支点: 名词. 支点杠杆的支点.

支点教育解决方案 是一个象征性的支点, an organization that leverages school principals’ leadership by providing holistic support to maximize instruction.

Co-Founder Chris Carlson came to the idea after his own experience as a principal at Chicago Collegiate Charter School. 他热爱自己的能力, 教职员工和学生, and he wanted to spend most of his time focusing on instructional leadership.

But he continually found himself exhausted with the sheer number of things he had to do.

“After being a principal for a couple of years, it became very clear to me that while my school was very successful, the scope of responsibility is so overwhelming that I didn’t know how a principal could do it alone,卡尔森说:.

As educational practices change to accommodate society’s fast-paced development, schools 和ir leaders are increasingly held accountable for student success – both while in the classroom and after.

Fulcrum was born out of a simple idea: Add capacity. Carlson wanted to give principals the support they needed to evolve alongside the wider education field. 特别是, 他和另一位联合创始人, 卡尔维索斯基, wanted to help principals focus their time where it is most needed: in classrooms, 观察和辅导教师.

他们开始小, launching pilot programs in three schools, one of which was Jose de Diego Community Academy in Ukrainian Village, in 2014. Chicago had just closed 50 public schools, and de Diego was one of the largest welcoming schools in the city. There was a huge influx of new students and families.

It would have been a challenging situation for any principal to navigate; de Diego’s new principal saw Fulcrum as an opportunity, and she worked with Carlson and Wysocki to empower other leaders in her school building.

“The first year at de Diego, we coached teachers,” 卡尔森解释. “The second year, we coached a select group of teachers. By the third year, we were just coaching teacher leaders who would carry on coaching after we left.”

工作的方法. Over the years, students – and teachers – at de Diego have continued to grow and improve. The school has reached a Level 1 rating, one of the district’s highest school performance ratings.

自2014年以来, Carlson, Wysocki 和ir team have refined their approach to supporting instructional leaders.

The first step with any new school is to get to know the lay of the land. Fulcrum team members visit the school for a “full-day diagnostic” where they interview staff members and observe classes. The point is to get a stronger sense of what the school’s needs and how Fulcrum can best support its educators.

Fulcrum coaches don’t use one-size-fits-all plans; they tailor their programs to the needs of each individual school.

“We might do a variety of things, like problem-solving protocols and walkthroughs,卡尔森说:. “We might work with instructional leaders, 年级水平的椅子, 教室的领导人, 和 principal or assistant principal.”

Team members work with school leaders throughout the full school year. That consistency is key; it helps the Fulcrum team build relationships with the people in the building. 在每一个交互, 卡尔森解释, Fulcrum team members approach educators with empathy, 真实性, 严谨和神经, 都指向"赚荷兰国际集团(ing)“信任.

Once they’ve established trust, Fulcrum team members really dig into the work of coaching and developing school leaders at all levels. Coaches will sometimes work with a school for years, as in the case of de Diego.

But ultimately, the organization’s model is meant to build sustainable systems within the school.

“I hope a time comes when school support matches the level of accountability,卡尔森说:. “Fulcrum wants to help build that support sustainably, so it lasts far beyond our partnerships.”

支点教育解决方案 is partnering with The Fund during the 2019-20 school year to support principals in the 夏季设计方案 和 南区教育联盟.