From the Field
Sukari Stredit-Thomas, Principal Intern, Quest High School
Dr. Sukari Stredit-Thomas is a member of Cohort II of the RPLA and serves as principal intern at Quest High School in Humble ISD. Having previously served as teacher, department chair, dean of instruction and instructional coordinator for grades PK-12, Dr. Stredit-Thomas was well prepared to successfully meet the challenges presented by the RPLA.
In her role at Quest High School, Dr. Stredit-Thomas has established powerful relationships with students, parents and staff. As one student recently stated, "Dr. T is one of us!" She approaches each new experience, assignment and responsibility with enthusiasm and a positive attitude that is forward-thinking and solutions-oriented. Additionally, responding to difficult issues and situations with sensitivity and professionalism have earned Sukari a deep level of respect.
Interest in the Teacher Residency Model
In a recent news story, NPR's Claudio Sanchez asked, "What if we prepared teachers the same way we prepare doctors?" The story examined the Boston Teacher Residency (BTR) program, in which "residents" take a full load of courses at area colleges offering master's degrees in education, followed by "clinical training" in a Boston school with an accomplished teacher. While the BTR’s impact on student achievement remains unclear, its director says that the program has placed more minority teachers in Boston’s public schools and that its graduates tend to remain in teaching much longer than other new teachers. "The secret to their longevity appears to be a really strong support system and camaraderie," he observes. Read the complete story here.
Engage Them Projects
Though John Dewey is long gone, his emphasis on the power of connected, hands-on learning is still alive and well. Meaningful, connected project-based learning keeps kids engaged, exploring, and learning. For some excellent tips on how to make it happen in the classroom, see: Ten Steps to Better Student Engagement
An Apple a Day Keeps the Kids at Play
When asked what is different about his new Apple class, Michael Shea of Reagan High School responds in all seriousness (and with not the least bit of arrogance): "This is the chance to see education in a way that’s not all paint-by-numbers."
Shea, a veteran teacher, became interested in making instructional videos for his ESL classes a few years ago, and this interest has blossomed into a passion. With support from Houston ISD, Shea and his students have created two highly successful video series, English with Sound & Lights, that are now used throughout the district. It would be enough to discuss how the production and use of this video series engages students in meaningful work, but even beyond this is the story of student engagement in the new Apple Final Cut Pro lab in Shea’s classroom — one of only seven such labs in the nation.
Michon Benson, Rtl Team Leader, Charles R. Drew Academy
Dr. Michon Benson is a member of the inaugural cohort of Houston A+ Challenge’s Regional Principal Leadership Academy (RPLA). After completing her internship with middle school principal Earnest Washington, Jr. at Charles R. Drew Academy in Aldine ISD, Benson decided to remain at Drew to complete the first year of her residency. Taking what might be perceived as an unconventional route to the principalship, she has assumed the role of Response to Intervention (RtI) Team Leader – a role that is honing her craft and developing her repertoire as an instructional leader. "I work with the administrative team to build human capital in every member of the learning community," Benson says.
New Report: Stuck Schools
A new report from The Education Trust entitled Stuck Schools: A Framework for Identifying Schools Where Students Need Change—Now! shows that schools characterized as “low performing” are not all the same; in fact, they vary considerably. While some low-performing schools have remained “stuck” year after year, for example, others have made rapid and substantial gains.
Christopher Wood, Principal Intern at Lee High School
In June 2009, Christopher Wood entered the Houston A+ Regional Principal Leadership Academy (RPLA) motivated to develop the prerequisite skills necessary to effectively lead an urban secondary school. His background was extremely impressive. Chris had served with distinction in a variety of leadership and instructional roles, including East Region Reading Trainer, and Assistant Principal at Edison Middle and Chavez High Schools. He began the 2009-10 school year as the Principal Intern at Westside High School in Houston ISD, under the tutelage of his mentor principal, Paul Castro.
During his first semester at Westside, Chris became immersed in the culture and structures of this large, comprehensive, high-performing secondary school that had achieved a TEA Recognized Rating. He distinguished himself as a dynamic and talented education leader. His reflective leadership style has supported his quest to develop the intellectual capital and expertise to help transform schools. Chris is an outstanding member of Cohort II who constantly engages his peers with probing conversations around transformational instructional leadership and academic excellence.
Teacher Leadership and Partnership at Challenge Early College High School
Ask Josh Silberman, a teacher at Challenge Early College High School in Houston ISD, what he loves most about teaching you’ll get a variety of answers – among them, the chance to lead in the school. Currently, Josh and his colleague Paul Cross are working on a new reform project sponsored by Houston A+ Challenge that partners Challenge with Quest High School in Humble ISD. It’s a natural partnership. Quest, a small school that features a senior exhibition project, is planning to become an early college; and Challenge, a small early college, is looking to make the senior year more meaningful. Furthermore, Challenge has a history of teachers in leadership roles advancing the school’s mission, and Quest has a similar tradition of cultivating leaders from the inside. In fact, Principal Kim Klepcyk was formerly a teacher at Quest.
Karl Koehler, New Principal
When Karl Koehler applied to the Houston A+ Regional Principal Leadership Academy (RPLA) in 2009, he knew that, if he were accepted, he would engage in a six-week summer intensive learning experience with his cohort that would expose him to best practices in leadership. He also knew he would complete a year-long residency with a mentor principal and undertake an action research project. What Karl did not know is that he would become the principal of Atascocita Middle School (AMS) in the Humble Independent School District in January 2010.
Network Approach at YES
YES Public Schools are a partner district with Houston A+ Challenge. This year, three Regional Principal Leadership Academy (RPLA) interns have been gaining valuable urban leadership experiences on the YES campuses.
At YES Southeast, Destiny Evans, Dean of Instruction and A+ Intern, has been putting theory into practice using the work of Elizabeth A. City, Richard F. Elmore, Sarah E. Fiarman, and Leer Teitel detailed in Instructional Rounds in Education: a Network Approach to Improving Teaching and Learning.
Ms. Evans, in conjunction with her leadership team, has adjusted the procedures to meet the needs of the campus. Selecting teacher-leaders as facilitators, the groups fall into six categories: high school language arts; high school mathematics; middle school language arts; middle school mathematics; social studies (both levels); and electives. At first, the facilitators met to practice the protocols themselves, as they built trust and cohesiveness as a group. As the practice began in the classrooms, teachers received feedback on instructional methodology and the administration was able to identify trends in the classrooms, which provide the basis for discussion and improvement. The campus is developing a new level of collegiality as a result of this work.
