Discover Choice Options in SBISD! Choice Fair 2014

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SBISD 2014 Choice Fair is close approaching and the SKY team and many others have been working hard to make every detail perfect. 
The Choice Fair will take place from 6-8 pm at the SBISD Schaper Leadership Center, located at 955 Cambpell Road, Thursday, October 23^rd.

In SBISD, we believe in providing choice options for all of our students and families.

This year's Choice Fair will display many different options students have in all levels of education to fit the student need and interest.  

Amongst these is YES Prep Public School at Northbrook Middle School, KIPP Courage at Landrum Middle School, Academy of Choice, Westchester Academy of International Studies, Cornerstone Academy, Dual Language Programs, Highly Gifted Academy, and The Guthrie Center. The SKY Partnership Team and ambassadors from each program will be there to provide information and testimony for their program.

For more information on the choice fair, visit http://bit.ly/SBISDChoice

Students Treated to a Special Luncheon: Ganas!

"You're going to work harder here than you've ever worked anywhere else. And the only thing I ask from you is ganas. Desire... If you don't have the ganas, I will give it to you, because I'm an expert." (from Stand and Deliver)

Friday, October 3, 2014 students at Landrum Middle School got a special treat for lunch. 

To celebrate and promote students who've demonstrated excellence in character, staff and teachers at Landrum reward students with ganas.

Students who've earned at least 5 or more ganas points for positive behaviors during the first 6 weeks of school were invited to participate in the first Ganas Luncheon organized by Abigayl Flores, intervention specialist at Landrum Middle School.  This exciting luncheon, held in the beautiful solarium enjoyed lunch away from the school cafeteria and received special prizes and rewards. 

These students have excelled and are now being celebrated for their diligence and great effort.

The lunch was a great reward for the students who achieved, and it was a great reminder to have positive behavior in every situation. Good job Ganas Luncheon students, we are proud of you!

The SKY Partnership Hosts First School Summit

Friday, September 19^th SKY Partnership hosted the first SKY Summit, a workshop filled with professional learning for YES Prep Northbrook Middle, Northbrook Middle, KIPP Houston @ Landrum, and Landrum Middle School teachers.  The teachers took seminars led by invited presenters to improve teaching practices that will better equip students for success.

170 teachers from each of the current SKY Partnership sites, Northbrook High School and other SBISD traditional campuses came under one roof to learn together and from one another; something that has never happened before in the SKY Partnership. Attending teachers each selected one emphasis seminar to attend, taught by peer presenters. Many shared experiences with one another and connected to talk out issues they had been facing in their classroom to find solutions. Though these teachers may not teach at the same school or they may not even teach with the same instructional style, all were able to connect and learn strategies to help their students. 

The collaboration of the teachers together as one under SKY was a great success for the school district and for the partnership.  Teachers learned that even if they differ in teaching style or campus location, they can still contribute to one another’s learning and teaching skills.

SKY Partnership Teachers Share Best Practices

There were times in my teaching career when I spent countless hours creating lessons that I thought were ingenious.  The lessons that resulted in at least 90% of my students demonstrating understanding meant to me that I pretty much nailed it on teaching that particular concept. 

However, there also were times when I felt like all of my energy was exhausted teaching a lesson that left my students looking at me with that “deer in the headlights” expression on their faces.  I had to ask, “Is designing lessons by myself best for my students?”  The answer: No.  Here’s why . . .

“If You Want To Go Fast, Go Alone. If You Want To Go Far, Go together.” – African Proverb

8th Grade Northbrook Middle School teacher,
 Crystal Nicholas shares an example of student
work with colleagues

This quote commonly used by The SKY Partnership, motivated Hasina McKend and Abigail Parker, Teacher Liaisons for Spring Branch and YES Prep Northbrook, respectively, to organize professional development sessions that would provide both Northbrook Middle and YES Prep Northbrook teachers the chance to collaborate with colleagues of the same grade level and content area.

“We have amazing people here with great ideas.  I can’t wait to work with our YES Prep counterparts!” commented a Northbrook teacher on a survey that followed the December professional development.  Teachers have continued to voice their desires for more time to collaborate and share ideas with colleagues. 

Last week, teachers from Northbrook Middle and YES Prep Northbrook were afforded that opportunity once again.  They were grouped by subject and grade level to engage in conversations related to best practices for topics like: cause and effect, using graphic organizers for writing essays, small group management and teaching strategies for map use. “Finally, the time to talk about our content with no other distractions . . .” responded a teacher on a recent survey. 

During the same professional development session, administrators from both organizations participated in a workshop that shared strategies for effective management.  In this session lead by Dustin Peterson, Director of Leadership Development at YES PREP Public Schools, school leaders were able to engage in role-playing activities to help determine areas of strengths and challenges in their management styles.

Providing quality time to share and model best practices now, is an investment that will ultimately lead to the growth and success of all students.

Take a look at this video to see the collaboration between Northbrook Middle and YES Prep Northbrook teachers and administrators.

CRPE Highlights The SKY Partnership

The Center on Reinventing Public Education (CRPE) held a Portfolio School District Network Meeting in Houston last month.   The meeting brought together district leaders from around the country and focused on the importance of public engagement in the school improvement process.

Spring Branch Independent School District (SBISD) was featured as a public school system focused on narrowing up the educational gaps among student groups.  SBISD has set forth an aggressive goal, known as Spring Branch T-2-4, to double the number of students completing a technical certificate or military training, or a two-year or four-year degree following high school graduation.

SBISD has taken steps towards reaching this goal through an innovative partnership with two of the nation’s highest performing public charter management organizations, KIPP Houston Public Schools, and YES Prep Public Schools.  This partnership, known as SKY (Spring Branch ISD, KIPP Houston and YES Prep) provides students and their families with an additional high-quality school choice option within the district.

Mr. Davenport and Ms. Munger teach
band to Landrum Middle and KIPP Courage students 

CRPE conference attendees from across the U.S. visited Landrum Middle School, one of the SKY sites, where both KIPP Courage and Landrum Middle students, teachers and staff co-locate.  In the SKY Partnership co-location model, SBISD schools share physical space, elective classes, best practices between both organizations and sports.  (Click here to gain more insight about this district-charter collaboration as written by Sarah Yatsko, Senior Research Analyst, CRPE.)

The three-day conference offered participants breakout sessions on topics ranging from the basics of portfolio strategy to a consultancy session that helped district administrators work on solutions for specific concerns within their schools, districts or communities.  Portfolio strategy is a model in which districts manage a portfolio of schools as part of their continuous improvement efforts.

SBISD Superintendent of Schools Duncan F. Klussmann, Ed. D., Community Relations Officer Linda Buchman and SKY Partnership Project Manager Mandelé Davis were key presenters who shared their expertise around strategies for public engagement, building support for new ideas and empowering key community stakeholders.

SKY Partnership Presents at Grand Prairie Symposium

If you were school-aged prior to the 21^st century, you can attest to the fact that school choices were extremely limited.  Standard in most households, was that you either went to your neighborhood school or to the private school that your parents insisted that you attend.   

How exciting to know that those times have changed!  The new standard in education now is Choice.

Grand Prairie ISD recently held a one-day symposium at the University of Texas in Arlington to bring awareness to the growing need and desire for choice in education. 

The UT-Arlington event titled, “Choice: Its Role in Public Education Today, “ attracted state leaders, school superintendents, principals and national experts in education reform.  Speakers at the symposium included SBISD SKY Partnership’s Mandelé Davis, Project Manager, Mike Feinberg, Ed.D, founder of KIPP Houston Public Schools and Grand Prairie Superintendent, Susan Hull, Ed.D

“Folks want to make choices, they want to be responsible for their student’s education.  Meeting the needs of our parents is what we have to do,” Dr. Hull said.

Susan Hull, Ed.D, Superintendent of Grand Prairie ISD and
Mandele Davis, Project Manager, SKY Partnership

Grand Prairie ISD currently has 39 district schools. Thirteen of the 39 are Schools of Choice that include Garner Fine Arts Academy and Dubisky Career High School, both of which are highly sought after programs. 

In addition to Dr. Hull’s keynote talk, the SKY Partnership team presented insights and a first-hand look into the benefits of a public school district partnering with charter organizations. "Simply put, adding charters increases choice.

Charter schools alone are not the answer, but a great opportunity," Dr. Feinberg said.

SBISD through its SKY Partnership now offers middle school charter programs at two campuses. KIPP Courage College Prep is housed at Landrum Middle School; YES Prep at Northbrook is based at Northbrook Middle School. Over time, these programs will offer a high school charter program at Northbrook High School.

In other compelling speeches, speakers noted that we are no longer living in the days of yesteryear, but we must live in the now and hardwire our students to be successful in whatever career path they choose.

Other symposium presenters included Texas State Senators Royce West of Dallas and Kelly Hancock of North Richland Hills; J. Puckett, senior partner and managing director of Boston Consulting Group; Todd Williams, executive director of Commit!, a Dallas-based, nonprofit educational group; and David Anthony, CEO of the Austin-based nonprofit, Raise Your Hand Texas.