Dr. William Polite Jr Ed.D
Founder and President, Build & Rebuild Educational Ministries
Dr. William Polite, known as Coach Polite to his students, has dedicated his life to helping students reach their full potential across America. With a B.A. in Mathematics from Morehouse College, an M.A. in Christian Leadership Studies, and an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership, Dr. Polite’s research focuses on the formation of students’ academic identities based on their social influences.
He has served in numerous roles, including mathematics teacher, principal, athletic coach, and motivational speaker, impacting urban students in cities like Chicago, Atlanta, Detroit, and Wichita. Dr. Polite is the founder of Build & Rebuild Educational Ministries and the School Halls Not Prison Walls program, aimed at preventing dropouts and promoting education.
More About Dr. Polite
William Polite has dedicated his life to helping students reach their full potential as students and citizens throughout America. Dr. Polite earned his B.A. degree in Mathematics from Morehouse College and went on to earn a M.A. degree in Christian Leadership Studies as well as his Educational Specialist (Ed.S.) degree in Educational Leadership and most recently his doctorate in Educational Leadership. His research focuses on the formation of student’s academic identity based on their social influences. Dr. Polite currently serves as the Director of Equity, Diversity & Accountability for Wichita Public Schools. In this role he is responsible for working with district leadership as well as community leadership to help close opportunity and achievement gaps for marginalized groups of students. Prior to his role with Wichita Public Schools Dr. Polite founded Build & Rebuild Educational Ministries and Math Academy which is an urban educational ministry focused on mathematics, dropout prevention and prison prevention.
Dr. Polite has also served in various roles as a mathematics teacher, assistant principal, principal, Boys & Girls Clubs Professional, District Administrator, Athletic Coach, Mentor, Motivational Speaker and most recently before returning to Wichita as VP of Business Development with the Magic Johnson Bridgescape Academies. Coach Polite has served urban students in Chicago, Atlanta, St. Louis, Milwaukee, Detroit, Baton Rouge, Los Angeles, Wichita and other cities. He is also the co-author of the “Protect Your Mind” workbook and workshop with his oldest son that focuses on the theme ‘School Halls Not Prison Walls.”
Mr. Polite is the proud son of the late William Polite Sr and Minister/Evangelist Dilce Polite who inspired him to become an educator through her work in prison ministries for over 45 years. Dr. Polite is most proud of being a father of four adult children- Brandon, Eboni, Will & Devonna- and 8 grandchildren. Coach Polite lives by the Fredrick Douglas’ quote that “it is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men”.
Dr. Polite’s Education
Morehouse College
May 1994
BA Mathematics
Liberty University
May 2010
MA Christian Leadership Studies
Liberty University
May 2013
Education Specialist Ed.S.
Educational Leadership
Liberty University
August 2021
Ed.D Educational Leadership
Disseration Topic: School Halls Not Prison Walls:
A Recommendation for Improving the Academic Identities of Impoverished African American Males Based on Their Ecological Systems in Wichita Public Schools: An Applied Research Study
Cornell University, ILR
January 2022
Cornell Certified Diversity Professional CCDP
Dr. Polite’s Experience
High School Mathematics Teacher
Wichita North High School
Wichita, KS
High School Mathematics Teacher
Lithonia High School
Lithonia, GA
Interim Executive Director / 21st Unit Director / Teen Director
Boys & Girls Clubs
South Central Kansas, 1998-2001
Academy Director / Principal / Project Manager
Milwaukee Urban League Academy of Business & Economics
Milwaukee, WI, 2001-2004
Opened two campuses in urban Milwaukee serving students in grades K-8 with a focus on teaching students in poverty about Business, Economics and Entrepreneurship.
District Administrator
Confluence Academies
St. Louis, MO, 2004-2008
Served in various roles in the development of the largest charter school organization in the state of Missouri. Served as Academy Director, Principal, Community Engagement and Student Recruitment Coordinator. Lead the initiative in growing the organization from 245 students to over 3500 students serving students in three K-8 academies and a high school located in downtown St. Louis. Developed after school programming for African American males and their fathers- “Men of Influence at Confluence”
VP of Educational Services
Edison Learning
Chicago, IL & Detroit, MI, 2008-2012
In Chicago I served as the lead developer in the opening of Larry Hawkins High School and Lloyd Bond Academy. These were two schools that were located in the heart of one of Chicago’s toughest housing projects on the south side of the city.
VP of Business Development
Magic Johnson Bridgescape Academies
Chicago, IL (but nationwide), 2012-2014
Responsible for developing initial relationships with school districts throughout the nation to assess their dropout problems and then develop customized solutions utilizing the Magic Johnson Bridgescape Academy programs in partnership with EdisonLearning. Our focus was dropout prevention and dropout recovery in mostly urban areas with a very high concentration of African American males who had dropped out of school or were at risk of dropping out.
Founder/Executive Director
School Halls Not Prison Walls
2006-Present
This is an initiative that is focused on prison prevention for African American males through the development of positive Academic Identities.
Founder/CEO
Build & Rebuild Educational Ministries & Math Academy
Wichita, KS, 2014-Present
Started an Academy that focuses on creating urban mathematicians who come from under represented communities in STEM related fields.
Director – Department of Equity, Diversity & Accountability
Wichita Public Schools
2017-Present