16 and Recovering principal hopes the MTV docuseries discourages recovery high schools

TheWrap

As principal of Northshore Recovery High School in Massachusetts, Michelle Lipinski has helped 300 Boston teams overcome substance abuse enough to earn diplomas. Lipinski hopes, however, that the four-episode docuseries that premiered Tuesday will discourage the creation of more recovery high schools. Instead, Lipinski’s message is to “give permission for teachers and counselors and para-professionals who connect with children every day in a deeper way to be able to see them and have conversations, and not have leadership say, ‘You know what, you need to discipline them because they’re bad.'” ALSO: 16 and Recovering is not a documentary about preventing teen substance misuse; it’s about what happens in the aftermath.