What’s the most rewarding thing about teaching at Kuumba Academy Charter School?

Making a difference in the lives of students, making an impact on the future generation, and forming relationships with students and staff.

What’s the most surprising thing about teaching at KACS?

That the relationships I’ve formed with my students continue throughout the years. There is an atmosphere of family here, and your students don’t just move on to the next grade and never see you again. I didn’t expect former students to visit me, tell me about their day-to-day lives, and continue our relationship. Every child in this school has a great relationship with at least one, if not more, adults.

How do you foster respect, responsibility, creativity, and persistence in your students?

The students at KACS don’t just receive an outstanding academic curriculum—they also learn our four habits of scholarship (respect, responsibility, creativity, and persistence) in a character development class called crew daily. Students learn to respect themselves, their school, and each other. They also learn to accept responsibility for their actions, find creative ways to solve problems, and persist throughout academic and emotional challenges. This character development curriculum is infused in every academic class at KACS to ensure students are always working on these four habits of scholarship.

How would you describe KACS to prospective families?

It’s a school with high expectations for students, both academically and behaviorally. The teachers and staff believe that every child can succeed and they also do a fantastic job of making KACS a positive, caring, and fun place to be.