Kipp free essay sample

Teacher With our public education schools failing, there are alternatives offered, such as private and parochial schools. Another popular unconventional education system is a charter school. A charter school is defined as a tax-supported school recognized by a charter between a permitting body (as a school board) and an outside group (teachers and parents) which operates the school without most local and state educational guidelines to achieve goals set by the administration (Merriam Webster dictionary). However, a school’s charter is reviewed intermittently (typically every three to five years) and can be annulled if guidelines on curriculum and management are not followed or if the standards are not met (U. S. Department of Education 2000). One of the popular charters is The Knowledge is Power Program also known as KIPP. The Knowledge is Power Program was inaugurated in 1994 with the ideology to create a classroom that helps students develop abilities that would be necessary to succeed in college and their career. We will write a custom essay sample on Kipp or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Ultimately, this philosophy of education was to provide the students with the tools to build a better future for the communities they lived in. Mike Feinberg and Dave Levin, the two founders of the school, started up their charter in Houston and New York in 1994 and before the turn of the new millennium, the original charter schools were amongst the uppermost preforming schools in their communities. Mike and Dave merged a partnership with the co-founders of Gap Inc. , in the year 2000. This trust was to ensure that the leaders of the schools were provided with sufficient training to emulate the success of the founding schools. Today, KIPP changed the lives of over 41,000 students in over 20 states, including Washington, D. C. One of the main views of this distinguished charter school is their commitment to excellence for every student that walks into the school. It requires a partnership among parents, students, and teachers that put learning first. Before a student can start at KIPP all three parties (The student, teacher, and parent) must sign a learning pledge called the Commitment to Excellence, which ensures that each will do whatever it takes to help the student learn. An agreement segment of the student conduct states that he/she will always work, think, and behave in the best way they know how, and will do whatever it takes for the student and their fellow students to learn. (KIPP â€Å"Commitment to excellence†) This ensures that the charter school has full confidence in the student to fulfill the goals and achievement set before them. The obligations of the parent include making sure the students homework is complete every night, to have communication with the teachers if there is a problem with the student and to read with their child. Also they must make themselves available to their child and the school, and bring up any concerns they might have. When it comes to attendance they must notify the school why the child was absent. This commitment makes the parents more attentive when it comes to the education their child is receiving and any modifications they wish to peruse at the charter. The KIPP schools are successful in my opinion due to their ‘Five Pillars of Success’ educational structure, which was the operational principle in which the school was based on. These five pillars include: High Expectations, Choice amp; Commitment, More Time, Power to Lead, and Focus on Results. The first pillar, ‘High Expectations’ is one of their philosophies which â€Å"concentrate on clear and assessable high expectations for academic achievement and behavior that make no excuses based on the students backgrounds. †(KIPP website) Parent’s students, teachers, and staff generate and strengthen a culture of achievement and support through a range of formal and informal rewards and consequences for academic performance and behavior. The first pillar enables the students to reach a higher level of assertiveness throughout their time at KIPP both in and out of the classroom. The succeeding pillar, ‘Choice amp; Commitment’, expresses the obligation of every student, teacher and parent to contribute to the KIPP community. There is no required pre-requisites to join however, everyone must make and uphold a commitment to the school and to each other to put in the time and effort required to achieve success. This way of learning and participation creates a student who attains the knowledge of time management and work ethic. The next pillar, ‘More Time’ is a clear precise statement regarding the time spent in the classroom. KIPP has elongated school days, weeks, and years, where students will have have more time in the classroom. The more time that is spent educating the students, the greater advantage they have to acquire the academic knowledge and skills that will prepare them for competitive high schools and colleges. This also allows them to engage in extracurricular activities that could spark a diverse interest in various fields. The following pillar,’ Power to Lead’ is aimed towards the principals rather than the students at KIPP. The principals of KIPP schools are effective academic and organizational leaders who understand that great schools require great school leaders. They have control over their school budget and personnel. They are also free to analyze their finances or make staffing substitutions, allowing them full efficiency in helping students learn. This pillar puts the school and its success in the hands of the principal and government funding rather than the state getting involved with regulations and financial policies. The final pillar, ‘Focus on Results’ relentlessly concentrates on high student performance on standardized tests and other objective processes. There is zero-tolerance on failing. â€Å"I will always work, think, and behave in the best way I know how, and I will do whatever it takes for me and my fellow students to learn. This also means that I will complete all my homework every night, I will call my teachers if I have a problem with the homework or a problem with coming to school, and I will raise my hand and ask questions in class if I do not understand something. Students are expected to achieve success in all of their studies that will assist them when the time comes to move on to college and their respected careers. Statistics have shown that the KIPP schools, specifically in Washington DC have out preformed when it comes to student achievement, when compared to public schools. In 2001, a team of dedicated educators established KIPP DC’s first school, in a church basement in Anacostia. The school started out with 80 fifth graders and has grown to one of the largest accomplishing middle schools in the district. Due to Susan Schaeffler (Founder of KIPP DC) success with her first school, KIPP DC braches out to over 3,000 students at ten schools on three campuses in D. C. ’s Marshall Heights, Anacostia, and Shaw neighborhoods. KIPP schools in Washington D. C and across the country have been a prime example of the success in under development communities and have given under-privileged students the tools they need. One of the primary advocates of this program is Pedro Noguera, a professor of sociology at New York University, is the  author of â€Å"City Schools and the American Dream†. Pedro states that â€Å"theres no doubt to me that charter schools are being used to undermine public education in many communities, but its also clear that public schools in many communities are in need of change and renewal. The biggest threat to public education doesnt come from charter schools; it comes from the loss of confidence and support from parents† (Charter Schools Role in Stren gthening Public Education, Pedro Noguera) I agree whole-heartily with his statement. The main problem with our public education failing is that the parents do not give enough effort in supporting their child through the education process. This problem is even greater in an urban setting, where crime and poverty are on the rise; in these urban areas, families have less human capital then those who live in a weather neighborhood and struggle to survive in today’s economy. In summary, the effects of poverty on children matter in regards to student achievement. Without these charter schools, children in urban areas would stand less of a chance to have higher levels of educational accomplishment, in high school and college. We need every child of America, no matter what setting they were raised in, to attain the knowledge and work ethic that will make them successful in their career for years to come. Demographics do not define the success of a child, and every day KIPP is proving that by breaking the standards of inner city statistics. In my opinion KIPP is one of the better alternatives to the public schools. They provided a passionate approach to furthering the needs of the students, and direct them on a pathway to education success.