Pike Visit--Anecdotal
On Friday, October 15th, Karen and I went to visit the Pike HS Freshman Center. It was newly opened this year, mostly as a result of overcrowding at the existing high school. The FC is connected to the high school itself, but maintains its own administrative structure, its own faculty and support staff, and its own policies and procedures. There is a high degree of collaboration with the high school, however. Some general observations:
--The building is clean and quiet. The administrators and teachers we met spent a great deal of time discussing their goal to foster a different environment from the high school. At one point, we wer taken through the door to the high school, and the climate was unmistakeably different; it was louder, with more bustle, with students in the halls during class time. There seemed to be more chaos.
--The administrators and teachers emphasized their commitment to developing a "student-centered" environment. The phrase was used at least 15 during our visit, even as a pun on the name "Freshman Center." The administrators discussed how the team who developed the center considered this as a central element. Moreover, the principal indicated that the faculty was hired and/or recruited thorugh this filter. They were each asked, "Are you willing to put students first?"
--The students observed seemed almost uniformly engaged and respectful. One student politely asked the assistant principal, "Sir? Can I let this student in?" as another student was coming in through the locked front doors. Most students greeted the teachers/administrators when they passed. In every classroom we viewed (Resource, Science, Math, English), students were on-task and engaged (working silently, raising hands, contributing to group work, etc.)
--The building is clean and quiet. The administrators and teachers we met spent a great deal of time discussing their goal to foster a different environment from the high school. At one point, we wer taken through the door to the high school, and the climate was unmistakeably different; it was louder, with more bustle, with students in the halls during class time. There seemed to be more chaos.
--The administrators and teachers emphasized their commitment to developing a "student-centered" environment. The phrase was used at least 15 during our visit, even as a pun on the name "Freshman Center." The administrators discussed how the team who developed the center considered this as a central element. Moreover, the principal indicated that the faculty was hired and/or recruited thorugh this filter. They were each asked, "Are you willing to put students first?"
--The students observed seemed almost uniformly engaged and respectful. One student politely asked the assistant principal, "Sir? Can I let this student in?" as another student was coming in through the locked front doors. Most students greeted the teachers/administrators when they passed. In every classroom we viewed (Resource, Science, Math, English), students were on-task and engaged (working silently, raising hands, contributing to group work, etc.)
posted by JimmyR at 5:26 AM
0 comments
