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Education News Weekly Roundup

The Education News Weekly Roundup is brought to you by Holly Trippett, the Public Relations Intern at Citizen Schools and a senior at Emerson College studying Marketing Communications.

This news roundup includes news from 4/20-5/11.

Citizen Schools News

Education Stories

Please share your thoughts on these stories with us by leaving a comment below or on Twitter or on Facebook!

 

 

Why I’m Proud to Be a Teaching Fellow

Greg Beach is a First Year Teaching Fellow at the Edwards Middle School in Charlestown, MA. He is a Tufts University Alumni, Class of 2011. 

At the outset of my senior year of college at Tufts, I thought I knew who I was and where I was going. Truth be told, I knew little than as I know little now. However, I had sufficiently gathered my thoughts and experiences together to understand one truth: the pursuit of a just and sustainable society would motivate me for the rest of my life. The question of how to harness this energy and channel it into something meaningful was daunting. Fortunately, it did not take long before I discovered my path forward in the Citizen Schools Teaching Fellowship.

Having worked in urban education for most of my college career, Citizen Schools seemed a logical next step. I was drawn particularly to Citizen Schools because of its innovative model and advocacy for change. The powerful need for out-of-the-box thinkers and community involvement in education is embodied in the apprenticeship, what I see to be the core of Citizen Schools. I have felt that the content that students receive in school can be narrow, impractical and disconnected from the world. The apprenticeship model alleviates this by exposing students to the world beyond the school walls and engaging them with relevant content that provides a glimpse into their potential future.

I knew that I wanted to support a program that pioneered this sort of innovation and exploration and I knew that I wanted to play the role of educator/mentor. It just made sense. Having completed almost a year of the Fellowship, I can confidently say that I am glad that I became a Teaching Fellow. The Fellowship experience can be very frustrating, in more ways than one. That being said, this frustration can produce some fantastic ideas and inspire innovative action. Some of my proudest accomplishments as a Fellow have resulted from a frustration with the status quo and a desire to provide a more enriching experience for my students. There have been spectacular failures in my stumble to refine my teaching style and integrate new content. Still, there is a strong sense of progress in the work of a Fellow. We are building something spectacular, even if it is unclear exactly what it is we’re building.

In addition to the professional and personal growth fueled by the Fellowship, the connections made as a Fellow are invaluable. I have met so many inspiring, kind people, too many to count, during my Fellowship. A veritable think-tank of creative innovators exists in the Fellows’ Circle, where constructive conversations abound and Fellows are always available to lend a helping hand. Regardless of where we all end up after the Fellowship, I am certain that the friendships I’ve built and the connections I’ve made will stay with me for years to come.

Finally, I am proud to be a Fellow because I am proud to serve my students. Sometimes I wonder what impact I am making, if I am having a positive effect on my students. My concerns are calmed when I think about the bonds that I’ve built with my students and the space that we have created in our classroom. It’s not perfect, far from it, but I think our work together is a significant step towards the learning environment that my students need and that I want to create. I will never forget my first team, in its successes and its failures, and will use the lessons they’ve taught me for the rest of my life.

Apply to be a Teaching Fellow today! The final deadline is Friday, May 18th.

A Beautiful Experience for Both of Us: A Mother Reflects

Kali Erstein is a Citizen Schools Teaching Associate at the Louise A. Spencer School in Newark, NJ. 

“We were jumping up and down screaming,” she reflected. “I took a picture and saved it on my phone… I said to myself ‘God, I thank you.’”

Students from the Robotics Apprenticeship at Spencer

Ms. Mallette reminisced about watching her son, Jaryd, receive a STEM award for his participation in Robotics, the highest rated apprenticeship at Louise A. Spencer during the Fall 2011 term. Ms. Mallette and her youngest son, Jayden, screamed in excitement as Jaryd accepted the award with such pride and joy. “His whole face was lit up,” she said. Ms. Mallette commented on how informative and interesting the Fall WOW! event was at Spencer. “Jaryd was nervous during his presentation but he still managed to explain everything,” she reflected. Jayden, Jaryd’s brother, told his mother at the WOW! that he couldn’t wait until next year when he would be in 6th grade and could participate in Citizen Schools.

As the weeks flew by the Fall semester, I noticed that Jaryd really started to enjoy his Robotics apprenticeship. Jaryd connected his passion for drawing with stenciling pictures of characters from the famous series Transformers. During Citizen Schools, after Jaryd completed his homework, I gave him permission to draw pictures of robots and he would show me his creations with the biggest of smiles. I could really see a transformation in his confidence and self-esteem. Even his fellow classmates noticed and complimented his artistic and creative talent.

Students from Louise A. Spencer on an exploration to a glassblowing studio

“I’m getting a better idea of what Jaryd may do in the future,” Ms. Mallette told me. “I want these kids to make it. Pick an awesome career… Just do it.” She encourages his drawing and interest in robots at home. As a special-needs student, Jaryd is catered to with various teaching and learning methods to meet his educational needs. The Robotics apprenticeship opened a world of opportunity for Jaryd to learn and explore something that really interested him. “People don’t know where he came from,” Ms. Mallette explained to me, “We didn’t think he could come this far and look, in his first year [at Citizen Schools] he wins an award in front of everyone!” Ms. Mallette commented that with his learning disabilities, he is a walking miracle to be able to do all that he is doing. With Citizen Schools, “he’s achieving so much,” Ms. Mallette said, “people don’t know what this [program] does to help.”

Ms. Mallette also noted that through his involvement in Citizen Schools, she has seen Jaryd become more independent and outgoing, and is getting better at handling conflict situations in a more mature way. “It’s been a beautiful experience for both of us,” Ms. Mallette said. From my own earlier experiences with Jaryd, in instances of conflict in the classroom, Jaryd used to shut down or even act out. Nowadays, Jaryd handles confrontation in a much more calm and collected manner, and has learned to just walk away.

Ms. Mallette, Jaryd, and Jayden

Ms. Mallette mentioned three obstacles that Jaryd faces: “[If] you’re born black, you’re in Newark, and you’re male… those three things are held against you. You don’t want to be just a statistic.” Ms. Mallette constantly encourages her two sons, and wants them to continue to learn and grow in a healthy environment. As for the future, Ms. Mallette said: “I want them to own their own homes, their vehicles, and work when they can and want to.”

 “They need more teachers like you,” Ms. Mallette said, “that care and have patience, work with their (students’) flaws, and encourage them in their futures.” Although I am flattered, my reply to Ms. Mallette is that we equally need parents like you, who encourage and support our young scholars so that they may achieve success in both school and the real world. Parent support is so crucial to our work at Citizen Schools. Positive encouragement at home, at school and in the community is necessary to build a support network students can rely on. Ms. Mallette’s continued support and positivity are examples of how parents and family members help keep our program at Louise A. Spencer strong and in demand for students.

Googler, Citizen Teacher, Survivor

Eric Schwarz is the Co-Founder and CEO of Citizen Schools. 

Kristen Thiede

Everyone who teaches middle school is amazing. Those who volunteer to do it are particularly courageous. Those who inspire their companies to support education are remarkable. And then, there’s Yul.

Last week at the annual Clark Foundation gathering for leading youth development organizations, I had the chance to meet and introduce Kristen Thiede, a principal at Google and one of their leading innovators. She is employee number two-hundred-and-something (started in 2001) and has worked all over the world for Google, currently on a project to make home internet service 100 times faster. And she’s worked hard on their social enterprise collaborations with the Harlem Children’s Zone and others. She’s a rock star!

I was gratified to hear that lots of her friends have volunteered at Citizen Schools, and that we have been held up at Google as a best practice for employee engagement. Meeting Kristen prompted me to refresh my memory about how our organizations came to work together so closely. A refreshing, sexy story of youthful innovation and leadership.

Jane Choi - Campus Director (Photo Credit: Ralph Alswang)

I knew the Google relationship started with Citizen Schools Campus Director and later Program Director, the fabulous Jane Choi, who led our then after-school program at McKinley Institute of Technology in Redwood City from 2004-2006. I remembered that the first volunteers from Google were friends of Jane’s, but that’s as much as I knew; so I emailed Jane the night before my introduction of Kristen to get the full scoop. Read more…

Citizen Schools is Coming to the Windy City

Bryce Bowman is the Executive Director of Citizen Schools’ new launch site in Chicago.

Chicago has been my home for the past seven years and I am energized, honored, and inspired to be in a role that brings an organization with a proven model for student  success to an amazing city. Citizen Schools has been a successful expanded learning time school partner in cities around the nation and I am excited to help bring the organization to the city where I am raising my own family, Chicago, and to the students of Chicago Public Schools.

Education reform and expanding the school day has been a very hot topic in Chicago recently, and what excites me most about bringing Citizen Schools into that environment is that it gives everyday people the opportunity to get off the sidelines and into the classroom. It offers the ability to integrate the Chicago business and civic community into our schools.

We can all agree that, given the right support and access, all kids can learn and we can all help give kids more opportunities. We all have something to contribute to help them realize their potential regardless of what happens with union negotiations and policy decisions.

Through Citizen Schools, rather than just discussing education reform around the water cooler or at a party, people from all walks of life can enter schools, inspire kids by teaching what they’re passionate about, and become active change agents in closing the achievement gap for the students of Chicago Public Schools.

We eagerly look forward to partnering with great  schools and providing them with additional resources to drive student achievement. But, in order to truly impact students, we need to build a great team. Consider volunteering as a Citizen Teacher, applying for the Teaching Fellowship, or learning more about our mission.

Volunteer to Teach 

Apply for the Teaching Fellowship

Learn more

 


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