2110 Philosophy of EducationPage 1 of 3
2110 Philosophy of Education
The Newark Educators’ Community Charter School’s mission is to create a rigorous learning community that supports the academic, social and personal growth of children and the ongoing professional growth of educators. The School will provide opportunities for contextualized learning—where children will learn to see the connections between school and the world, and where educators will hone professional practice. The School will be created and operated by a community of educators: school leaders, teacher educators, teachers, families, and community partners. It will be a place where culture, community, and professional knowledge come together to support student and teacher learning, thereby improving teacher retention and student achievement outcomes in mutually supportive ways.
The school’s pedagogy shall emphasize integrated units of study that incorporate all nine Core Content Curriculum Standards (e.g. Visual and Performing Arts, Language Arts Literacy; Mathematics; Science; Social Studies; World Languages; Comprehensive Health and Physical Education; Technological Literacy; Career Education and Consumer, Family and Life Skills). This process is described in detail in the school charter application.
Students at Newark Educators’ Community Charter School will be a part of an educational community where rigorous curriculum is made engaging and accessible, and where students meet high expectations by being given the support they need and deserve. The educational plan will address the individual needs of students and insure that all students meet their potential. Key components of our educational program are outlined below.
Data-Driven Instruction and Professional Development: Assessment will be an essential component of curriculum development and design. Newark Educators’ Community Charter School teachers will use Grant Wiggins’ techniques of backward design, in order to insure data-driven instruction. This methodology will be studied and practiced through Newark Educators’ Community Charter School professional development in addition to Collaborative Team Teaching and Differentiated Instruction. These professional development (PD) foci are the means to equipping teachers with the skills and strategies they need to best reach children with different learning styles, strengths, and needs. PD will be a high priority at Newark Educators’ Community Charter School. The hiring process will specify the PD requirements and the school will only hire teachers after they have agreed to the Newark Educators’ Community Charter School PD expectations.
Extended Day: Newark Educators’ Community Charter School will provide a two-hour extended day program incorporating both academic support and arts enrichment.
Arts Enrichment: At the Newark Educators’ Community Charter School, the arts will be seen as enrichment, as well as integrated throughout curriculum in order to make learning experiences rich and accessible to many different types of learners. The Board believes that its arts education programs should inspire young audiences with curricula that address important artistic, social, and political issues.
Curriculum and Instruction
Social Studies: At Newark Educators’ Community Charter School Social Studies content will be taught through three intensive project-based Integrated Studies Units (incorporating English Language Arts, Career Development and Occupational Studies, and Arts standards with Social Studies standards) throughout the year. Students will begin with concepts that are close to self such as home and family. They will use what they have learned about their own cultures, neighborhoods, and belief systems to learn to look outward to faraway places and people in history.
English Language Arts (ELA): Newark Educators’ Community Charter School will use a Balanced Literacy approach proven to be successful in school districts around the country. Through the Balanced Literacy program students will be instructed in reading and writing in multiple contexts each day: individually through reading and writing conferences; in small groups through guided reading and word study; and in whole group through read aloud and writing mini-lessons within the Writers’ Workshop.
Math: Newark Educators’ Community Charter School will have three components to its Math curriculum: Investigations Math Program, which is aligned with NJCCCS and National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) standards, supplemental skills work, and daily Math practice. This program shall teach students at each grade level to explore theories and functions through investigation, to develop a variety of strategies to solve problems and share their solutions, and to see Math in the world around them.
Science: Newark Educators’ Community Charter School shall use the FOSS science curriculum, which is aligned with NJCCCS. This approach guides teachers in teaching children important scientific concepts while developing the habits of mind or skills of real scientists, including meaningful observation and exploration, testing hypotheses, and analyzing new information, while learning about the natural world.
World Languages: Newark Educators’ Community Charter School shall offer Spanish language instruction to all students, beginning in kindergarten.
Spanish language instruction will be infused with cultural education concepts, and will teach children basic Spanish conversation, grammar, sentence structure and writing. Students will use popular culture media, such as printed literature and radio to further refine their skills. The curriculum will challenge students to explore the relationship between language and culture and help them understand the role that language plays in a society. This will be emphasized by cross-discipline exploration in the language and visual/performing arts and social studies. Students will receive consistent, long-term direct instruction which utilizes certified teachers, quality instruction, a rigorous curriculum, and sequential language study using strategies that are grounded in research.
Career Education and Consumer, Family and Life Skills: Students will learn the skills and core competencies necessary enter the workforce when they are adults. The integrated units of studywill teach students to identify, understand and value their interests and talents. Students will have numerous opportunities to explore individual interests and to work in small groups to develop work plans, meet deadlines, overcome obstacles, and identify solutions to complex problems, all skills that can be transferred to future development of individual career plans. Students will gain key self-management skills and work habits throughout their education.
Conflict Resolution: Newark Educators’ Community Charter School students will learn to be problem solvers and critical thinkers; to respect and challenge intellectual ideas and form opinions in an environment that values trust; and to resolve conflicts peacefully through the Resolving Conflict Creatively Program (RCCP).
Parental Involvement: Newark Educators’ Community Charter School families will have multiple entry points to take part in their child’s education, e.g., Community Coffee, Class Parent, Community Council, Family Room, and Community Open Work. Newark Educators’ Community Charter School understands that parents’ participation is a valuable part of their child’s academic and social success.
Integrated Units of Study
Students in each grade will be immersed in three in-depth integrated studies units each year. These units focus on the people that have influenced history, the places that have historical significance, and the events that have shaped history. Beginning in kindergarten, students will learn to mix skills and content knowledge in order to formulate opinions about history and develop as individuals with the potential to positively influence history.
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