Celebrating the success of “Abbott Elementary,” a wildly popular television sitcom centered on an optimistic Philadelphia school teacher, Chalkbeat asked readers to nominate teachers who are their real-life versions of “Mrs. Howard” — teachers who continuously demonstrated dedication and caring during the pandemic. North Star’s WPHS Samuel Bendinelli was nominated by one of his former … Continued
Millions of students have not caught up academically after remote learning, and Uncommon Schools is making up for that. Fairmount Elementary Principal, Tameka Royal, uses pep rallies to increase enthusiasm for learning with her students. “Always stand up and always speak out. There is no substitute for in-person learning,” says Royal. The school is utilizing … Continued
This summer, rising college seniors from across the country came to Roxbury Prep for a five-week fellowship that offered hands-on classroom and instructional experience. Similar to previous years’ cohorts, most of them headed back to their final year in college with a job offer in hand to come back and teach at Roxbury Prep when … Continued
By Eddie Washington There are very few things common about Julie Jackson. For starters, she is the first Black Co-Chief Executive Officer for Uncommon Schools in its 25-year history. Jackson has been in education for nearly 30 years. Her experience started in the classroom as a Teach For America core member in 1994. Since then, … Continued
By Molly Chandler | Posted on June 28, 2022 Between her junior and senior years at DePauw University in Indiana in 2014, Estrella De La Torre spent the summer at an elementary school in Brownsville as a Summer Teaching Fellow. At the time, De La Torre had no interest in becoming a teacher, but a fellow … Continued
by Lauren Bennett • June 2, 2022 | Mission Hill Gazette Mission Hill resident Wahaaj Farah is gearing up to attend Boston University in the fall, after graduating from Roxbury Prep on June 1. Farah was an active participant in Roxbury Prep’s High School 2.0 program during his high school years, where he took part in Quiz Bowl … Continued
BY MOLLY CHANDLER |Posted Wed, Jun 1, 2022 Nearly 450 students from Uncommon Schools’ four high schools in Brooklyn announced their plans to attend college or other programs before an audience of teachers, underclassmen, and their families during uplifting celebrations last week. The Senior Signing Day celebrations are similar to ceremonies where student-athletes announce what Division … Continued
By TAPINTO NEWARK |Published May 31, 2022 at 6:43 PM Growing up in Newark’s South Ward, Devia’N Parker Rogers had a lot of pets – dogs, turtles, fish. “I was always really excited to be around animals,” Parker Rogers said. “I was really shy around other people socially and kind of introverted, so I really … Continued
BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — It’s a big day for graduating seniors at one of Boston’s charter schools. On Senior Signing Day Thursday, Roxbury Prep students let their teachers and classmates know their plans after graduation. Students cheered at the Reggie Lewis Center as many seniors unveiled college T-shirts to the crowd, announcing their pick. Stanaelle Celestin held … Continued
The worker shortage is affecting a wide variety of professions, including teaching. Local school districts are dealing with a shortage of both teachers and staff, just like every other district in New York. Rochester Prep is trying to combat the shortage by helping people who want to become teachers go to school to do so … Continued
By: Anna Lamb The new campus will serve students in grades 9-12 and combine student populations who are currently taking classes in two different buildings in Hyde Park and Roxbury. The new site will be accessible via four bus lines and a commuter rail, and will include a full-sized gymnasium, cafeteria, performing arts spaces, and … Continued
On March 14th, middle school students at Roxbury Prep celebrate Pi Day with pie! Students who could recite the most digits of Pi got to throw Pi in their teachers’ faces! “I think it’s a fun celebration of the things that they’re learning and a moment of collective joy,” Principal Tim O’Leary said. “If we’re … Continued
We are thrilled to announce that Uncommon has been awarded a highly competitive $4 million Education Innovation and Research (EIR) grant from the U.S. Department of Education. The EIR grants support “local efforts to develop, implement, and take to scale entrepreneurial and evidence-based projects that have the potential to improve academic achievement for underserved students.” … Continued
Juliana Worrell, Chief Schools Officer K-8 and co-author of Great Habits, Great Readers, was a recent guest on the Karen Hunter Show to discuss how teaching phonics can close literacy gaps, and how schools and school leaders can close learning gaps caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Listen to the full interview: The Karen Hunter Show … Continued
Juliana Worrell, Chief Schools Officer K-8 and co-author of Great Habits, Great Readers, recently appeared on Black News Channel (BNC) to discuss reading education and why phonics-based instruction is crucial. According to Worrell, “When we think about what are the best practices, we have to get back to the neuroscience, we have to get back … Continued
Juliana Worrell, Chief Schools Officer K-8, recently contributed to The 74 Million and responded to NYC Public Schools Chancellor David Banks’ recent comments on reading education. To build a foundation for developing strong readers, Worrell shared three important recommendations: Basing reading instruction on the science Providing teachers support and training Equipping students with complex and … Continued
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 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
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
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
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
By Erin Richards Uncommon Schools’ Director of 5-12 History Curriculum, Art Worrell, is quoted in this in-depth story. Read this story as it originally appeared on August 24, 2021 in USA Today. (Subscription may be required.) A Houston teenager preternaturally keen on research and activism was at home this summer, searching for a bill about … Continued
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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.
Teaching Today · Data on Single-Sex Schools
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
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
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
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
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