A valuable school and principal — but you wouldn’t know it by the test scores
If you’ve never heard of HONY, or the Humans of New York project, this post will introduce you to it, and its relevance to school reform. The author of the post, Barnett Berry, tells the story of a wonderful school (highlighted in a HONY piece) that is embraced by its community but, unfortunately, doesn’t shine when it comes to standardized test scores. Berry is the founder, partner and chief executive officer at the Center for Teaching Quality, a national nonprofit organization that helps teachers transform their profession.
By Barnett Berry
Blogger and photojournalist Brandon Stanton roams the streets of the Big Apple, drawing out the stories of strangers he encounters. Snapping poignant photos, he invites subjects to reflect on relationships’ ups and downs, the trajectories of their dreams and struggles, or the minutiae of everyday life.
Millions follow Brandon’s daily Humans of New York (HONY) posts on social media, appreciative of his keen recognition of the moving moment or distinguishing detail.
On January 19, Brandon interviewed a young boy in the Brownsville neighborhood:
Brandon: Who’s influenced you the most in your life?Vidal: My principal, Ms. Lopez.Brandon: How has she influenced you?Vidal: When we get in trouble, she doesn’t suspend us. She calls us to her office and explains to us how society was built down around us. And she tells us that each time somebody fails out of school, a new jail cell gets built. And one time she made every student stand up, one at a time, and she told each one of us that we matter.
Vidal’s account of his relationship with his principal garnered thousands of likes, comments, and shares—and quickly. The social media post “took off” A valuable school and principal — but you wouldn’t know it by the test scores - The Washington Post:
