November is here! Of course, that means Thanksgiving, Black Friday and Cyber Monday are all right around the corner. There’s one more holiday this month, though, that you might not already be familiar with—#GivingTuesday. #GivingTuesday is a global movement that takes place on Tuesday, Nov. 27 and is designed to promote the power of giving …
Support Accelerate Institute for #GivingTuesday this Holiday Season Read More »
Accelerate Institute has recognized two transformational urban educators with the prestigious 2018 Ryan Award at surprise ceremonies before their students and staff. Accelerate recently presented the Ryan Award to Jody-Anne Jones, principal of North Star Academy Clinton Hill Middle School in Newark, New Jersey. Under Jones’s tenure last year, North Star students outperformed state testing expectations …
Dr. Catherine Burns Chief Academic Officer Does Social and Emotional Development Have a Place in Your School Culture? Transformational school leaders know that you need to get culture right before you will see gap-closing academic gains. To this end, schools are increasingly adopting responsive approaches to discipline that are centered around social and emotional development. …
Social and Emotional Development in Your School Culture Read More »
Gretchen Larsen Class of 2018 Ryan Fellow In fifth grade I experienced my first public speaking assignment. Mrs. Poocha told us to choose a celebrity, prepare a monologue, then present as that celebrity. Because I am a reasonable person, I chose to present as Yogi Bear. I spoke about my life, answered questions from …
Gretchen Larsen Class of 2018 Ryan Fellow When I was in my second year of teaching, I launched a drama club at the middle school where I worked. Because the program was new, I had no budget, no materials, nothing but a crew of eager kids. In some ways it was nice to start …
Ryan Fellow Blog: Setting the Stage for Principalship Read More »
Gretchen Larsen Class of 2018 Ryan Fellow In a previous life I was an improviser, performing regularly with several troupes in Phoenix. There are no rules in improv, but there are some guidelines that make it work: listen intently, say yes, add information, and start with emotion. The number one rule of improv, though, …
Gretchen Larsen Class of 2018 Ryan Fellow A recent defining moment in my field study was the day my mini-movement kicked off. A group of teachers were huddled around the whiteboard, studying the day’s math lesson, and working frantically to finish before they parted ways to deliver said lesson to their students. It was …
Gretchen Larsen Class of 2018 Ryan Fellow Back when I was a Dean of Students, I was asked quite frequently to clean up vomit. It happened so often, in fact, that I was formally recognized as a stellar barf-cleaner-upper (you can read about that here). This week when I received feedback from my advisor …
Ryan Fellow Blog: Assessments Show the Tough Path Forward Read More »
Gretchen Larsen Class of 2018 Ryan Fellow Hi! My name is Gretchen Larsen, and I’m a proud Class of 2018 Las Vegas Ryan Fellow. Welcome to my Ryan Fellowship blog! Each month, I will be sharing an update about my experiences during the Field Study year, where I will be preparing for my first …
Janai Douglas Ryan Fellow / Principal, Memphis Scholars Caldwell-Guthrie Elementary One of the biggest challenges school leaders face is building a strong culture at the schools they lead. Perhaps nothing is more important than the team who will be executing on the leader’s vision and strategic plan. But how can you know you’re on the right …
Keys to Building a High-Performing Team Right Now Read More »
