Category: Rochester

Rochester Beacon: Alumna Returns to Alma Mater to Teach

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A Letter to the Uncommon Community

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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

Juneteenth: A Reflection

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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

Rochester Prep Seniors Celebrate College Signing Day

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Senior Signing Days are usually a raucous affair with students and families convening at a theater, all cheering as each senior declares where they will be going to college. This year, the event turned virtual on Youtube. Students proudly shared which college they will be graduating from in four years, and listened to guest speaker … Continued

Op-Ed: We Were Founded to Battle Racism and Injustice

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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 to Close for Mental Health Day on June 1

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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

Together, We are Here

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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

One Teacher’s Perspective on Uncommon’s Demands on Students and Teachers

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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

Reinventing Education Amid the Pandemic

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In an op-ed for the Rochester Beacon, Assistant Superintendent Paul Powell describes how Uncommon Schools Rochester Prep revamped itself to address the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Echoing CEO Brett Peiser’s op-ed in the New York Daily News, Powell highlights the principles that guided this work, and how teachers are creating virtual curricula and … Continued

Making Remote Learning Easier and Engaging

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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