After observing college-ready instruction in classrooms across the country, Richard Whitmire highlights examples of what seems to work for ensuring students from low-income communities graduate from college. One of those remedies was found at North Star Academy called Target 3.0. It’s a data-driven counseling program that requires students with GPAs below 2.5 to attend special … Continued
In an open letter in the Homecoming Edition of the Maroon Tiger — Morehouse College’s on-campus publication — Jaz Grant writes about how his alma mater helped him find his passion and shape a career worth pursuing. Jaz was a chemistry major at Morehouse, and thought to go into medicine. But one day, during the … Continued
In Part 1 of a two-part series, Patrick Rametti, the Director of College Completion, speaks with Andrew Wolk, Founder and CEO of Root Cause, about academic preparation and how Uncommon Schools gets its students not just to college, but also to succeed and graduate. Patrick sites a three-pronged approach for Uncommon’s high success rate in … Continued
In November, Newark hosted high school seniors from across the region for a Census Awareness Day event. By educating the youth who often act as interpreters for their immigrant parents and adult family members, the Urban League Guild of Essex County and the New Jersey chapters of the Urban League Young Professionals are looking to … Continued
Titciana Barros, a Roxbury Prep alumna and current Principal of Roxbury Prep High School — Maywood Campus, was honored at the Massachusetts State House for her “dedication” to her community and empowering the students of Roxbury Prep. According to Patch.com, the commendation was put forth by Representative Liz Miranda. Titciana brought along students with her … 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
Congratulations to Roxbury Prep High School’s varsity football team for their historic opening weekend of the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association playoffs. The Wolves ended their opening game with an 8-0 victory over TechBoston, making this win a big deal for a varsity program that’s still in its infancy. The varsity program just began last year … Continued
In the November 2019 issue of Educational Leadership Magazine, by ASCD, Paul Bambrick-Santoyo, Chief Schools Officer, breaks down how school leaders can foster a schoolwide culture of coaching to improve both teacher instruction and student success. Small steps can appear meaningless to more veteran educators, and micro-feedback might seem like it would take “too long” … Continued
“It’s not often you see a room of school leaders rendered speechless,” writes Tom Ress, Executive Director of School Leadership at the Ambition Institute, but as Julie spoke about her journey at Uncommon, “you could hear a pin drop.” This month, Uncommon Schools President Julie Jackson, traveled to London, England for two events—one with the … 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
Roxbury Prep students participated in the Roslindale Parade this month with handmade signs inviting community members to “ask me how many AP classes I’ve taken.” Some students eagerly shared their AP course load: five, six, even nine AP classes — no easy feat considering Roxbury Prep High School is spread across two temporary campuses in … Continued
We are thrilled to share that Citi has continued its longstanding commitment to Uncommon Schools by selecting the organization to participate in Citi’s e for education campaign, a global initiative that has raised over $29.5 million for education-focused nonprofits. Citi has partnered with Uncommon for the last six years–a partnership that’s resulted in donations of … Continued
Titciana Barros, current Principal of Roxbury Prep High School was featured on WBZ-TV’s “Eye on Education” segment. “It’s remarkable. It’s been a humbling experience to come full circle,” Barros said to WBZ-TV’s Paula Ebben. In addition to being Principal at Roxbury Prep High School’s Maywood Campus, Titciana is also a Roxbury Prep alumna (Mission Hill, … Continued
Professor André Hudson, head of the Thomas H. Gosnell School of Life Sciences at Rochester Institute of Technology, was celebrated at the National Role Models Conference — one of multiple awards given to RIT for their work on diversity and inclusion. Professor Hudson led three Uncommon Rochester Prep High School seniors in a capstone project … Continued
“You can’t be what you can’t see.” At the beginning of program every year, Summer Teaching Fellows are presented with the above quote by Marian Wright Edelman, an activist for children’s rights and the founder of the Children’s Defense Fund. The quote sets the stage for the 7 to 10 weeks Fellows will be spending … Continued
Timers are a daily tool for teachers, and while the technique isn’t new, it’s recently gotten a lot of attention. Washington Post columnist Jay Matthews writes about the technique outlined in Doug Lemov’s books here. Doug wrote Teach Like a Champion and Teach Like a Champion 2.0 after making videos of some of the best … Continued
On September 22, the Dorchester Historical Society and the social justice team at the National Parks of Boston will celebrate Lucy Stone’s life and legacy. Lucy Stone was a longtime Dorchester resident, and leading suffragist and abolitionist in the mid-1800s. She attended Oberlin College in Ohio, and in 1847 was the first Massachusetts woman to … Continued
Dan Hall spent 10 weeks this summer with Uncommon’s HR team. As a 2019 Social Enterprise Fellow and military veteran, Dan designed proposals to help the organization’s HR team tackle systems and knowledge management practices. “Towards the end of the summer, I presented my proposed solutions to the team,” writes Dan, and together, they “began … Continued
Cheyenne Williams, a Rochester Prep alumna, is one of 21 students who were welcomed at the Rochester Institute of Technology as the college’s 10th class of Destler-Johnson Rochester City Scholars. The program is designed to give graduates from the Rochester City School District the opportunity to attend college tuition-free. Watch the coverage on News10 here.
Two Uncommon Schools Roxbury Prep alumni were highlighted by the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools. Glahens Paul joined Roxbury Prep Lucy Stone in 7th grade and was part of the founding high school class of Roxbury Prep High School, which graduated its first class in 2019. Glahens earned a Posse Scholarship and is attending … Continued
Uncommon’s Summer Teaching Fellowship program continues to attract young people of color to the teaching profession. The Kings County Politics highlights Jahmeelah Nash-Fuller and Prince Islam — two among over 100 rising college seniors who were accepted into the 2019 Summer Teaching Fellowship program. Jahmeelah attends Agnes Scott College had plans to go to law … Continued
For the past 20 years, Uncommon Schools has been deeply committed to sharing what we learn with our colleagues throughout the world to improve education for all children. The New York City Charter School Center put together this feature with interviews from Uncommon leaders and alumni, about what a charter-district school collaboration looks like. Charter-District … Continued
Atalyia Eisenhauer, a 2018 Summer Teaching Fellow and current teacher at North Star Academy in Newark, has been nominated for the 2019 Penn Mutual Life of Significance Award — an award given to a collegiate rugby player who demonstrates the shared values of integrity, respect, loyalty, and community. Read more about Atalyia here.
While attending a K-12 forum on the future of education, Rochester Prep Assistant Superintendent Paul Powell kept thinking about Jahnury Acosta, a Rochester Prep alumnus and freshman at Rochester Institute of Technology. Jahnury’s journey to graduate at the top of his class wasn’t an easy one but watching him succeed through rigorous AP courses in … Continued
We’re honored that the TODAY show chose to go “back to school” with Uncommon Schools ̶ a testament to the importance and impact of the love, joy, and rigor our staff bring every day to over 20,000 students attending one of our 54 schools in Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York. Our students shined brightly … Continued
Twelve-year-old Darius Brown is passionate about two things: animals and bow ties, the combination of which birthed Beaux and Paws, a custom bow tie company for people and pets alike. The Newark native and student at North Star Academy helps shelter pets spiffy up for adoption by donating a one-of-a-kind bow tie to animal rescue … Continued
When Morehouse graduates of the Class of 2019 were told they were graduating debt free — thanks to a gift by billionaire Robert F. Smith — they were faced with unprecedented opportunities and a future without the burden of student loan debt. For Jacquese Harrison, a Morehouse graduate and Chicago native, this meant pursuing a … Continued
Hello, Uncommon Friends and Family — Our hearts are heavy after the senseless acts of violence and domestic terrorism this past weekend. Our thoughts are with the victims, their families and loved ones, and the entire Dayton and bi-national El Paso communities. We send our love and support to those in the Uncommon community who … Continued
“I felt my heart being pulled in. As I watched and listened and fought back tears, all I could think was, If this is the first day of school, what is tomorrow going to be like? And the day after that? And the day after that? Where will these children be in five years? In … Continued
Monica Reed, a psychology major, wasn’t sure if she wanted to be a teacher. Now she knows. After spending the summer as a Summer Teaching Fellow at Uncommon Schools North Star Academy, the Newark native will return to the classroom next year after she graduates from Delaware State University. Monica is among 130 rising college … Continued
Rochester Prep West Campus has been identified by the New York State Education Department as a 2018-19 Recognition School, one of only four K-8 schools outside of New York City to achieve the distinction. Under the state’s Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), schools identified as “Recognition Schools” have high academic achievement, student growth and graduation … Continued
Susan Spencer, a geometry and algebra teacher at Uncommon Schools Rochester Prep High School, recently spoke with Evan Dawson, host of Connections on NPR, about her first year of teaching. “I was surprised by how purpose driven this work is for so many people. I’ve never worked in a profession where people were so dedicated … Continued
Alexandria Timoll, Dean of Curriculum and Instruction at Uncommon Schools Leadership Prep Canarsie, was recently awarded the Outstanding Educator of the Year award by the publication Education Update. “For me, this was shocking. It made me take a moment. It’s nice when people notice the hard work that you’re doing,” she told BC News (Brooklyn … Continued
“I knew that this school was going to help me reach my dreams in the future — and I always kept that in mind.” Uncommon Collegiate Charter HS alumnus Dwayne Dinkins experienced many challenges that could have kept him from graduating and going to college but thanks to the support from his foster parents and … Continued
Uncommon Schools North Star Academy Washington Park High School is sending 154 graduates to college this fall, including four of the eight Ivy League schools. To date, the Class of 2019 is the largest graduating class and many of them are first in their families to attend college. Students like Paulyn credit North Star Academy … Continued
Roxbury Prep High School graduates its first class this year, and 97 percent of our students will be attending a four-year university in the fall. Roxbury Prep HS was founded in 2015 with a small class of 9th graders — founding freshmen who are now the first to graduate. “It’s quite an emotional experience to … Continued
Hundreds of high school seniors at Uncommon Schools recently celebrated a big milestone: college acceptance. With big smiles across their faces, students walked across a stage, stepped up to a microphone, and announced to friends and family where they’ll be going to college in the fall. The schools vary widely, local and national, including Rutgers … Continued
In May, 20 local designers — including students from Uncommon Charter High School and Uncommon Collegiate Charter High School — were featured at the Brooklyn Public Library’s BKLYN Fashion Academy runway show. This year’s showcase paid homage to the Herero women of Namibia and their Victorian-style dresses. The designers also incorporated wearable technology into their … Continued
Uncommon Schools is proud to announce that North Star Academy received the 2019 College Success Award, which honors high schools that excel in ensuring students are prepared for, enroll in, and succeed in college. North Star Academy is one of the approximately 20 percent of eligible schools in New Jersey that won the College Success … Continued
Since our founding, Uncommon Schools has always been driven by student achievement. Our mission has remained constant: to start and run rigorous, joyful schools that support our students in getting to and through college. With that in mind, we are excited to name Julie Jackson as our first President of Uncommon Schools. Julie is a … Continued
Atlantis, Joyceline, and D’Asia — three Rochester Prep seniors — made a surprising discovery with professor Andre Hudson while working in a science lab at Rochester Institute of Technology. The young women are co-authors on a scientific paper announcing a rare bacterium that kills e-coli. Their work will be published in the April issue of … Continued
Richard Whitmire, author of the new book, The B.A. Breakthrough, features Uncommon Schools’ North Star Academy and our Target 3.0 GPA program focused on helping students gain the skills and habits necessary to persist in college. Graduates from North Star Academy with GPAs of 3.0 or higher are four times more likely to earn college … Continued
Richard Whitmire highlights the fantastic successes of graduates of the country’s largest charter school networks – including Uncommon Schools – in earning their college degrees. A fresh look at the college success records at the major charter networks serving low-income students shows alumni earning bachelor’s degrees at rates up to four times as high as … Continued
Students at Uncommon Collegiate Charter HS (Brooklyn) are challenging stereotypes by combining dance, coding, and engineering in the STEM From Dance Project. According to research, women occupy about 10 to 30 percent of the #STEM industry. Among people of color, that number falls to about 4 percent. Programs like these not only expose young women … Continued
In January, Uncommon Schools Excellence Girls Middle Academy held a two-day retreat for its students. Over 400 young women convened in workshop sessions and were inspired by women role models, motivated each other, and built a sisterhood within their community. Watch the video below to learn more about the event, and to hear our students … Continued
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