2020 Vision

 “We do not really see through our eyes or hear through our ears, but through our beliefs. To put our beliefs on hold is to cease to exist as ourselves for a moment - and that is not easy. It is painful as well, because it means turning yourself inside out, giving up your own sense of who you are, and being willing to see yourself in the unflattering light of another’s angry gaze.” Lisa Delpit

Our theme for this academic year is 2020 Vision. We have witnessed the graduation of 10 Cohorts, six of which have already graduated from college and pursuing their dreams. It is my basic belief that all school age children are gifted and talented with the innate potential for doing amazing things and achieving excellence. My journey for creating a public school environment that would harness these talents and promote this potential, began with a sense of urgency, personal belief and educational philosophy that would later be proven successful in the evidence found in our tangible results and data demonstrating out performance of schools throughout the city and state.

 

For over 3 decades, I have researched and studied educational journals and books that discuss the public education of children of color, particularly those who are from poor, low-income families, children of immigrants learning a second language and disenfranchised.  I have visited both charter and non-charter, private-parochial schools, and examined the curriculum, the mission, goals, and educational philosophy that support the foundation of teaching and learning found at each of these institutions of learning.     

 

Over the past 14 years, the value of a well-structured, deliberate method of teaching and learning is evidenced by the achievement outcomes for the students that we prepare to graduate high school and enroll in college. At the International Leadership Charter High School, dedicated and well-prepared faculty are valued. The daily delivery of engaging and complex material, an optimal learning environment, 100% student engagement in learning, academic rigor, review of student achievement data and ongoing reflective practice, are all components of effective teaching and part of our instructional model.  Our record of achievement and high performance outcomes would not be possible without an uncompromising belief system that is girded in the language of high expectations for all students. It is without a doubt, that all adults in our school community must convey our expectations and attitudes toward the students that we serve in embodied in a taxonomy of learning that. The power and use of words and language matters and must be authentic and present. Lesson topics and words that inspire the imagination and helping students to visualize their futures above their current circumstances and what possible matters is. Clearly, the consistent communication of high expectations to our aspiring scholars who are first to enroll in college, does influence personal drive and motivation.

 

It is a fact that the investment of school finances where it matters most, to support professional development, curricular resources, and access to technology, must all be part of the equation. What separates schools who succeed from those who do not, may not be rooted in how well financed they are, or whether there is a perfect enrollment and class size. At our community grown charter school, we are passionate about what we do.  In our school community, we nurture our scholars; provide lessons in leadership, character development and service to community, discipline and structure in a safe space. We cannot achieve our goals without the adults who share in this belief system, embrace the school’s mission, and catch the 2020 Vision that looks into the future for the transformation of families and the community, which we serve.

 

 

Charter Renewal Hearing

A special thank you to the parents, students and the school community for your testimonies in support of Charter Renewal 2020: Five More Years!