Is math education racist? Debate rages over changes to how US teaches the subject

By Erin Richards, Emily Bloch, Gary Stern, and Christine Fernando   Uncommon Schools’ assistant superintendent, Paul Powell, and dean of curriculum and instruction, Alexandria Timoll, are quoted in this in-depth article. The story also spotlights Leadership Prep Canarsie in Brooklyn. Read this story as it originally appeared on December 7, 2021 in USA Today. (Subscription … Continued

Uncommon Leaders Share 5 Recommendations With NYC Mayor-Elect Adams

Uncommon Schools believes that every child deserves an outstanding education, and we are committed to working beyond the walls of our schools to achieve that goal. President Julie Jackson and CEO Brett Peiser recently contributed an opinion piece to New York Daily News outlining their top five recommendations to Mayor-Elect Eric Adams, who has pledged … Continued

13 Uncommon Seniors Receive QuestBridge Scholarships to Top Schools

Please join us in congratulating Uncommon’s QuestBridge Scholars! Thirteen seniors from Uncommon’s network in New Jersey, Rochester, and Brooklyn have accepted their QuestBridge matches and will receive full four-year scholarships to 9 colleges and universities, including Wellesley and Yale. We are so proud of these graduating seniors and the work they have done to achieve … Continued

Education Next: Roxbury Prep withdraws proposal for new high school location

News12 Brooklyn: Students start day with meditation, yoga

Op-Ed: HBCUs are a beacon of promise and pride

Patch.com: UCC receives grant for HBCU Empowerment Tour

Black News Channel: Art Worrell on the Importance of Access to AP Courses

Studies show that students who take Advanced Placement (AP) classes are more likely to graduate from college, yet most students of color have little to no access to AP courses in their schools. This can have a huge impact on their post-secondary education journey. At Uncommon Schools, over 95 percent of our students take AP … Continued

CBS News: Uncommon Camden Prep Celebrates Success of Turnaround Efforts

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

11 Rochester Prep Alumni Join RIT City Scholars Program

Chalkbeat NY: Parents, Educators Emphasize Need for Mental Health Supports

TAPinto Newark: Schools Get Students Excited for Back to School

Patch.com: ‘BBQ for a Cause’ Celebrates Newark

Brooklyn Paper: Summer School Aims to Reclaim What COVID Stole

The 74: Summer Rocket Program Connects Girls to STEM

News10: Camden Prep Works to Close COVID-Related Learning Loss

Spectrum News1: Rochester Prep Works to Close COVID-Related Learning Loss

Read the full story here.

KPVI: Uncommon Director of College Completion Recognized for Expanding Education Opportunities

NJ Ed Report: Parent of Special Needs Student Thankful for City’s Approval of New High School

Rochester Beacon: Rochester Prep Educators Kept Students’ Dreams Alive During Pandemic

Uncommon Charter High School Recognized as 20-21 PLTW Distinguished High School

We are proud to announce that Uncommon Charter High School has been recognized as a 2020-21 PLTW Distinguished High School. This award is given to schools and districts that are committed to helping students own their education by increasing student access, engagement, and achievement through program partnerships with Project Lead the Way.

Forbes & Entrepreneur: Where Students Find Their Passion

Education Next: Alumni Receive Support to Navigate Transition to College

Chalkbeat: North Star Students Launch Wellness Council

Patch.com: Roxbury Principal Honored by Boston Red Sox

BBVA Podcast: Doug Lemov discusses the effects of reading on students

Teaching Today Podcast: Excellence Boys Principal Joins Discussion on Single-Sex Schools

Teaching Today · Data on Single-Sex Schools

TAPinto: New High School Building for Camden Prep Approved

TAPinto: North Star Academy Class of 2021 Celebrates Graduation

Brooklyn Patch: Uncommon Leadership Charter HS Grads Headed to College

Uncommon Leadership Charter High School in Brooklyn, NY is celebrating its first graduating class this year, and nearly every student is headed to a four-year college in the fall. Aspirations vary from pediatrician to Supreme Court justice—a testament to our students’ dreams and desires to make an impact in the world, as well as the … Continued

TAPinto Newark: Students Celebrate College Acceptances After a Year of Uncertainty

As if the pandemic itself wasn’t challenging enough, twins Joan and Judith Jatto just moved to Newark from Nigeria in 2018 and enrolled at North Star Academy Lincoln Park High School as 11th graders. Despite the challenges, however, the twins have thrived—from starting an Afro beat dance club at school to going to Colgate and … Continued

NYT Op-Ed: When I Applied to College, I Didn’t Want to ‘Sell My Pain’

The personal statement is an opportunity for high school students to “sell” themselves to the college admissions officer for admission. In most cases, there’s a template to follow, one which Elijah, an Uncommon Charter High School senior, recognized as troublesome. “Every time I wrote, and then discarded and then redrafted, I didn’t feel good. It … Continued

Newsweek Op-Ed: Focus on Making Our Schools Better

As educators prepare for the upcoming school year, they may be tempted to figure out how to address the learning loss brought on by the pandemic. Understandably, they might look for simplified curriculum as a way to ease students back into learning. This is the wrong focus, writes Paul Bambrick-Santoyo and Stephen Chiger in a … Continued

TAPinto Camden Opinion: How I Found a School I Love

Brooklyn Patch: Educators March in Solidarity with Asian Americans

Minority Reporter Op-Ed: Rochester Prep Meeting My Childrens’ Needs

Chalkbeat: Newark Classrooms Reopen

TAPinto Camden: Camden Prep Partners With CAMcare Health Corp. for Vaccines

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

USA Today Op-Ed: Now is the time to overhaul teacher training

At a time when districts and teachers are in contentious battles over whether it is safe to have in-person class, Uncommon CEO writes in a USA TODAY op-ed piece that we need a unifying plan that recognizes the toll the pandemic has taken on students as well as educators. Now is the right time to … Continued

North Star Academy Recognized in Stanford University’s 2021 CREDO Study

Bloomberg: Uncommon Students Remain a Priority Beyond HS Graduation

Week of March 29: Tiered Focus Monitoring Review of Roxbury Prep

During the week of March 29, 2021 the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s Office of Public School Monitoring (PSM) will conduct a Tiered Focused Monitoring Review of Roxbury Prep Charter School. The Office of Public School Monitoring visits each district and charter school every three years to monitor compliance with federal and state special … Continued

Uncommon Sense: An Instructional Blog for Educators by Educators

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

Teach Like A Champion’s Timely New Guide to Online Teaching and Learning

How is your child’s online classroom? According to Washington Post education columnist Jay Mathews, the “gold standard” is outlined in a new book, Teaching in the Online Classroom: Surviving and Thriving in the New Normal, by Doug Lemov and the Teach Like a Champion team. While the focus of the new book is about online … Continued

Camden Prep HS Students Dive Into STEM With Robotics

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

Washington Post: Students Learn from People Who Love Them

Kings County Politics: Uncommon Hosts Halloween Voter Info Event

Kings County Politics: 10,000 Uncommon Schools Students Throughout Brooklyn blaze path for blended learning

Juliana Worrell Selected for Broad Center’s Inaugural Cohort of Public Education Leadership Fellows

Shradha Patel Named to Boston Business Journal’s Power 50 for 2020