The Answer - A blog about Education, Preparation, and Commitment.

YES Prep Unveils New Core Values at All-Staff Day

August 15, 2011 by Lindsey Windham

Last Friday, over 500 YES Prep staff members gathered at Houston’s Arena Theater to celebrate the successes of the past year, reflect on our work and our purpose, and kick off the school new school year with a celebration. This is a yearly tradition that always energizes me and reminds me of what we exist to do and why YES Prep is so special. 

A central piece of the program was the introduction of YES Prep’s new core values.  For several years we had five (longer and wordier) core values that communicated the things we believe, stand for, and value as an organization.  But, this summer, we shortened them down to the true core and re-wrote them to pack a punch, be memorable, and truly represent YES Prep’s priorities as an organization.  So... here they are! At YES Prep, we...

• Grow Humble Leaders

YES Prep is truly the best place to develop as a teacher or educational leader – something I have experienced firsthand.  Teaching Excellence, our in-house teacher development and certification program, consists of 13 instructional coaches that guide our newest teachers to greatness! Our teachers then progress along the Teacher Continuum, a system that rewards teachers based on performance, not seniority, and encourages teachers to continue to develop and master teachers to stay in the classroom.

• Drive Visionary Change

I see this core value as the heart and soul of all the core values.  The leadership, the results, the relationships, and the opportunities given to students here come together to support our ultimate vision of Transforming Houston.  By 2020, YES Prep will be educating 10,000 students in Houston and will triple the number of low-income Houston students who finish a 4-year college or university.

• Achieve jaw-dropping results

This year, YES Prep was once again rated an exemplary school district in the state of Texas!  Our North Central campus, in its first year of eligibility to be ranked by Newsweek, is the fourth most transformative high school in the nation. Also, more students passed the AP Literature exam than ever before!  Our consistently excellent results speak directly to the hard work of our incredible teachers, administrators, and staff, who always do whatever it takes to make sure our students are meeting the highest expectations.

• Build Transformative Relationships

Teachers and staff at YES Prep are building transformative relationships with students daily.  Every once in a while, someone asks me, “So, what’s YES Prep’s secret to success?”  If I had to identify some secret ingredient, it would be how much we value relationships here.  I think of teachers like Sarah Hampson, who within one year developed a special rapport with every single one of her 10^thgrade students, and has become the equivalent of a family member in some students’ eyes. 

• Create Life-Changing Opportunities

At YES Prep, we are constantly looking for ways to expand our students’ horizons.  Some of my best YES Prep memories have taken place on spring trips – end-of-the-year excursions where we take all of our students across the country to visit colleges, sight-see, and enjoy a brand new city.  Unique opportunities like these expand our students’ world views and help them envision themselves graduating from college.

What do you think of our new core values, and which one means the most to you?

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