On Mission: “Our focus is clearly that schools are for children. Everything we do here as administrators—every decision—is what’s in the best interests of children. We echo that throughout the building. So staff understand that when we make decisions we make them for very important reasons.”
On Teachers: “This is a school of choice, and one of things about a school of choice is that even the teachers who choose to apply here choose to work in this type of setting. So I have great staff, and we do a strong job hiring. We make sure the people we bring on are passionate about learning. I can teach someone how to teach reading, I can teach you how to teach mathematics, but I can’t teach passion.”
On Autonomy: “I have a lot of autonomy here...If it’s good for kids, I can stop on a dime, I can shift, I can reallocate funding because I control my budgets.”
Howard Hornreich, Assistant Principal
On Parent Involvement: “We have a family resource center, with a family resource coordinator, who works with families from preschool all the way to 8th grade, in a variety of capacities. Whether it be through parent training, whether it be through literacy night, math night, working with PTA, we focus on working with families in need.”
On Being There: “If I’m not in the classroom, I don’t know what’s happening. As an instructional leader I need to be visible in the classroom as much as possible, providing support, seeing the teachers, asking: ‘How is this going today?’ ‘How is this strategy working for you?’”
Sabine Auguste, 7th and 8th Grade Teacher
On Passion: “We had a professional development in house on Thursday, about teacher reflection. And we started off: When do we reflect as teachers? And as we went around the table, it’s in the middle of the lesson, it’s on our drive to school, it’s on our drive away from school, it’s when the class leaves, it’s when we’re in the shower, it’s when we’re sleeping, our own personal time, at a birthday party for a friend, we’re thinking about school. On a summer vacation trip, we’re thinking about school.”
On Replication: “I think what we’ve done here could be done anywhere….I don’t think it’s the kids who are different, I don’t think it’s the parents, I think it’s the approach. It’s the mission, and it’s how it’s carried out.”
Location: 601 Pearl Harbor Street
On Mission:
On Parent Involvement:
On Passion: