The Roger Clap Innovation School has fewer than 150 students. It sits on a tiny one-way street just off Dorchester Avenue. Just two years ago the school was slated for closure when a group of parents proposed reopening with “innovation” status “ the state”s “pilot” school program. Teachers had to reapply for their positions and only one was rehired.
I spoke with veteran teacher Donna Harris about the changes she thinks have been of most value. She said that the added half hour/day helped, as well as initiatives such as weekly reports and mid-year conferences to increase family involvement. Engaging families as true partners in their children”s school progress is something I know can make a huge difference, and it”s an area in which most schools need to improve.
The first thing I noticed when I walked into the building was that the entrance hallways were painted with whiteboard paint and covered with quotes about the value of reading “ even Lemony Snicket had something to say! Later I saw the same paint used on doors and even desks, in a first grade classroom where students practiced writing their spelling words with markers.
I was invited to visit the Clap by P.E. teacher Angel Scott. Her auditorium classroom was filled with young children enthusiastically doing yoga exercises. I loved seeing charts posted with feeling words and learned that students begin each class by writing about how they and their bodies are feeling. All specialists teach on Thursdays, so I got to visit Chinese and Visual Arts and Science classes as well. Art teacher Connie Cummings was helping K1 students imagine all the things you could draw with a circle, while science teacher Amanda Schrekengaustled her K2 class as they sang and danced to the “Bones” song.
Clearly there is an intense focus on MCAS achievement at the Clap, since goals are posted on large charts in upper elementary classrooms. When I spoke to a group of fourth grade students, I discovered their main purpose for reading was being able to answer reading response questions; only a few said they ever read for pleasure. Sadly, I suspect this may be increasingly true in many BPS classrooms, with the implementation of a prescribed reading program and the pressure of performing well on high-stakes standardized tests. Nevertheless, there is a spirit of confidence and determination among students at the Clap that can only serve them well throughout their schooling. As always, I was inspired by the commitment of teachers giving their hearts to this work.
Amika Kemmler-Ernst, Ed.D.
amika45@comcast.net