They were selected in part because middle schools are an especially tough test for educators who have to swim upstream against the changes of adolescence and the customary disappearance of parental involvement at that stage. They, and thousands of other outstanding public schools we might have mentioned, are the good news in American education. At the same time, Stanford principal Judi Gutierrez embarked on a program to restructure and reform her school. Stride into Excellence. Gutierrez also stressed staff development, sending teachers to seminars and workshops using Title I funds.
Little changes can mean a lot.
Each classroom has a nameplate with the educational background of the teacher. Kids with a grade-point average of 2.0 or better get T shirts and patches that designate their achievements. While almost all the teachers share a common passion, one Stanford staff member fairly pants at the opportunity to help students. Apache was brought to school for the seventh-grade programs in health, science and phys ed, but she has become so popular that she now has kids of diverse backgrounds talking about her. The other day at Stanford, a tall Hispanic boy and a small, autistic Cambodian boy walked Apache Rose through the halls together.