Mastery Principal Sharif El-Mekki Celebrates the Philadelphia Teacher

To Educators, A Salute

Equally the new school year gets underway, a Mastery principal takes united states behind the scenes of the difficult work that goes into serving kids

Aug. xxx, 2016

Information technology is Baronial. It is one of those hot and steamy Philly summers. We are in the midst of staff orientation and the air conditioning isn't actually working, yet nosotros are bursting with excitement near what is side by side. New students. Returning students. New squad members—folks we affectionately refer to as "1 st Round Typhoon Picks." New goals. Endless possibilities. Promises fabricated. Unfinished business.

Our challenges will exist tremendous, yet, similar most educators, we are looking forward to them. Securing top talent is one of the most important jobs for any principal, and I believe we take assembled the team to run into these challenges successfully. (Makes me desire to call out, "Avengers and Freedom Fighters, Get together!")

Beingness on the same folio, same line will likewise be vital to our community's success. Alignment in purpose helps us to problem-solve. And, we know with a high level of certainty that there volition exist problems to solve. That'due south why nosotros spend significant time working on the necessary mindset and actions of a highly effective educator—one who is culturally literate, trauma informed and a restorative practitioner.

We have a lot of new students and families. Onboarding each other into our schoolhouse culture, our neighborhood, and getting to know each other collectively and individually are important goals. A school community is fabricated up of individuals, yet operates every bit a commonage.Getting to know those we serve and partner with is another of import slice of my work. We know kids volition larn best from those who honey and respect them.

We know that with a shared vision, we can achieve groovy things. We are blessed to serve the 19131 nothing lawmaking that encompasses the Hestonville, Carroll Park, Wynnefield, and Parkside communities.  I grew up in the neighborhood that I serve. I went to high school here and attended summer schoolhouse in the aforementioned building I piece of work. I still live here. Having our immediate neighborhoods serve as an anchor for united states (and nosotros for them) always brings us great satisfaction, joy, and pride.

To bring u.s. together, nosotros have orientation for new and returning staff, students, and families. That has evolved. For case, a few years agone, in response to feedback from families, we moved abroad from the traditional Back to Schoolhouse Night that used to occur in the evening a few weeks after school began. Families expressed a desire to meet with us prior to the official start of the school year so that they could exist a office of the procedure of weighing in on and sharing anticipated goals and collective expectations with their children.

To that end, afterwards teacher orientation, the start thing we exercise is have our "Back to Schoolhouse" consequence.  Instead of hosting this effect for only a few hours in the evening, we offer two opportunities—one in the morning and ane in the evening—for families to choose from what all-time accommodates their schedule.

Our goal is to provide flexibility for families in order to promote their involvement and participation. By simply adding multiple sessions for families to cull from, we have increased our parental participation at our Family unit Orientation to over 90 per centum!

With the new year, comes new possibilities and the same enormous responsibleness to serve our community. Well.

We know that our average 7th grade pupil enters 2 to3 grade levels behind in reading, math, and perhaps coping/social skills. Nosotros know that some of our students have encountered trauma and have Adverse Childhood Experience  scores that would have felled the strongest adults. They can requite u.s.a. professional evolution on grit.

We besides know that our students deserve a group of educators who are committed to their whole beings. Our families deserve educational partners who are willing to be held accountable for their children's success. Our communities deserve safe, dynamic, and learning organizations. We are staunchly committed to the idea that every neighborhood should have great schools and kids should non take to go far to attain success.

At the start of the school year, nosotros must reflect on what our most of import partners ask of us. The June letter I received from a male parent is a brief illustration of the importance of delivering on our promises to our partners.

………………………………………….

"Good forenoon. I could non allow the day go by without reaching out to you. I wanted to allow you know from the bottom of my eye how much I appreciate yous accepting the challenges that Southward. had presented this school year and helping with edifice on her strengths.

I know educational activity is a sometimes thankless, under appreciated, challenging and definitely an nether paid task. But information technology has its perks and seeing the endeavor that was put in by S's didactics team lets me know that one of the perks is your heart.

I wish you lot a relaxing summer break so that you can return and go on to be blest with a center to take on the next S. ?. Just more chiefly I pray and wish that you bask the successes of your efforts and defended work.

Again, thanks so very much."

………………………………………….

To all educators committed to the work, partnerships, and accountability necessary for neighborhood schools and kids to be successful: Salute.

Sharif El-Mekki is the principal of Mastery Charter Schoolhouse–Shoemaker Campus, a neighborhood public charter school in Philadelphia that serves 750 students in grades seven-12. El-Mekki will be contributing regular columns from the schoolhouse front end lines this year.

A version of this article was originally published on phillys7thward.org.

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Source: https://thephiladelphiacitizen.org/sharif-el-mekki-educators-salute/

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