This is a closer look into Rocketship Education. It’s a reinvention and revitalized approach for a quality education. Emphasizing on the elimination of achievement gaps through quality educational growth.
How do we know that a certain education is of great quality? What does our society dictates when it comes to defining what/who is qualified? Probably most of us will say that those who are in the top tier universities are the fortunate ones to have both brains and the finances to reach such goal. But did we ever consider that Basic Education is actually the foundation of it all?!?
In this blog post, allow me to introduce Rocketship Education. It thrills me to share the humble beginning of this institution, when Pastor created Juan Diego Scholarship to attend Santa Clara University. To his surprised, none of these hundreds of children met the basic academic requirements to qualify their local colleges and/or universities. So, he reached out to the community and laid out a plan for higher quality educational options in Washington Guadalupe. Though he had passed away, his movement lives on. In 2006, two educational entrepreneurs; John Danner & Preston Smith developed a new model for schools for the low-income neighborhoods in a more personalized approached. Which also recognized the importance of a student’s success comes from empowered teachers and engaged parents.
Soon Rocketship Mateo Sheedy Elementary School opened and quickly showed a strong result in the academic achievement. Fast forward 2017, Rocketship currently has 18 schools in 4 areas: Bay Area, Milwaukee, Nashville and Washington D.C., catering 8000 students from Grades PreK-5.
What sets them apart?
Rocketship Education model revitalized the traditional school system for today’s need overlooking for the future opportunities. As I have mentioned earlier, they have reinvented education by emphasizing that the transformative schools are more than just teaching the students. In fact their philosophy is based on the three core beliefs about an excellent educational growth.
- Excellent Teachers and Leaders create transformational schools. – Whenever an institution invests into its talent by sending their people to training & development courses/seminars it shows a profound impact to their teachers thus, it exudes to the students & the community.
- Every child has a unique set of needs. – Rethinking the traditional school model though personalized learning allows a child to learn in his/her own study habits combining technology, traditional instruction and tutoring.
- Engaged parents are essential in eliminating achievement gap. – Parents getting involved as leaders in schools and communities help and creates a powerful impact for themselves and for their children.
With these three core beliefs, Rocketship Education approaches modern American School environment in a fresher, non-traditional and contemporary method. Aside from these three, Rocketship has also modeled on Blended Learning and a personalized Theory of Change.
Here is a short clip of some of their activities at school.
Someday, if given the chance, I would love to enroll my son/daughter in this school. As some of you may have known, I am a teacher and teaching is a very personal passion of mine, so to be able to collaborate with Rocketship Education is a privilege!!!
Wanna know more about this school? Check out their website: http://www.rsed.org
Follow the Movement through their various social media accounts:
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God bless,
