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

YES Prep Southwest matures into a student-led campus and a strong presence from senior leaders

September 09, 2010 by Jeremy Jones

Last Friday’s all-school meeting at YES Prep Southwest was a great example of how far the Mavericks have come in being a student-led school. When people step onto campus and remark on the strong culture and instruction it is not because we have to remind students that visitors are coming or that they need to step up their game to set a good impression. It is because our students get it and they get why they are here. The six junior and senior boys that stood up to address the student body are excellent examples of that, each in his own way. However, getting to that point does not happen the moment new students step into the Maverick Nation. It takes time, sacrifice, and consistent hammering home of the message each and every day so that in the end we have excellent examples like

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YES Prep Southeast Student Artwork to be featured at Lawndale Art Center for Dia de los muertos

September 09, 2010 by Tara Alcancia

Great News from the Art Dept and Marjorie's Spanish Classes:

We submitted a proposal to possibly show student art at the Lawndale Art Center (a professional art gallery in Houston) for their Dia de los Muertos / Day of the Dead exhibition and celebration.  We are very excited to announce that our proposal was accepted!  At least 5 middle school students and at least 5 high school students from YES Prep Southeast (art classes and Marjorie's Spanish classes) will have the rare opportunity to display their art in a professional art gallery setting for almost a month (along with art by professional artists).  Over the next several weeks in class, we will be focusing on the meaning and history of the Day of the Dead, and students will be creating retablos.

Please mark your calendars for

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We are role models for other students: A Guest Blog from Sherman Elementary

September 09, 2010 by Jeremy Jones

The first graduating class from the flagship Southeast campus immortalized their experience at YES Prep in the YES Prep Thinks and Acts, a commandment-esque list of things model YES Prep students think and how they should act.  These Thinks and Acts are a series of phrases that every YES Prep 6th grader memorizes and all students use as a source of motivation.  In my five years working at YES Prep, I have thought a lot about what my favorite Think and Act might be, but it has become as challenging of an endevour as deciding on my favorite song.  However, I recently saw one particular Think and Act exemplified that didn't surprise me, but made me proud.

Our culture is rooted in community service.  In fact, YES is actually an acronym for Youth Engaged in Service.  Building community is

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Teacher Feature: Amanda Rawlings of YES Prep East End

September 05, 2010 by Jeremy Jones

For the past ten years, 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 our teachers, a group of individuals from diverse academic and professional backgrounds united by a sense of frustration at the status quo.  We believe that teachers are the single greatest factor determining student achievement.  In our weekly series, the Teacher Feature, we hope to show off our greatest resource: our teachers.

• I grew up all over! My parents moved around a lot so I have lived in Moline, Illinois, Chicago, San Antonio, Dallas, Houston, Tennessee, and Orlan
• I attended Baylor University in Waco, Texas!! I graduated in 2007 and studied Biology and Studio

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The 100 Percent Promise: US News & World Report

September 02, 2010 by Jeremy Jones

U.S. News & World Report's most popular issue, "Ranking Best Colleges," includes a two-page feature on YES Prep Public Schools and our college-bound culture: "The 100 Percent Promise." The magazine is on newsstands now, so be sure to pick up a copy to read more about our students, staff and mission to prepare 10,000 college ready students in Houston!

CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE

Excerpts from The "100 Percent Promise"

"In the past 10 years, 100 percent of [YES Prep's] graduates have been accepted to four-year colleges. Marquez was not about to break that track record. 'I'm going to college,' says the freshman at Austin College in Sherman, Texas. 'A lot of my other friends can't say that.'

"The success rate would be remarkable for any public high school, but the

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