Get the Right Team:
For anyone in a position of power you need to have an efficient team to produce results. According to Davis, when hiring in the education field there are a few things you need to look for that will ensure you’ve found the right match. “Make sure teachers know their content, care about kids and have patience to work with struggling learners,†he says. “You have them walk through how to deal with struggling learners and to plan lessons to deal with multiple types of learning.â€
With over 15 years of experience in the education sector, Rashid Ferrod Davis has held various positions that have given him a well-rounded perspective on what it takes to manage a successful school. His impressive resume includes serving in New York City public schools as a teacher, assistant principal and principal of the Bronx Engineering and Technology Academy (BETA). Through his guidance, BETA advanced to No. 143 on the Newsweek list of 1,500 Top American High Schools. BlackEnterprise.com recently spoke with Davis about his latest position as founding principal of P-TECH, a new six-year high school with a focus on STEM studies, and now he shares his five tips for success in education. —Souleomore
Always Raise the Bar:
Taking caution is generally an underappreciated value but it is essential to maximizing one’s chances for success in education, where you’re bound to multiple accountability systems. “We know many times that the city and state’s requirements are not competitive enough,†Davis advises. “As the person who is in action you need to make sure you are over preparing students for the next level. Therefore you should always perform at a higher level.â€
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Get the Right Team:
For anyone in a position of power you need to have an efficient team to produce results. According to Davis, when hiring in the education field there are a few things you need to look for that will ensure you’ve found the right match. “Make sure teachers know their content, care about kids and have patience to work with struggling learners,†he says. “You have them walk through how to deal with struggling learners and to plan lessons to deal with multiple types of learning.â€
more
Meet Students Where They’re At:
To help others attain greatness you have to first understand where they are coming from and determine the best route to reach such heights of success. “It is important that students are not treated as robots where you pour information into them,†says Davis. “We need to understand who they are and how they think. We are talking about developing citizens of the world.â€
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Get Parents Involved:
The key to successful team building is the ability to designate clear responsibilities. In education parents need to understand how they can be most effective in contributing to their child’s development. “Make sure that parents know how to support [their children] to extend their learning,†he notes. “They can make sure students don’t miss school unnecessarily and that they are in some academic program in the summer so that they don't lose the academic time.â€
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Build Your Network:
Davis adheres to the maxim that it takes a village to raise a child. There is no better way to build such a village than by forming strategic alliances with local community leaders and organizations. “Make sure local council people, colleges and community organizations are involved and aware of the school,†he advises. “This way we understand that we are not doing anything alone because we can’t do it alone.â€
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