Terrick's semester at sea

On Saturday July 14, a former student of the Haley Elementary School ( he now attends the Rogers Middle School), Terrick Beazer left Boston to board the schooner Roseway as part of the Summer Ambassador Program.  This program sends students ages 12-16 to Halifax Nova Scotia for 20 days. While at sea students learn and practice seamanship and navigation.

You can find regular updates, reports, and photos of Terrick’s experience here: http://worldoceanschool.org/ships-log

Terrick was sponsored by Boston Family Boat Building, a BPS partner. Family Boat Building has worked with the Haley Elementary School for 5 years. It looks to expand to other BPS schools in the future.

To learn more about Boston Family Boat Building and The Summer Ambassador Program:

http://www.bostonfamilyboatbuilding.com

http://www.worldoceanschool.org/our-programs/summer-ambassador-program

"Lady Gaga" milks the cow!!

Last fall, Barry Tatelman from Jordan's Furniture challenged Roger Clap Innovation School students to read 10,000 books by June 1st as part of the school’s “We’re booking It” program. Principal Vernon promised to dress as Lady Gaga and milk a cow if the students read more than 10,000 books. Today principal Justin Vernon from the Roger Clap Middle School made good on his promise after students surpassed the goal-13,000 books were read by 168 students!

A healthy school champion!

In 2010, 36% of the students at the Trotter school were identified as asthma students. Margaret Rocchio, a nurse at the Trotter school was able to create a healthy school environment with the strong support of the school principal.

Trotter was able to remedy asthma triggers by establishing an environmental committee. The committee, which included teachers, parents, custodians, nurses, and community organizations identified and reduced asthma triggers.


The committee had staff fill out surveys, do walk-throughs, develop an action plan, request assistance from BPS facilities and community groups. They also communicated with all staff and parents about the conditions and progress of the initiative.

The school concluded that it needed a serious clean out.  Rugs were replaced with washable mats, new blinds were installed in all windows, chemical cleaners were removed and replaced with “green cleaners,” and all clutter was removed from the classroom.

Trotter has become a  “ Healthy School Champion” by taking small steps for change.  Margaret celebrates their hard work but recognizes that more work is required.  She is confident that it will get done with the continued support from the school and community.

She encourages others who work for a school to get involved and “not to get trapped in thinking that you can’t change things! ”

To learn more about promoting good health at schools visit: http://www.epa.gov/iaq/schools/

BLA PRIDE

Angela Gentile has been teaching at Boston Latin Academy for five years. She is currently teaching 9th grade college English and also coaching JV girls’ basketball and has been for the past four seasons. Recently, Ms. Gentile ran the Boston Marathon because she wanted to build community and school spirit at BLA. She also ran to raise money for the school. She partnered with Boston Rising, which is an antipoverty fund that partners with others, including educators, to reduce poverty in Grove Hall. Boston Rising matched the first $5,000 Ms. Gentile raised with another $5,000 for the school.

This is not her first marathon-she ran in 2006 in Vermont. “But running in Boston is something to aspire to!” says Ms. Gentile.


During a phone interview with Ms. Gentile, I asked her how she felt when she crossed the finish line. She said, ”At first I just wanted to reach Kenmore, but when I saw the students cheering for me, it motivated me to push harder and finish.” This was an incredible experience for her she felt a great sense of accomplishment.  I asked her if she felt she had built school spirit and community. “Definitely!” she said. “The students understand that they are part of a community and learned that a small step goes a long way. Just by the students being there and supporting me shows how one can contribute in a big way.”

Anders Kirleis, a freshman at BLA and a student of Ms. Gentile said that Ms. Gentile’s story has inspired her. “She trained hard to run this race,” said Anders. Ms.Gentile kept a chart in class that showed how many miles she ran a day.  “She has shown us how schools can partner with the local community and help make a change.” 

I asked if she would run the marathon again. “Maybe,” she said. ”It involves a lot of training, but then again, who knows, ask me in January.”


Congratulations to Ms Gentile on her run and her great accomplishment!

Earth Month

April is Earth Month and below are three "green" tips that help
create a more healthier and sustainable planet.

Quick Tip 1: Bike to Work

More than 31% of CO2 emissions in the US come from transportation. Consider commuting to school or work by bike or train one Friday a month as part of Boston’s Bike Friday (http://www.bikefridays.org/) program. The next one is May 18th!


Quick Tip 2: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle

If just 2% of individuals used reusable mugs, we could save 2 billion trees (enough to cover half of Massachusetts) and save 1.5 million gallons of oil (enough to power 65,000 homes for a year).

Quick Tip 3: Paper or Plastic? Neither, please.

3 million gallons of oil is used EVERY DAY to produce plastic bags! And every year, more than 500 billion of them are discarded either in landfills or into our environment. Bring a reusable bag with you and help protect our wildlife and reduce our dependence on oil.


Don't forget to celebrate Earth day on April 22, 2012.
To learn more: EARTH DAY

* Tips provided by Phoebe Beierle

Celebrating programs for autistic students

In honor of Autism Day, April 2, 2012, I would like to take the time to let you know about a few programs that are in place to help autistic students at BPS.

The STRIVE program (Supported Training to Reach Independence through Vocational Experiences) provides vocational and transitional services to students with disabilities. There has been great success with this program. At the Jim Roche Community Skating Rink in West Roxbury, autistic students who are part of the STRIVE program intern early in the morning and help staff clean and set up the rink.

Gregg Burgess, a staff member of the Roche Rink says, “All the students come in with a different level of skill set, and it's great to see how versatile and independent they become over time.”

The manager of the Roche Rink, Dennis Caulfield, says that he is grateful for the program because not only is it valuable to the student, but to the rink. The kids have helped to lift the spirits of the staff, and they have become somewhat of a small family.

Benjamin McDonald, one of student interns says with a smile, ”I like it here.”

Another valuable program for autistic students is the iPad project. The Office of Instructional and Information Technology partnered with the Office of Special Education and Student Services on an iPad initiative for special education teachers and students with autism.

Andrew Bott, principal of Orchard Gardens K-8 school, says the program has been very beneficial. He talks about a student named Xavier who had some challenges prior to the iPad program. “It was very difficult to get him to sit at the table and attend to a tabletop task without physically keeping him in the chair. It is also sometimes a challenge to get him to attend to materials.” After the iPad/iTouch program, Xavier can now navigate through most applications with ease. “ Xavier will now sit and attend to the iPad/iTouch app independently for up to 10 minutes!” says Bott. Xavier has also learned a lot of languages from this type of technology - alphabet, numbers, colors, shapes, object identification. This program has highly motivated students to learn and Andrew Bott is so happy for that.

To learn more about the above programs, contact the Communications Department:
communications@bostonpublicschools.org

Boston Scholar Athletes are succeeding

The Boston Scholar Athletes (BSA) program, which was launched in the summer of 2009, supports academic achievement through athletics. Partners include BPS and The City of Boston. The program is currently in 19 learning centers, or “Zones”-each located at a Boston Public School high school. The Zones are staffed, operated, and funded by BSA. The program is available during the academic school year by all potential and current scholar-athletes in grades 9-12. The Director of BSA, Rebekah Splaine, says, "The Zones are a dedicated space that represent a mindset for academic and athletic excellence. They offer students a safe place to study, learn, and interact with their teammates, peers, mentors, and tutors."

The Zones are equipped with innovative technology, and school supplies, in addition to providing consistent tutors and mentors. This year BSA is also offering the College Readiness Initiative an SAT preparation program with the Princeton Review.

BSA has gained tremendous growth and impact, which has sparked the need for other Zones. “There has been a renewed sense of accomplishment, pride, and urgency in the students’ academic pursuits,” says, Splaine. Success is measured on a daily basis by tracking scholar-athlete eligibility, grade point averages, progress reports, and student satisfaction surveys. The relationship with the Boston Public Schools allows BSA staff to monitor the grades of 3,000+ scholar-athletes currently enrolled in Zones. "This is vital to our success because it allows for day-to-day monitoring of academic performance, so our staff can work to prevent ineligibility,"notes Splaine.

BSA looks forward to next year with hopes of continued academic progress.
To learn more about the program: www.bostonscholarathletes.org

Emmanuel lends a hand

Partnerships within the community have helped to foster great students. Emmanuel College and Fenway High School collaborated in 2005 to create a dual enrollment program that allows students the opportunity to enroll in undergraduate courses at the College for high school and college credit at no cost to them.

“The program allows students to gain confidence in their ability to do college work and teaches them the skills to navigate what is often for them the foreign world of college," says Peggy Kemp, Headmaster at Fenway.

One former student commented, “Nothing in the world made me happier than to see what I’ve worked for. There were times when I wanted to quit but I'm glad that I didn't. I know now that I can do anything if I allow myself to do so.” This student graduated from Smith College early because of the four courses she took at Emmanuel and is currently a teacher in the Boston Public Schools.

Since 2005, more than 200 Fenway students have participated in the program and about 300 courses have been taken.

Higginson/Lewis: Born from a boombox

The John Lennon Bus stopped at the Higginson/Lewis School in the fall. Check out the video that the students created:

City Year makes a difference

City Year and BPS schools partnered in the spring of 2011. City Year is currently serving 14 schools with hopes of expanding to 23 schools in the next three years.

The Dever Elementary and the McCormick Middle are two schools that are benefiting from the program. City Year Corp members at the schools provide class support for the teachers and also help lead small groups. Members also help track student attendance for those who have an attendance rate below 92% and contact parents when their student is absent to see what the reason is and how the school can help get them to school.


This Partnership has increased attendance in the school. Currently attendance is higher now in February 2012 than it was this time last year because of their efforts to get students to school.

One of the Corps members, Nicole Chandler, says, “Our connection with the staff and administration is strong and we greatly appreciate the school for allowing us to serve at the DMC", she continues, "I really believe that public schools can thrive but it will take everyone taking a stance to make a difference. That's why I work for City Year!"

To learn more about City Year’s partnership with BPS click here

The Holland remembers the "Dream"

The Holland Elementary School recently celebrated Martin Luther King Jr. at its annual MLK: I Have a Dream Speech Oratorical Contest. The students learned and recited excerpts of the speech and were judged from a panel of judges, which included the principal, teachers, and leaders in the community. This year there were more than 15 participants from the fifth grade class- many of the students were English Language Learners!

The 1st prizewinner received a $100.00 savings bond and the 2nd prizewinner received a $75.00 saving bond. The bond will help further the student’s education when they enter college.
Check out the 1st place winner Nevaeh Langford and 2nd place winner Walter James



The following week the school also hosted its annual “Unity Dinner”. The goal of this event was to enhance the partnership between school, students, and their families. During the Unity Dinner the school community celebrated the children through song and dance and ended with a family style dinner.

To learn more about the events contact Cassandra Samuel, the Library Media-Paraprofessional for the Holland : csamuel@boston.k12.ma.us

Liberty for all

Jeff Liberty, headmaster at Boston Green Academy is a former BPS student, who grew up in a modest family home in Dorchester. While attending Boston Latin School he learned that doing well academically meant a chance at the middle class and a move away from poverty. Education was connected to prosperity.

While in high school he worked hard, which led to his acceptance to Brandeis University. Initially, he thought he wanted to be an attorney- although his grandmother wanted him to be a priest-but after having extraordinary history teachers while in college he decided that teaching would be his profession instead. During his college years, he worked for Upward Bound, which solidified his desires to be a teacher, thus following graduation he would return to Boston to become a teacher.

In 1992, he found himself at Fenway High. Larry Myatt, a founder of Fenway and also a Brandeis graduate, hired him as a student teacher. At this time Fenway High was also trying to create an identity and redefining the meaning of teaching. Fenway’s goal was to graduate every student. While at Fenway, he received great training and established great relationships with staff and BPS families.

Soon after, Jeff was offered a job at Madison Park as a history teacher. After two years at the school he took a job in Sao Paulo, Brazil. While in Brazil, Liberty ascertained the importance of having skilled faculty members and dedicated teachers. He also witnessed inequalities in education. The wealthiest students had the greatest access compared to everyone else. Teaching in Brazil developed his teaching skills. As Liberty says, “ I cut my teeth as a teacher while in Brazil.” After four years in Brazil he made a decision to come back to the states.

When he returned, he taught for two years and then decided to work for the administrative offices of BPS. He wanted to see how the external and internal offices operated and how to reform existing schools. He worked with the High School Renewal program, now known as High School Support. While there he proposed new models for new schools. During this time he also interned as a leadership fellow to prepare himself for his future role as headmaster.

During his fellowship, the Horace Mann Charter was making headlines in education. This new concept intrigued Liberty. It would allow for more flexibility and autonomy. Thus, when the opportunity came to lead a new Horace Mann Charter school starting in South Boston that would take over an existing lower performing school, Liberty jumped at the chance.

As the headmaster of Boston Green Academy, Jeff aligns his goals with that of the Acceleration Agenda. The school looks to prepare every child for college. “We do a good job graduating high school students, but not college. That’s why at BGA we try to incorporate curriculum that prepares students for college,” Liberty says. He is establishing relationships with families based on trust and common vision. The BGA community also is doing more to learn about the trauma of its students.

He has been able to this with the strong support of Superintendent Carol R. Johnson. “Dr. Johnson has a real commitment to think differently and creatively. I take genuinely her goal to talk to parents and also to engage them about the process. She is an inspiration to me,” Liberty says.

Jeff Liberty looks to give back to his Boston community by offering a great education to all students. “I’m from Boston. It made me and I am grateful for the experiences,” Liberty continues, “ I am committed to having my students receive similar experiences. Now we just have to do it and we will!"

Teaching Ambassador Update!

In August Arne Duncan, the US Secretary of Education announced the 2011-12 fellows for the Teaching Ambassador Fellowship. The mission of the fellowship is “to improve education for students by involving teachers in the development and implementation of national education policy.” There were 800 applications and only 16 were chosen. Robert Baroz, a literacy and data coach at the Curley K-8 School, and Shakera Walker, an elementary teacher at Young Achiever Science and Math School, are two of the chosen fellows. Robert Baroz is a part time fellow as a classroom ambassador and Shakera Walker is a full time fellow working in DC.

Recently, I checked up on Baroz and Walker to see how the fellowship is going.

As a classroom ambassador, Baroz participates in several types of outreach activities on the behalf of the U.S Department of Education. He has attended local events like the Blue Ribbon event at Boston Latin School and has visited Providence, Rhode Island for a town hall meeting on education. Baroz has also been part of the American Jobs Act round table discussions. He offered suggestions on how money can be used for teachers. In his role, he serves as an advisor for other educators and also provides feedback to the Department of Education. “Policy influences the classroom and this is a great opportunity for communication to travel from the school to the top,” Baroz noted and continues, “Two-way process of communication is key and listening is just as important.”

Baroz is grateful for the opportunity and encourages other people to apply within the district. “Boston teachers have a track record of getting selected. We can aim to be the model. I love to be teaching in urban schools and especially at BPS. I wouldn’t want to be in any other district,” Baroz said.

While Baroz is busy traveling in and around Massachusetts, Walker is also hard at work in DC. “Things are going great,” Walker said. She works in the early education office. As an early education teacher, she is able to share her experiences and bring her perspective to the table. “Many times, policies are being made without taking into account the perspective of the teachers, and my presence in the decision process is very important,” Walker said. It has been a great learning experience for Walker. In her role she has facilitated learning across the country and has met with many policy makers. The process has also taught her about the competitive nature of Race to the Top funds.

Walker is thankful for the opportunity to share stories with other like-minded colleagues, who have a passion for education. Although she misses her students, she feels the experience will help her serve the students better. When she returns to Boston, she looks forward to taking on more leadership roles. “I strongly recommend this programs to others and I am happy that a program like this is in place,” Walker said.

To learn more about the Teacher Ambassador Fellowship: http://www2.ed.gov/programs/teacherfellowship/index.html

Getting in and getting through....how?

I attended the Education Policy Conference, Getting In, Getting Through, and Graduating, hosted by the Freedom House on Saturday November 19, 2011 and learned about the challenges facing students, families, and educators. A student spoke of his struggles transitioning into college. He felt he was not prepared. A mother spoke of the cultural barriers that exist for her and her family. She did not speak English and found it hard to navigate through the school system. Gail Snowden, Executive Director for the Freedom House told a story of a student who would leave her college campus and come to the Freedom House for the support she felt was lacking on campus. Dr. Ferguson, Senior Lecturer for The School of Education at Harvard, talked about a study done by his department which found that some students were hiding effort because they feared being ridiculed by their peers for appearing smart. Neil Sullivan, Executive Director for Boston Private Industry Council (PIC), noted that business partners want to provide students with jobs, but also want assurance that students are prepared for the workforce. “We understand that the youth employment rate has declined by 50% and the labor market for youth has in fact collapsed”, he continued, “but in order for businesses to come on board, they want to see results and how they will benefit.”

During an open table discussion, the following comments were made :

• Generate environments in which other students are encouraging their peers to learn and ask questions.
• Create safe havens like the Freedom House.
• Learn to navigate through the non-traditional forms of communication.
• Adapt to the cultural norms of the student and families.
• Teach students how to code-switch. Some students are not able to differentiate between the expectations and practices of the workforce and those of the home.
• Teach students that they have a personal stake in their success.

The ideas are in line with those of the Boston Public Schools. BPS is currently working with the English Language Learners Initiative to improve the ways in which leaders communicate with families. This means providing information in various languages, going to local community gatherings, and reaching out to local radio stations and newspapers. Parent University is a BPS program that helps parents improve their skills through classroom sessions focusing on child development, what children are learning in school, and effective parenting skills. The BPS College Readiness program makes sure that high school students are ready for graduation and prepared for college by providing workshops on college essay and SAT Prep. The 10 Boys Initiative provides males -who are at a greater risk of failing or dropping out of school-with the encouragement and support needed to achieve personal and academic success. In every BPS high school a PIC (Private Industry Council) officer is assigned to prepare students for the workforce.

All these programs brings us a step closer to closing the achievement gap. BPS understands that more work is needed and will continue to work toward more effective strategies. If you can offer more creative ways to build stronger partnerships and assist families, please forward your ideas to communications@bostonpublicschools.org

To learn more about the above programs, check them here: October College Month, Parent University, Private Industry Council (PIC) and 10 Boys Initiative.

Checking in with Phoebe

On August 8th I introduced you to the BPS Green School Fellow Phoebe Beierle. Recently, I checked in with her to see what has happened since our last interview.

Phoebe has worked on projects with partner organizations such as Green Streets Initiative, Alliance for Climate Education, Learning By Design and many more. She noted that many initiatives have been taking place to “green” BPS schools – everything from promoting walking and riding to school to incorporating hands-on environmental curriculum to improving recycling programs. I learned from Phoebe that this year alone, Boston has had the following success around green schools and environmental education:

1. The Boston Green Academy opened its doors as the first school in the district to integrate concepts of economic, environmental and social equity in its curriculum.

2. The Recycling Committee is working with schools to set up better recycling systems. The Committee has re-engaged Recycling Coordinators from the Nathan Hale, Haley, Hernandez, Kenny, Russell, Warren Prescott, Young Achievers, Edison, Boston Latin School, Boston Latin Academy, Adams, Dorchester Academy, Mather, Mission Hill, Everret, Trotter, Henderson, Mason, Tobin, Ohenberger, Phillbreck, and Greenwood schools- with hopes of getting representation from all 120 schools!

3. The Green Schools Fellow received a $2,000 grant to implement a hands-on unit focusing on appliance energy usage. The unit is being piloted at Boston Latin School and other schools across the state.

4. Boston Latin School’s YouthCAN group provided environmental literacy professional development services for 50 teachers and was the first public school in the country to receive the prestigious Eco Schools USA Green Flag Award

5. The facilities department learned that it saved the district around $75,000 in energy costs last year by installing occupancy light sensors (the lights turn on only when there is someone in the room) in 19 schools.

6. Green Streets Initiative received a $15,000 grant and is working collaboratively with Safe Routes to Schools and the BPS Health & Wellness department to encourage students, staff and parents to walk and ride (bikes or public transport) to school.

As you can see there are exciting green work happening in our schools, but much more can be done. “On average ‘greening’ our schools can save $100,000/yr on operating costs, which is enough money to pay for up to two teachers, 200 computers or 5,000 textbooks!” Phoebe said. If you’re inspired to take steps to green your classroom, check out these 11 tips that are based on the Earth Day article published on the Center for Green Schools Blog in 2011 


Also, to bring recognition to teachers who have already taken steps to green their classrooms, the US Green Building council (the organization that is funding the Green Schools Fellowship) and 2041 launched the Coolest Teacher in the World Search and will be selecting one teacher from Boston to attend an expedition to Antarctica from February 27th – March 12th 2012. To take part in this opportunity, Boston teachers must apply by November 30th. Application details are here: www.centerforgreenschools.org/coolestteacher

UPTOWN

Suzanne Mathews, school librarian for the Trotter School, helped to bring illustrator Bryan Collier to the school on Friday November 4, 2011. “The Trotter School is approximately 75% African American and 24% Latino," Suzanne said. "I felt that it was incredibly powerful for the children to meet someone who looks like them and makes his living creating art for children's books.” The event was sponsored by the Children’s Foundation for Children’s Books. The organization’s School Visits and Residency Program, which started in 2005, brings authors and illustrators into under-served schools in Boston.

During the event I had a chance to talk to Bryan. He was very excited to be at the school. He said, “It is important that children see successful individuals who look like them follow their dreams. It gives them hope and shows them one can triumph despite one’s circumstance.”

Bryan is an artist from Harlem. As a child, he says he was always encouraged to read. The first books he recalls reading were The Snowy Day by Ezra Keats and Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson. “I liked the stories but really liked the pictures,” Bryan said. He noted that seeing the first black illustrated character in a book empowered him. Ezra Jack Keats was the first American illustrator to portray black characters in children’s literature. “A book is both a window and a mirror,” noted Bryan.

His fascination with pictures led him to become a self-taught artist. He started to create a name for himself in the Harlem community and in school. He became known for his unique art style, which encompasses both watercolors and collage. He attended the Pratt Institute in New York City and graduated with honors with a bachelor of fine arts degree. While in school, he volunteered at the Harlem Horizon, which provides working space and materials for other self-taught artists in the community. “It’s important that people give back, and it’s especially important that I give back to my community because I can be that window, that opportunity.”

As I finish talking with Bryan, he prepares for his conversation with the students in the auditorium. Once everyone is settled, he starts the conversation by telling his story through his artwork. He pulls out his books and collages and asks the students, “What do you see?” As the students raise their hands and respond, Bryan asks them to go further. The kids don’t quite understand where he is going with all the questions, but he later explains that the pictures are telling them a story. Brian tells the students that he wants them to think critically and ask more questions.

He then pulls out a book with the image of Rosa Parks and asks the kids what she did for work. All the kids raised their hands. Bryan starts to call on the students. One answers, “She sat in front of the bus and didn’t give up her seat when she was asked to move to the back.” “Ok,” he says, “What else did she do, what did she do for work?” There were no hands and the students are confused. Bryan then goes on to say, “Did you know she was a seamstress?” Some shake their heads. Bryan tells them it’s important to be more inquisitive and go beyond what is given and told to them, challenging them to be critical and independent thinkers. His message aligns with the BPS vision, to “cultivate students who love to learn, to view the world as a classroom without walls, and think critically about the issues within it.”

After his presentation he asks the students if they have any questions. Hands goes up. The students are interested. They are curious and asking questions. They want to know why did he want to be an illustrator, how can they be an Illustrator, and how long would it would take to illustrate a book. A window is opened!

After the visit, I asked Suzanne Matthews for her thoughts on the event. “Overall, I think it was a wonderful, memorable and powerful experience for the Trotter student,” Suzanne said. She added, “Now when the students read a book and examine the illustrations, they can picture in their minds an illustrator like Bryan Collier making the artistic and creative choices and decisions that he described in his own process.”

The Trotter is grateful to the Foundation for Children's Books for bringing Mr. Collier to the school and the donation of 26 books to the school library. To learn more about the organization, visit www.thefcb.org.

Welcome to the King!

In 2009, Dickerman Elementary School merged with the King Middle School as part of the Pathways to Excellence project, which focuses on “expanding academic excellence, increasing access, ensuring quality and improving efficiency and effectiveness.“ After the merger, Jessica Bolt, former Principal at the Dickerman, was appointed principal for the renewed King K-8 School and she has not only helped to change the attitude of the school, but also the look.

Recently, I visited Jessica at the King to talk about the great things taking place at the school. When I arrived, I was greeted by a warm welcoming smile. Jessica was eager to give me a tour of the school. “People don’t know what’s going on at the King,” she said. “They need to come inside and take a look at this great school.”

Jessica informed me about the many programs and partnerships with the school. Massachusetts Housing has been with her for more than 13 years. “Every day we get a mentor who comes to the building to help the teachers and students,” Jessica said. Some other partnerships include Charles Street AME, Wellesley Congregational Church, Harvard University Educational Outreach Program, and Massachusetts College of Art. The partners have assisted with field trips, computers, counseling, books, and after-school tutoring. “We also have many other activities available at the school such as ‘Kings of the King,’ a program that focuses on our young men. We want them to be leaders in the community. We also have Generation Inc. that will be starting up soon. The program brings senior citizens into the classrooms to help with literacy.”

As I walked through the building, I noticed it was clean and well kept. “It is important that kids not only get a great education at the King, but that they are welcomed in a clean environment,” Jessica said. When she says clean, she means spick and span- she stopped three times during my visit to pick up pieces of dropped paper.

During my tour, I took note of the many pictures and quotes. Jessica informed me that a lot of the artwork and quotes on the walls relate to Martin Luther King. Jr.’s vision and dream. “I noticed that the kids liked to spend time mingling in the hallways and I thought I would put some inspiring quotes on the walls to not only give them something to read, but to remind them of Dr. King’s message,” she said.


The students adore Jessica, which is evident when we visited the classroom- Jessica was a recipient of many hugs and smiles.

After the tour we stopped by her office, which is filled with artwork. She tells me that she is an avid art collector and a follower of jazz, which is apparent in the paintings. Also stored in her office are birthday “goodies.” Jessica usually carries it with her while in the hallways. If a student’s birthday happens to fall on the day she is walking the halls, she will distribute a gift to the student. She also acknowledges birthdays of staff members. While in the office, she received a call to remind her of a teacher’s birthday. She quickly makes a note of it so she can recognize the teacher before the end of the day.

I learned more about Jessica while in her office. She has been with BPS since 1978. She is originally from New York, but in 1972 she moved to Boston to attend Northeastern University. After she graduated, she became a middle school reading teacher. From a young age she knew that she wanted to be an educator. She credits her career path to her parents, who were both educators, and to the great teachers she had while attending middle school and high school in West Hempstead, NY. After serving many years as a teacher, she became a principal (she was at the Dickerman School for 15 years before moving to the King).

I wrapped up my interview with Jessica and thanked her for the hospitality. Jessica ended with “No, thank you! I want more people to learn more about the King. I want parents and people in the community to come into the building. I look forward to more visits,” she said.

So if you are in the neighborhood stop by and say hello. Jessica always has a seat ready for you!

Meet Dr. Deborah Dancy

BPS is privileged and honored to have some of the best and brightest educators in the country on our team. This school year we would like to put the spotlight on some of them by introducing you to the school leaders, teachers, and administrative staff of BPS. This month we present to you Dr. Deborah Dancy.

Dr Deborah D. Dancy is the new principal at the Mildred Ave K-8 School and although she is new to the school, she is not new to BPS. Dr. Dancy has been with BPS for more than 25 years. She started as a student at Boston Technical High School where she was one of three girls to graduate in the class of 1974. Once she finished her studies in higher education, Deborah returned to BPS and worked in various roles: a teacher, a department head, assistant principal, and finally a principal.

“I am excited to be at Mildred Avenue because this is my neighborhood. I grew up 5 doors down from this school, and as a child I played on the lot that this school is built on. Through the Boston Public Schools, I have traveled national and internationally and attended some of the best universities this country has to offer. I want to inspire children to think outside of the box and to break out of the box. The world is a beautiful place for those who are prepared. Our children deserve the best and we will give them our best at Mildred Avenue,” said Dr. Dancy



Dr. Deborah Dancy was a vocalist at the New England Conservatory in 2005, a Television Producer for Boston Neighborhood Network in 2008, a recipient of the Crystal Apple Character Award in 2007 and Massachusetts Outstanding Leadership Award in 2008, a Japan Fulbright Scholar in 2006, and the author of two books: “Count Me In! Strategies For Success With All Children “(2011) and “ Yes We Can! Strategies for Closing The Achievement Gap”(2009).

A teacher who worked with Dr. Dancy when she served as the principal for The Channing Elementary School said about her, “Dr. Dancy has led us, me in particular, to understand what being a leader is all about. She has done that with caring approach, which allows us to be what we want to be, teach the way we need to teach...her successful formula is that she would do anything honorable for staff, her students and their families. That is leadership, that is character! ”

Community service

Mass College of Arts and Design has a summer program in which students work with a local organization in the community to build a small project. This summer, Mass College of Art and Design partnered with the Haley School and Mass Audubon to create an outside classroom.

The Haley School is a pilot school that focuses on community and environment. It has a long working relationship with the Boston Nature Center. The Boston Nature Center has provided a "teacher naturalist" to the school since 2003. The "teacher naturalist" coaches teachers on how to connect the classroom to nature during and after school. Students have become excited about digging and finding “treasures” outside.

Outside teaching has become a hit at the Haley School, so much so that teachers and students started to advocate for an outside classroom to help support outside teaching. When Mass College of Art and Design learned about the request, it decided to help make that a reality.

The project was completed the first week of August and an official ribbon cutting will be held in the fall- stay tuned!

Mass College of Art and Design is always looking to partner with the community. If you are interested in learning more about its program and how you can be a partner send an email: Sam, sbatchelor@designlabarch.com

Boston leading and "greening" the way

Boston Public Schools and the Sacramento City Unified School District were selected from a pool of 30 applicants to be the first to host a US Green Building Council “green school fellow.” Boston was chosen in part due to its large size, urban location, diverse student population and proven leadership around green initiatives. One thing that stood out for Boston was its Energy Management Program, which tracks utility/energy usage for all BPS buildings dating back to 1988. In addition, Boston has a history of supporting cutting-edge building design standards. Boston was the first city in the nation to implement LEED™ green building requirements for both private and public projects .


Boston has been the city of many "firsts." In 1635 Boston Latin School was established as the first public secondary school. The first school for the blind, Perkins Institute was opened in 1829. The first public school for African-American children, the Abiel Smith School, was opened in 1835. When Boston decided to strengthen its mathematics, sciences, and language programs for the gifted, Congress followed by passing the National Defense Education Act in 1958. In 1963, when former Superintendent Ohrenberger learned of the disadvantages of inner city kids, many programs were formed, which were later emulated in 1965 by the passing of The Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Boston has a reputation for being the trendsetter. We are proud BPS will be among the first to host a USGBC Center for Green Schools Fellow.



So what exactly is a green fellow? The Boston Green Schools Fellowship is supported by the US Green Building Council (USGBC) and their Center for Green Schools. The positions were made possible by a sponsorship from United Technologies Corporation (UTC). Over three years the Fellows will work with their school districts to design healthy, and energy efficient schools. The Fellows will collaborate with local leaders and community agencies to bring new environmental education and engagement opportunities into schools.


Phoebe Beierle, the Boston Fellow, will be working with the district over the next three years to bring environmental education to students as a way to close the achievement gap and foster engaged citizens, while making our schools more energy-efficient. Her goal will be to connect with students to enhance educational enrichment and link the classroom experience with greening our community. Some of the projects Phoebe will engage in are:

• Implement a comprehensive recycling and waste reduction program in all schools within 3yrs
• Train staff and teachers on energy and environmental topics
• Work with teachers and principals to incorporate sustainability curriculum into classrooms, afterschool programs, etc.
• Maximize energy efficiency opportunities

Phoebe says, “ This fellowship is a unique opportunity to work with the City and each department in the district to further our green initiatives, contribute to the City’s climate reduction goals, and provide unique learning opportunities for our children. We cannot afford to wait to green our schools. The opportunity is now and I’m thrilled to be working with BPS for the next three years to realize this transformation.”

If you are looking to learn more about the “green fellow” project or looking to help Phoebe achieve some of the goals then email her at: pbeierle@usgbc.org