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

YES Prep Teacher Lauded for Changing Students’ Lives

February 20, 2012 by Brittany Baize

Congratulations, Jeremy Tullis, instructor at YES Prep Southwest, for winning the Crystal Award from the Spring Branch Education Foundation!

"I've been in public schools for almost 30 years, and there's no one like him," said counselor Judy Kajander, who with school director Chris Claflin nominated Tullis.

Tullis' planning and leadership skills, high expectations of his students and the achievement results of his classes led to his recognition as teacher who has made a significant difference in his students' lives.

You can read the whole Houston Chronicle article

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Teaching Excellence: Why Years in a Classroom Don’t Always Define Great Teachers

December 08, 2011 by Nella Garcia

As the fall school semester comes to a close, teachers from all over Houston are reflecting on their work so far this year.  This is especially true at public charter schools like YES Prep, where our intensive Teaching Excellence program ensures that our novice teachers—up to a third of our overall teaching program—receive the support and development they need to perform well in the classroom.

A recent article in the Huffington Post points to an often heard criticism of charter schools, Teach For America, and of the education reform movement as a whole.  The looming questions proposed in the aforementioned article include:

-    How can inexperienced teachers effectively teach high-risk students, a group that has traditionally needed the most attention and assistance?

-    If

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YES Prep Southwest Named Blue Ribbon School

September 20, 2011 by Chris Claflin

YES Prep Southwest was officially announced as a 2011 Blue Ribbon School this past week.   The Department of Education awards the Blue Ribbon distinction to schools that serve as a national model and have dramatically increased student performance.

This award is based on five years of strong academic achievement at YES Prep Southwest. We join YES Prep North Central as the second YES Prep campus to win this award and will definitely not be the last. Any success this campus has been fortunate enough to experience has come on the backs of the YES Prep system as a whole collaborating, sharing resources and ideas, innovating and creating change together.

If we were a stand-alone campus in a traditional district or a single charter campus our efforts would have been focused on so many

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“Human Talent is Both the Constant and the Differentiator”

August 29, 2011 by Brittany Baize

1,000 educators from YES Prep Public Schools, KIPP: Houston, and Teach For America gathered on Saturday, August 27^thto celebrate their collective impact in Houston public schools.  The celebration honored fifteen Kinder Excellence in Teaching Award winners – who took home a total of $225,000 in cash awards thanks to the generous philanthropy of Nancy and Richard Kinder. 

Among the special guests and speakers was Jeff Cohen, Editor of the Houston Chronicle, as well as families traveling in to surprise the award winners.  The theme of the evening was summed up when Cohen toasted attendees saying, “When it comes to facing challenges, team beats individual. ”  The three organizations collectively educate about 27,000 students in Houston and have redefined the look, feel, and achievement

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“Options.  Education means options.”

August 25, 2011 by Brittany Baize

YES Prep Public School parents Denik and Terry Hunter couldn't have said it better.  Watch them describe the importance of options in education in this video interview with The Texas Tribune[1].

At YES Prep, options begin with the choice that students and families have in their education provider.  As a free, open-enrollment public school, our charter status provides students and families the opportunity to attend our campuses regardless of where they live.  Instead of being bound by their zip code, any student in the Houston area can enroll for a seat at YES Prep through our lottery system.  The stakes are high: Currently Texas ranks last in the nation in the percentage of adults with high school diplomas[2].  At YES Prep, students and families know that with high expectations and

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