themselves, life, school, and relationships. But these kids are great, and they seem to do it very well. I think that's a testament to the parents that are out in our community and the teachers that work with them.”

“I've had great support from the community,” said Nicklas, thanking many in the community, including Allyson Richards for the donation of breakfast foods and Tenny Law Firm with both equipment donations and event assistance. “The community has been involved and that is a breath of fresh air. I've been in other places where you step in and you are on your own, and I was prepared for that here. But this has been so much less stressful and a great experience to come in.”

Nicklas has joined the Marco Island Noontime Rotary and looks forward to becoming even more involved with the Island community.

He continues his daily long commute, but uses the time to catch up on correspondence, finish an audiobook, and enjoy an occasional chat with AI!

His family remains in Charlotte County, where his wife works as a college and career counselor at the local high school. They share six children, the eldest being 28 and the youngest being two 14-year-old boys. Their three daughters are all teachers, and their eldest son is in the military, currently stationed in Texas.

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

With MICMS, Nicklas has his sights set high, knowing there is much to do in regard to fundraising and overall enhancing what can be done with the resources at hand within the school, “It's about finding the best fit to help us navigate and support our students to become the most prepared for high school, giving them the most bang for their buck. That is where I want to focus on: what value are we giving our kids?”

He also aims to complete the master schedule prior to summer break, allowing the teachers to know ahead of time what they are returning to and breathe easily with a signed contract in hand.

He is earmarking open enrollment for January. “Through this, we get an idea on numbers, and if we have an uptick, we can hire more teachers,” allowing the faculty to be as prepared as possible for the upcoming school year before summer break.

At the end of the day, Nicklas’s resounding mission for the students at MICMS is ‘how can we best support these students and get them as prepared as possible’, with his faculty and board behind him, and with the support of the parent body and community – he is confident they can achieve it.