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

Instructional Coach Spotlight: Ashley Harris

February 15, 2011 by Jeremy Jones

Ashley Harris began her career as an Assistant Buyer for a major retailer in the D.C. area but quickly realized her heart was in education. After two years in the private sector, she returned to her hometown of Houston, Texas and became a teacher by joining Teach For America. She taught in the Houston Independent School District for four years before joining YES Prep Public Schools as an Instructional Coach in 2007. Currently, Harris is the Senior Instructional Coach at YES Prep. Her primary responsibilities include developing novice teachers through one-on-one coaching and creating and facilitating sessions on instructional strategies. These efforts directly impact YES Prep's commitment to providing quality teachers in every classroom. It is this commitment that supports YES Prep's

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Minimum Teaching Qualifications for Teaching Candidates at YES Prep

January 29, 2011 by Jeremy Jones

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS FOR TEACHING CANDIDATES

Applicants for teaching positions in core subject areas (Math, Science, English, Social Studies, World Languages, and Fine Arts) should generally meet the following requirements, the first two being mandated by the Federal government to attain highly qualified status:

• The equivalent of a college major in the subject area to be taught (at least 24 credit hours with 12 of them being upper level courses) OR
• A passing score on the appropriate subject-area TExES or ExCET exam, AND
• A minimum cumulative GPA of at least 3.0

          Note:  certification is preferred but not required

For more information about certification in the state of Texas, please visit: http://www.sbec.state.tx.us/SBECOnline/default.asp

For more

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YES Prep Promotes Team For a job well done in Teacher Selection and Development

January 12, 2011 by Jeremy Jones

Jeremy Jones has been promoted to Senior Director of Recruitment and Selection. Jeremy came on board at the home office several years ago to literally build a recruitment program for YES Prep, and this promotion reflects the incredible work ethic and leadership he has displayed in doing so. In addition to forging relationships with numerous colleges and universities across the country to ensure that we have the most talented teachers for our students, Jeremy has ensured that we are using social media to promote YES Prep’s thought leadership and helped position us to be at the forefront of the educational reform movement.

Nella Garcia has been promoted to Senior Director of Teacher Development. As the powerhouse behind both Teaching Excellence and the new Professional Learning Model

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YES Prep Welcomes New Manager of Talent Support and Services Lyndsay Ferguson

January 11, 2011 by Jeremy Jones

For the past decade, 100% of YES Prep's graduating seniors have been accepted to top colleges and universities across the country.  The success of our students is a testament to the hard work and dedication of their teachers and school leaders.  YES Prep's Talent Support Team focuses on how our teachers can feel valued and necessary so that they can concentrate on the immediate impact: teaching our students.  Without a great supporting cast, our teachers simply wouldn't be as successful as they could be.  We recently brought on Lyndsay Ferguson to help us continue supporting our teachers in a human resource capacity. 

Lyndsay Ferguson has experience as a human resources leader in the banking, health care and higher education sectors. Prior to her relocation to Houston, Lyndsay most

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Recruitment and Training gives high scores for YES Prep on Academic Excellence Indicator System

January 05, 2011 by Aaron Smith

YES Prep’s Senior Director of Recruitment & Selection Jeremy Jones spends a significant amount of time visiting college campuses throughout the country seeking to recruit talented seniors who have the passion and determination necessary to help transform public education. In the 2009-2010 school year alone, he visited 22 campuses, reviewed 1,400 applications, and hired 135 teachers.

Newly-hired teachers enter YES Prep’s rigorous Teaching Excellence program and are sent into battle with less than one month of formal training. In a span of months, a college senior can go from a casual conversation with Jones at a campus career fair to standing at the front of a classroom in Houston, Texas.

It’s easy to see why effective recruiting and Teaching Excellence are among the most critical

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