By Juliana Worrell Juliana Worrell, Uncommon Schools’ Chief Schools Officer K-8, advocates for strong literacy instruction using the principles of the science of reading. Read this op-ed as it originally appeared on January 20, 2024 in NJ Star-Ledger. (Subscription may be required.) In his State of the State message, Gov. Phil Murphy called for introducing … Continued
By JANEL ‘JAYCEE’ MILLER Camden Prep is breaking barriers with its new Eye to Eye (E.T.E.) program which brings together neurodiverse middle school students and high school mentors sharing similar unique talents and educational experiences. Initiated this year, E.T.E is focused on overcoming obstacles in the classroom and maximizing each child’s individual potential. The program … Continued
Camden Prep High School celebrated its $50 million brand-new, state-of-the-art facility in Camden, NJ with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Camden Prep’s first graduating class started their senior year with a new gym, cafeteria, and quad, among other facilities. Camden Mayor Victor Carstarphen and Uncommon Schools Co-CEOs Julie Jackson and Brett Peiser were on-site to commemorate the … Continued
August 31, 2023 | By: FOX 29 Camden Prep High School is getting ready to graduate its first senior class. Students who started high school on Zoom are now enjoying a brand new building with bright classrooms, a multi-purpose gym, and more. “Just a few days into the new school year, Freshman Ariella McCormick says … Continued
August 31, 2023 | By: NBC10 We promised our founding Camden Prep scholars they would have a new building to start their senior year and we delivered! Camden Prep High School students began the 23-24 school year in a brand new building, equipped with an outdoor quad, cafeteria, multi-purpose gym, and more. Camden Mayor Victor … Continued
By Neill Borowski | March 21, 2023 Camden Prep student Maurquay Moody turned $200 in seed funding into Philadelphia’s top prize for young entrepreneurs. Moody learned about starting his own business through Camden Prep’s High School 2.0 program. Camden Prep engaged Dan LaSalle, who runs a non-profit organization called Niche Clinic, which teaches high school … Continued
By Brett Peiser In this New York Daily News Op-Ed, Uncommon Schools’ co-CEO Brett Peiser acknowledges how hard the past two-and-a-half years have been on teachers, but he also knows that students and families need teachers now more than ever. Read this story as it originally appeared on October 17, 2022 in New York Daily … Continued
Morriah Young, a middle school performing arts teacher at Camden Prep, competed on Season 43 of Survivor. Young states that she spent her formative years watching Survivor with her late mother, who only recently passed away. She said that the entire reason she is participating in this season is to “commemorate and honor her.” Young explained … Continued
Camden Prep, part of the Uncommon Schools network, was featured on CBS Evening News for its dramatic school turnaround. In just three years, the percentage of students who met or exceeded proficiency standards in English language arts soared from just 3 percent to 60 percent. Math scores rose from 4 percent to 50 percent at … Continued
Thanks to a partnership with CAMcare Health Corp., Camden Prep teachers and staff were able to return for hybrid instruction on March 15 with peace of mind. Camden Prep is also following CDC guidelines, and has consulted with medical and public health experts to develop health and safety protocols. “It’s important to have our students … Continued
Uncommon Schools has a history of collaborating with local school districts and sharing resources through in-person professional development trainings, online workshops, and multiple best-selling books. Why? Because we believe that every child deserves a great education. Why a Blog? The COVID-19 pandemic has forced us to rethink our traditional sharing avenues, but being confined to … Continued
Camden Prep High School just opened this school year with its founding freshman class and they’re not slowing down. A new Robotics elective, led by robotics engineer Dr. Cortney Bolden, is giving students an opportunity to take a deeper dive into science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) topics from computer science and geometry to electronics … Continued
For the last quarter of a century, Visionaries has been producing documentaries for public television, highlighting nonprofit organizations around the world that are making a positive impact on their respective communities. Uncommon Schools is proud to be featured this season in this Visionaries documentary airing on PBS, and to be able to share the voices … Continued
This fall, veteran educator Syrena Burnam will be in the exciting position of welcoming the founding 9th grade class to Camden Prep High School, and building a school community for decades to come. Burnam has spent the last eight years at North Star Academy, first as an AP Biology teacher, then as Department Chair, and … Continued
Dear Uncommon Schools Community, A few weeks ago, after we chose to close Uncommon Schools for a day to allow our community to process in the wake of the killing of George Floyd, I wrote an essay about how our charter school network was founded to battle racism and advance social justice. Since writing that … Continued
My Uncommon Family— I am truly thankful for the opportunity to write to you on this day: June 19, 2020. As I write this, monuments of history told from a single story are coming down all over the world, as people refuse to continue to accept a single version, a single truth, a single lens … Continued
Camden Prep Mt. Ephraim Middle School graduated its first class of 38 students this month. To mark the special occasion, Camden Prep teachers bought students gifts. “We wanted to make our kids feel special,” said Principal Tom Weishaupt. “We know how hard they worked for this moment and even though we are not together we … Continued
In an op-ed for The 74 Million, Uncommon Schools President Julie Jackson explains why the Uncommon Schools network shut down for a day. “With protests erupting across the country, with our own staff and families and students participating, with countless conversations happening about the toll these events were taking on us personally, it became clear … Continued
Uncommon Schools is taking an organization-wide mental health day June 1, 2020 for the sake of our community. Like you, we spent the weekend watching, reading, grieving, raging, reflecting, and marching. We spent the weekend trying to explain to our own children what was going on, as we tried to explain it to ourselves. As … Continued
via TapInto Newark Performing Arts teachers at Uncommon North Star Academy and Camden Prep created a musical video in which they sing about Uncommon’s mission. The video is just one of a handful of ways that our teachers are reaching out to their students during on-going social distancing and stay-at-home orders as a result of … Continued
One Mission, One Vision. We may be separated from one another during this pandemic, but we are together in one purpose. With joy and love, our teachers continue to show their commitment to their students and families. North Star Academy and Camden Prep performing arts teachers created this video, singing out our mission to get … Continued
When Mike Taubman was studying to become a teacher, he didn’t buy the anti-charter school sentiment. As an undergraduate, he interned at Uncommon Schools and now, at 39, is in his 15th year at the network and thriving. Many teachers at charter schools, like Taubman, are willing to work the long hours because, writes Jay … Continued
Many educators across the country are navigating a huge challenge: how to keep students learning while away from school during the coronavirus pandemic. As Juliana Worrell notes in an op-ed for The 74, we created a remote learning platform that we believe will keep K-8 students learning until we’re able to return to classrooms. We … Continued
When schools closed at the end of March 13, 900 Camden Prep students were sent home with paper-based remote learning packets so they could continue practicing previously learned materials. On March 30, a whole new type of online learning begin. A family and student-facing website that contains videos of master educators teaching various subjects, along … Continued
No one knew how much the coronavirus pandemic would impact K-12 learning. Schools, including Uncommon Schools, initially made sure their students had enough learning packets and assignments for about two weeks. It quickly became apparent that more was needed. Starting March 30, every Uncommon student will be on a virtual school program with daily lessons … Continued
A Freeport-based nonprofit, The Book Fairies, donated more than 11,000 books so children can keep reading during the coronavirus pandemic. Educators approached the organization about books to send home to students. In response, Book Fairies temporarily opened its headquarters for scheduled pick-ups. Natasha Cherry-Perez, Senior Associate Director of Community Engagement, went to pick up books … Continued
Days after we closed all of our school, Uncommon opened back up as a remote learning organization. In New York City alone we were serving nearly 10,000 students in their homes. Our teachers and staff scrambled to survey families about their Internet capabilities, became couriers to get equipment to families, and made wellness calls to … Continued
Camden Prep paid homage to the Tuskegee Airmen, along with other notable trailblazers of color, during a Black History Month celebration. The celebration is one of many ways students across all of Uncommon showcase what they’ve learned in an engaging way. Watch the video of Camden Prep Copewood Elementary students perform their BHM Celebration, and … Continued
Bryan Santos-Ramos, an 8th grader at Camden Prep Mt. Ephraim Middle School was recognized as the “Strongest Kid of the Game” during the Philadelphia 76ers’ exhibition against the Golden State Warriors on January 28, 2020. A few years ago, Bryan had a tumor removed from his brain and had to relearn many everyday tasks. This … Continued
Seven hundred school leaders of color — including over 10 from Uncommon — gathered in Las Vegas on February 7 for Teach for America’s annual conference. This year, the focus was on resilient leadership and providing school leaders with inspiration and motivation to continue the work of supporting young people of color in achieving their … Continued
In 1997, we began as a single school in Newark, New Jersey. To that founding class of 72 students and their families we made a promise. A promise to provide them with an outstanding education that prepares them to graduate from college and achieve their dreams. Our steadfastness and commitment to that promise has allowed … Continued
In an op-ed for the Daily News, Brett Peiser (CEO, Uncommon Schools), Dacia Toll (President and Co-CEO, Achievement First), and Richard Barth (CEO, KIPP Foundation), invite Democratic presidential candidates to visit their schools and see firsthand how public charter schools are making an impact on student outcomes. Democratic presidential candidates have spoken on the need … Continued
“We feel beautiful because this building is beautiful.” Formerly Bonsall Elementary School, Camden Prep Mt. Ephraim campus opened its doors after a massive renovation transformed the 105-year-old building. Some of the building’s original features were retained and restored, while others were added to provide students with a brighter learning space they deserve. Click here to … Continued