Recently, the founders of KIPP, Mike Feinberg and Dave Levin, were featured in an op-ed in The Washington Post, that provides education policy advice to President Obama.

"What 'Yes, We Can' Should Mean for Our Schools"

... At KIPP, we believe that "the actual proves the possible." Barack Obama's election embodies this credo.  As Obama and Education Secretary-designate Arne Duncan begin to shape the policies that will drive the new administration, we would like to offer five concrete thoughts from the field on how to channel Obama's "yes, we can" spirit into substantive education reform...

 

To read the entire article click here.

 

After opening this past fall to 95 ninth grade students, KIPP Austin Collegiate is off to a running start.  During the first semester, in the days leading up to the Thanksgiving holidays, KIPP Austin Collegiate students participated in a 5-day Intersession that consisted of a series of programs and field lessons outside the normal academic and elective offerings.
 
The goal of the Intersession was to give students the opportunity to experience different fields of study that could develop into future degree paths in college.  Intersession also provided an opportunity for students to complete service learning projects with various community-oriented organizations in Austin. 

At KIPP Austin Collegiate, students participated in activities with Austin Shakespeare and Junior Achievement.  Junior Achievement is a non-profit organization that brings real world situations to students through hands-on curriculum delivered by trained classroom volunteers.  Through Junior Achievement's program, students took part in a business computer simulation competition, for which some of the freshman student groups are currently finalists.  Ninth graders also took capoeira lessons and Salsa and Flamenco dance lessons.
 
KIPP Austin Collegiate students went on field lessons into the community participating in various athletic activities as well as giving back to the community through different service projects.  Some of the community projects included serving food at the Capital Area Food Bank, beautifying east 12th street and the surrounding neighborhoods, and even helping Caritas of Austin register runners for their fundraising event.  KIPP Austin Collegiate is looking forward to the next Intersession, which will take place this spring.

 

What do those students with inquiring science minds do when they want more scientific knowledge?  They join the KIPP Austin College Prep Science Club! 

 

The science club was started this year by dedicated fifth grade science teacher Jessica Eaglin, to challenge her students understanding of science concepts as well as designate students to serve as leaders to other students that may be struggling with science.  The club meets after every Saturday school and uses this time to research a science topic of their choice and produce a report to share with other club members.  It requires a lot of extra time and work on the part of these students, but Ms. Eaglin says they are always eager to do more.

 

Along with all the extra science knowledge, these students are working hard and raising money to reach the goal of participating in an end-of-the-year field lesson to NASA!  The group has sold t-shirts, participated in bake sales and is now selling KIPP Austin College Prep window stickers.  If you want to help these students reach their goal, contact Ms. Eaglin. 

 

Sarah Stein-Lobovits

 

Sarah Stein-Lobovits is in her first year at KIPP Austin College Prep teaching eighth grade math, a course that also includes work in Algebra I, usually reserved for ninth grade students.

 

Ms. Stein-Lobovits is a graduate of George Washington University, where she received a B.A. in Human Services.  She then joined Teach For America, a national teacher corps of recent college graduates who commit two years to teach and to effect change in under-resourced urban and rural public schools.  During her time with TFA, Ms. Stein-Lobovits taught in Rio Grande City, a small town in southern Texas on the Mexico-US border teaching both sixth and seventh grade math.  She is now excited to be a part of KIPP Austin, first because she loved the mission of the school and second because she knows everyone here is working extraordinarily hard to achieve it. 

 

Over the winter break Ms. Stein-Lobovits' students analyzed different Texas lottery games and evaluated the probability of winning the games.  Then through a pervasive essay, argued why or why not playing the lottery is a smart decision.  Sounds like quite a life lesson!  Ms. Stein-Lobovits hopes that all her students reach a place in their lives where they feel successful and that she can instill in them a desire to overcome challenges and encourage them to reach beyond their potential.  When Ms. Stein-Lobovits is not with her students, she can be probably be found training for a marathon or triathlon, both of which she has participated in before. 

 

We were very fortunate to have Ms. Stein-Lobovits join our family this year!

 Washington Post columinst Jay Mathews, author of "Work Hard, Be Nice: How Two Inspired Teachers Created America's Best Schools", will be at KIPP Austin to discuss his new book.

 Event Details
Thursday, February 5, 2009
9:00 - 11:00am
KIPP Austin Public Schools Campus
8509 FM 969, Building C

School tours following the presentation

For more information, contact the Development Office.

 

The following review of Jay Mathews' book appeared in Publishers Weekly in October 2008.

  "Many people in the United States believe that low-income children can no more be expected to do well in school than ballerinas can be counted on to excel in football," begins Washington Post education reporter Mathews ("Escalante: The Best Teacher in America"). He delves into the Knowledge Is Power Program (KIPP) and follows the enterprise's founders, Mike Feinberg and Dave Levin, from their days as young educators in the Teach for America program to heading one of the country's most controversial education programs running today. Luckily for many low-income children, Feinberg and Levin believed that with proper mentors, student incentives and unrestrained enthusiasm on the part of the teachers, some of the country's poorest children could surpass the expectations of most inner-city public schools. Mathews emphasizes Feinberg and Levin's personal stakes in the KIPP program, as they often found themselves becoming personally involved with the families of their students (in one case Feinberg took the TV away from a student's apartment because the student's mother insisted that she could not stop her child from watching it). Mathews' innate ability to be at once observer and commentator makes this an insightful and enlightening book. (Jan.)