Success in High Need Schools

I know that finding a teaching job is difficult in this economy right now and a lot of people are finding a job wherever they can, including in low socioeconomic schools and high need schools. The environment is a very different one but, and this article explains what can establish success in High-Need schools. There is a huge achievement gap in these schools, and the teacher turnover rate is also high. These High-Need schools need great teachers that "must assemble pertinent knowledge, commitment, and action to reduce the gap between our highest and lowest performing schools." Preparing leaders to address the achievement gap in high-need schools poses a challenge for educators, high poverty schools, and our nation. School leaders must demonstrate a heightened awareness of how schools initiate the national mission whereby “the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself.” (Obama, 2009). Although complex issues surround poverty and diversity, the first steps to action may not prove as illusive as we may fear. The same values and desire we bring to surmount other educational challenges can guide us in how to better understand and meet the needs of children in low socio-economic and poverty-ridden schools. It must begin with competent and caring leadership. This article reviews key resources for understanding how a new generation of school principals is making a difference in closing the achievement gap in high-need schools.

"Yes We Can" Success in High-Need schools