Got Culture? Teaching While Being Culturally Responsive

Format

Poster Presentation

Presenters

Melissa Jones Clarke, Atlanta Heights Charter School and Willow Charter AcademyFollow
Ramon Hargons, Willow Charter Academy
Tamika Draper, National Heritage Academies,

Location

Harborside Center East and West

Strand #1

Academic Achievement & School Leadership

Strand #2

Social & Emotional Skills

Relevance

This proposal relates to two (2) of the “5H” conference strands. They are as follows: I: Head: Academic Achievement and Leadership and II: Heart: Social and Emotional Skills. This proposal speaks to the fact that when you marry high expectations, effective leadership, rich school culture with the pig-headed optimism of culturally relevant instructional delivery and instructional practices that are best for the “at-promise” scholar –-> high poverty + high minority WILL no doubt equal a high performing school.

Brief Program Description

Find out how you can build.bridge.affirm.validate within a high needs/high poverty/high minority yet high performing school. Render amazing academic results and highly engaged employees and parents no matter the zip code! #no excuses…only replicable results that are beyond reproach

Summary

The fact is that what one sees determines what one thinks…which in turn informs/directs one’s actions. So, as a teacher or administrator, what do you believe about your scholars that you serve? Culture begins with a shared vision. What if a shared vision with accountability held for all rendered amazing academic results, genuine stakeholder relationships, and produced a college-bound scholar who rose from low expectations and adults that did not believe in their capabilities? Learn how you can incorporate ways to make each scholar’s educational experience relevant which promotes well-being, a love of learning –in spite of the odds – and not only to be college-ready BUT college-BOUND REGARDLESS of the zip code! “What if everybody participated to create a vision and purpose and worked to create it over a period of time to where they really owned it – they felt it – this is our vision – we share it together.” – Steven R. Covey

Evidence

When the leader establishes a professional culture of excellence, a framework of professional practice is put in place for all. When this occurs evidence of the following is implemented with fidelity – the principal leads a united community defined by a shared purpose and vision developed through authentic relationships, high expectations, professional norms of behavior and accountability to each other. The principal serves as a catalyst that develops, leads, and sustains a culture of evidence. The school becomes a community that builds and sustains authentic relationships that are based on respect, trust, care, appreciation, and shared responsibility. Key practices of collaboration, setting and maintaining high academic expectations, while building college readiness for every scholar. This formula builds promising practices that create a recipe for academic excellence for urban school communities who educate traditionally underserved children within impoverished neighborhoods.

Biographical Sketch

Melissa Jones Clarke, Founding Principal, Atlanta Heights Charter School and Willow Charter Academy – Lafayette, Louisiana (National Heritage Academies) and 2014 Ryan Award winner (The Accelerate Institute - Closing the achievement gap by creating high impact school leaders that accelerate student achievement. ); 2009-2010 21^st National Youth-at-Risk High Flying School Honorable Mention (Blaine Street Elementary – Walton County – Georgia)

Ramon Hargons, Dean of Instruction, Willow Charter Academy (National Heritage Academies) and Georgia Teaching Fellow Alumni with The New Teacher Project

Tamika Draper, Director of School Quality, National Heritage Academies

CONTACT INFORMATION ~

Lead contact – Melissa Jones Clarke –

404.285.9136 (mobile)

337.534.8218 (work)

337.205.6195 (fax)

101.mjonesclarke@nhaschools.com (email)

Keyword Descriptors

culture, shared vision, accountability, high expectations, urban education, high performing

Presentation Year

2015

Start Date

3-3-2015 4:00 PM

End Date

3-3-2015 5:30 PM

Recommended Citation

Jones Clarke, Melissa; Hargons, Ramon; and Draper, Tamika, "Got Culture? Teaching While Being Culturally Responsive" (2015). National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference. 82.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/nyar_savannah/2015/2015/82