Category: News
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
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
Rochester Beacon: Alumna Returns to Alma Mater to Teach
Uncommon Schools in Visionaries Documentary on PBS
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
Bellwether Education Report: Uncommon’s Responses to COVID-19
The Final Round: Brett Peiser on How Uncommon is Adapting to Hybrid Learning
Charter School Growth Fund: How Teachers Quickly Respond to Student Work
Uncommon Partners with Citi’s e for education Campaign for 6th Year
TapInto Newark: An Alumnus Returns to His Alma Mater to Teach
Roxbury Prep Alumna Returns to Boston Roots as Summer Teaching Fellow
“I had great teachers growing up. I want to be that type of role model for other students,” says Ariana Gomes, about her experiences at Roxbury Prep Mission Hill. Gomes is currently senior at the University of Miami but this summer, she returned to Boston as a Summer Teaching Fellow and gave back to her … Continued
Fordham Institute Report: Lessons from Leading Charter Networks Transitioning to Remote Learning
Forbes: Uncommon U-Turn Should Help Consign No Excuses Schools To History
According to Forbes, Uncommon’s changes in some of its practices “should help consign the ‘no-excuses’ culture to history.” In a letter to the community, Uncommon Schools announced changes to some practices around behavior management, including stopping the use of SLANT. These changes are part of a larger move towards focusing on student learning and engagement … Continued
WHYY: Educators Try to Solve Problem That Keeps Changing During Pandemic
TapInto Camden: Camden Schools Receive Grants to Help With Covid-19
Seck Barry on Camden Prep’s Remote Learning During the Pandemic
TapInto Newark: Newark Charters Release Standards for Reopening Schools
Kings County Politics: Summer Teaching Fellowship Trains Future Brooklyn Teachers
North Star Academy Seniors Celebrate with Drive-Thru Graduation
There are no limits to the creative ways we celebrate our students’ successes. In Newark, NJ, more than 200 seniors graduated from North Star Academy Washington Park and Lincoln Park high schools. While we couldn’t hold a traditional graduation ceremony, staff, families, and students got together to celebrate how they could: a drive-through graduation. As … Continued
North Star Academy, Newark Charters Plan for Remote Start to School Year
Whether schools will start the new year remotely or in person is on everyone’s minds. In Newark, NJ, the city’s largest charter school networks, including North Star Academy, are planning to start remotely. In-person learning will resume only when it’s been deemed safe to do so. According to Chalkbeat Newark, it’s unclear whether Gov. Murphy … Continued
New Principal, New High School in Camden
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