National Partner Highlights Instructional Practices of Teachers at Clifford School
National Partner Highlights Instructional Practices of Teachers at Clifford School
The work Clifford School teachers are doing to implement strength-based strategies in their classrooms to close opportunity gaps were recently highlighted by national educational leaders.
During the recent School Board meeting held Wednesday, April 19, Dr. Stefanie Baker, Executive Director of the National Urban Alliance for Effective Education (NUA), an RCSD partner, thanked the Board of Trustees for their support of “thoughtful dialogue around equity and pedagogy” in RCSD.
Dr. Baker addressed the Board during Clifford School’s School Report to the Board of Trustees, a practice in RCSD in which the school principal and the school community present its School Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA) to the School Board.
In addressing the School Board, Dr. Baker thanked the teachers and administrators involved in this work for students.
“This team of professionals are committed to centering all students, their voices, their lived experiences and their academic pursuits, while working tirelessly to advocate for, and participate in their own professional learning. All of this dedication has made a remarkable, and data supported difference in the academic trajectories of the young people at Clifford School.”
Representatives from the National Urban Alliance for Effective Education (NUA) pictured with Clifford teachers and staff
Dr. Linda Montes, the NUA’s regional director, added, “I see that Clifford teachers are exemplary in their practice and understanding of pedagogy. They make a difference and believe in all students. They demonstrate to their community that Clifford is a place where serious learning takes place and they hold all students to these high standards. Clifford is a gem!”
RCSD’s partnership with the National Urban Alliance for Effective Education (NUA) assists in District efforts to bring the most current and effective practices to students, creating an environment that closes the opportunity gap for all students.
The NUA’s “Pedagogy of Confidence” involves three phases in understanding and learning: Developing, Deepening, and Demonstrating. This aligns with RCSD’s core belief that children learn and succeed when we act on the principle that every child can and will learn.
An NUA Demonstration School, Clifford School classrooms have welcomed many visitors who ask to see in action the strategies Clifford teachers are using. Visits include educational leaders from as far away as Minnesota and New Jersey to as close as County Superintendent Nancy Magee from the San Mateo County Office of Education (SMCOE).