On Tuesday, June 4th, Superintendent Burkhead announced that MarKaveus Barnes would be promoted to METCO Director and Visionary for Scituate Public Schools, effective July 1st. Barnes joined Scituate as the METCO coordinator on April 12, 2022. For several months last year, Barnes served as a temporary METCO Director, gaining experience in the role.
Throughout his tenure, Barnes has added fourteen new families to the METCO program, with 67 METCO students across all six public schools. According to Barnes, this growth has been one of his “proudest moments.”
Commended for his strong ability to communicate with students and their families, Barnes is known for his kind and welcoming personality. He has a reputation for caring for every student in the METCO program and constantly trying to help them succeed in school and their future endeavors.
Barnes’ impressive work ethic could be attributed to the values he acquired from his experiences growing up in Anniston, Alabama, and playing football at UMASS Dartmouth. When asked to offer advice to SHS students, Barnes said they should “put one foot in front of the other” when facing difficulties. He also advises students to “go for it” and pursue challenges outside their comfort zone because “that’s where growth happens.”
Barnes noted that he believes it is important to “follow your heart” and take “courageous steps” in life because “you only get one shot at this whole thing.”