Kindergarten Graduation

Today, our Kindergarten Rocketeers graduated!

At Rocketship Mateo Sheedy, their teachers proudly spoke inspiring words of encouragement. Below is the speech given by Chloé Hurley, their literacy teacher:

"After a year together, we have developed a routine, as teachers, as students, and as parents. And we're pretty good at it!

Every morning we say the pledge of allegiance. We check homework. We get into small groups to practice reading or work independently during centers. We listen to stories and talk about them. We have lunch. We go to math class. We go to dismissal. Then, when students are gone, we teachers clean up, get ready for the next day, to do it all over again. Day in and day out.

I am not a parent, but I can imagine your school routine as well. Wake them up and get them dressed. Somehow get them to school on time. Pick them up and then begins the homework. First literacy, then math. Or, probably math and then literacy, as you finally get your student to agree to do the written retell. Then, sight word practice. Never enough sight word practice. Dinner at some point. Then, you go to bed and get ready for the next day, to do it all over again. Day in and day out.

When you are busy, like we are, as teachers and as parents, it is hard to see much more outside of the day to day. At least it is that way for me. But when you step back, you can see more.

Last night, we went before the Santa Clara County Board of Education to ask for twenty more charters so that we could open 20 more schools in San Jose and nearby. Our Chief Achievement Officer, Preston Smith, stood before the board and told them that out of 91 nearby schools, 61 of them are failing -- have an API score of below 775. They serve populations that are at least 50% free and readuced lunch or English Language learners, and they are failing. Then, out of those 91 schools, 28 are doing kind of okay. They have API scores of between 776 and 875. Then there are 2 schools out of that 91 with an API over 875. Two schools! Those schools are Rocketship Si Se Puede and, with an API score of 925, Rocketship Mateo Sheedy.

A board member of a district with many failing schools stood up during last night's hearing-- he did not want us to create these 20 schools. Their API scores are terrible. And he said that he leads great schools, that he does not think that we should base our opinion of a school on a score that is based on testing from a single day of school. Yes, it's true, the API score your school gets is based on a test. A test taken on one day.

But do you know when we start preparing students for those tests? On the first day of kindergarten.

Every time you do a page of homework with your student. Every time you practice math facts. Every time you read with them. Every time you helps them with their sight words. Every time you get them to school on time. Every time you show up for exhibition night or family science night. Every time that you tell them that you love them. Every time you do these things, you are building them up and creating amazing students, amazing boys

So, no it's not a test on a single day, Mr. Board Member, that tells us how good our school is. We have a 925 API score because of every thing that every engaged Rocketeer and every empowered Rocketeer parent does on every single day of that student's life.

Myself, Ms. Kim, Mr. Marcoida -- we are honored to work with you. It has been moving and inspiring to see your students grow and change, and to see all that they can do today. You should be very proud of them and of yourselves."