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Muir's Miracle Worker

School Board Member Tom Selinske (left) with Tecumseh Shackelford at this week's "Lunch With The Future"

In a far corner of John Muir High School, outside an otherwise nondescript bungalow, hangs a white sign that says "Mentoring & Partnership For Youth Development: Building Real Men."

It is here at lunch everyday that Tecumseh Shackelford attempts to work miracles.

Since 2002, Shackelford, or "Shack," as he is known, has helped transform numerous males into high school graduates with promising futures.

Through his "Lunch With The Future," mentoring, tutoring and job-training programs, students learn how to appropriately behave in society.

Aaron Coleman hands Clarence Carr a Golden Globe replica as Josh Jones listens to PUSD School Board member Tom Selinske talk about his trophy manufacturing business

"We’re helping," Shackelford said, his ever-present smile and twinkling eyes revealing excitement as well as satisfaction. "We want to keep our kids out of gangs."

Shackelford was a 31-year employee about to retire from Los Angeles Water and Power when then-Principal Eddie Newman, seeing a need to curtail some behaviors among Muir’s African-American athletes, and Scott Phelps, a PUSD board member who at the time taught at Muir and tutored Shackelford’s daughter, recommended Shackelford.

Shackelford, a member of the Black Males Forum, immediately recruited help and created MPYD to include all Muir male students.

At first, he and his associates ran the program out of their own pockets, inviting boys to come get lunch and hear about how they could turn around their lives. The program grew to include guest speakers, mentors, tutors and employment opportunities.

Lola Osborne, the city’s Northwest Programs Manager, remembers walking on campus and witnessing boys swearing, fighting, pursuing girls and discussing trivial matters. Now, those behaviors among these boys have decreased.

"This has given them the why they need to stay in school," said Tom Selinske, PUSD board member and local business owner who spoke Wednesday.

Selinske said he hoped to take Shackelford’s program district-wide.

Oscar Ramirez could only be described as a success. A Muir senior, Ramirez knows he would be lost without this MPYD. Now, he will attend California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo as the first of five siblings (he’s the youngest) to attend a four-year school.

"The program has helped me stay out of trouble, helps me keep my grades up (and) helps me respect adults," Ramirez said.

Rafiq Tillman is another. He said MPYD helps him focus on what’s important in life and ignore the many distractions today’s youth faces. He said he plans to attend Cal State San Bernardino and major in psychology.

Shackelford’s program has attracted attention, and now the city, county and private citizens have donated.

Jaylene Moseley, through her Flintridge Foundation, was the first to come on board with food and cash donations. County supervisor Mike Antonovich helped Shackelford by helping secure a grant from the county probation department’s anti-gang unit. Local developer Greg Galletly put the students to work at his Lincoln Crossing project just up the street from Muir. These three will be honored Saturday at MPYD’s inaugural luncheon.

Shackelford thought he was going to enjoy a relaxing retirement — instead, he instills new pride in people who had not felt such emotion before.

Inside that bungalow are numerous photos of his charges. The ones he clearly is most proud of are the ones of the students graduating high school.

"Now, they see the relevance," Osborne said.