Monthly Archives: July 2011

Project Status: Green

Posted on July 31, 2011 by

Project Status: Green After 7 weeks the pieces are coming together. The research data is coming in and the initial analysis is yielding insightful results. A recap on my project: As Teach For America prepares thousands of Corps Members for … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Temporary Fix, Sustinable Problem

Posted on July 29, 2011 by

A few weeks ago we had a workshop where a principal posed the question, “How do you make something new happen when you have the same people and the same resources?” He had been talking about this idea in regards … Continue reading →

Posted in Greater Boston Area Site, Insights on Education | Leave a comment

The Hot Topics

Posted on July 27, 2011 by

This summer is flying by so quickly with so many rich experiences, I need to step back two weeks and talk about one of my favorite workshops thus far: Current Issues in Education.  I know, the title is simple, but … Continue reading →

Posted in Insights on Education, Los Angeles Site, Uncategorized, Workshop Experience | Leave a comment

The Race Conversation

Posted on July 25, 2011 by

At the end of our third EP workshop, a woman in our cohort stepped forward, clearly upset. She told us, in a shaky voice, that she had noticed a disturbing trend. We’d had a number of panels highlighting leadership across … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Quotable

Posted on July 24, 2011 by

This summer has been so rich of learning and questioning. Some would like to simplify the issues facing education, but the more you understand the system, the more complexities reveal itself. Last week, I was part of a group that … Continue reading →

Posted in Cohort Experience, Insights on Education, NYC Metro Area Site, Workshop Experience | Leave a comment

What would this look like?

Posted on July 24, 2011 by

Part of my work this summer involves developing a guidebook for Local School Councils(LSC) to use during the principal hiring process.  To get better insight into the current process, I’ve sat in on a number of interview sessions, resume screens, … Continue reading →

Posted in Chicago Site, Insights on Education, work experience | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Learning Edish

Posted on July 22, 2011 by

“Does anyone have a dictionary?” …Was the thought going through my head during my first Teach For America conference call.  Writing vigorously, I scribbled what seemed to be an endless list of acronyms and phrases I did not understand.  At … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Pull Up a Chair

Posted on July 19, 2011 by

I’ll admit it, I’m not a business minded person and I don’t have a background in economics. In college, the closest I came to the business school on my campus was using the side stairs to cut to my dorm. … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Human Capital

Posted on July 18, 2011 by

We are five weeks in, half-way through the EP experience. Knee deep in our projects and sites, many of us have not had, nor made, time to get to know our cohort members well. This may be especially relevant for … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

How I Got Placed

Posted on July 17, 2011 by

Accepting the Ed Pioneers offer was only first step in my internship. Next, I had to get placed in an organization. As soon as I got a notification in my inbox about a pre-placement questionnaire, I sat down to think … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Forget Everything You Thought You Knew

Posted on July 13, 2011 by

“This will all have better context when you get here in June. We’ll see you in a few weeks!” That was how my supervisor ended our interview phone call back in April. Fast forward to July and I’m just now … Continue reading →

Posted in Greater Boston Area Site, Insights on Education | Leave a comment

“You’ve never played Whirleyball?”

Posted on July 12, 2011 by

I was asked right before we started Whirleyball where I have lived that I had never heard of Whirleyball. I’ve lived in several places but never heard of the sport that “combines elements of basketball and jai lai, or rather … Continue reading →

Posted in Chicago Site, Cohort Experience | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

The Battle I

Posted on July 11, 2011 by

Who thinks the charter school movement isn’t political? I’ve seen attitude. I’ve heard snark. I’ve seen finger pointing. I’ve seen yelling. I’ve heard name calling. I’ve seen no less than 6 police officers standing between an altercation at a city-sponsored education … Continue reading →

Posted in NYC Metro Area Site | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

No Room for Pessimists

Posted on July 11, 2011 by

Optimism is a must when you’re working in education. Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is currently—as are many school districts—facing a HUGE budget shortfall. CPS is also welcoming a new CEO(Jean-Claude Brizard) and beginning to make changes to the structure of … Continue reading →

Posted in Chicago Site, Cohort Experience | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Business Consulting vs. Education Consulting

Posted on July 10, 2011 by

Challenging is a word that comes to mind when reflecting on my first few days at Teach For America. My assignment had been defined; “to compile the evaluation for two institute pilots”.  I had a quick briefing with my supervisor … Continue reading →

Posted in Houston Site, Uncategorized, work experience | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Sharing Stories

Posted on July 10, 2011 by

If I’ve never experienced being a low-income child in public school, can I make change in that setting? I’ve struggled with this question since I started thinking about working in education. I attended public school in a New Jersey suburb, … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

It’s Who You Know

Posted on July 6, 2011 by

By the time you make it to the placement stage for the Graduate School Fellowship, you’re  already thinking about what your placement site will be like, what your project will actually entail, and who will make up the rest of … Continue reading →

Posted in Greater Boston Area Site, Placement Process, Workshop Experience | Leave a comment

EP: The Fast Track to a Career in Education

Posted on July 5, 2011 by

As I rode my bike home on Glendale Boulevard Friday evening from my Education Pioneers internship, I realized this ride I take every day is a perfect metaphor for the Education Pioneers Graduate Fellowship. To understand this metaphor, I need … Continue reading →

Posted in Los Angeles Site, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Another Chance

Posted on July 5, 2011 by

I’ll admit I am probably the least likely of persons to be working at the New York City Department of Education this summer. For the last three years, I have had the most intense and yet rewarding learning experience working … Continue reading →

Posted in NYC Metro Area Site, Placement Process | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Opportunity Gap

Posted on July 5, 2011 by

What would you do if you were the parent of a DC student and also a leader in Education Reform? Where would your child attend school? These questions and more served as the basis of our workshop on the Opportunity … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Howdy, Welcome to Texas

Posted on July 4, 2011 by

It has been a blur.  I can not believe three weeks have passed since I moved to Texas and began the Education Pioneers Summer Graduate School Fellowship.  From bonding with the Houston cohort through a mini-case competition, trivia night, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged | Leave a comment

Getting Started – The EP Perks

Posted on July 4, 2011 by

Accepting the Ed Pioneers offer felt like a risky move to me. When I got the offer during my first year of business school, I was in the very early stages of exploring different career paths after my previous job … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment