Bronzeville Classical Elementary School

The schools we envision recognize every child’s right to grow up literate as a member of a dynamic learning community that values the richness of linguistic, ethnic, and cultural diversity. Members of the school community are treated and treat others with empathy, kindness, and respect. Students are motivated to investigate new ideas that fuel intellectual curiosity and act as powerful agents in their own learning. Because students are fully engaged and feel a sense of joy in their own learning, they achieve a higher level of literacy. Through dynamic literacy education that exemplifies the beliefs and core values described below, students come to understand their physical, social, and emotional world and their roles as informed global citizens—hallmarks of the literate lives they can lead.

Core Values

Schools are places where students:

1. Act as members of a cohesive learning community that sustains their literacy growth and success.
2. Engage in authentic inquiry within and beyond the classroom walls to ignite their intellectual curiosity and expand their knowledge of the world and of others.
3. Believe in themselves and their own ability to acquire and use language and literacy for learning and enjoyment.
4. Read, think about, talk about, and write about relevant content that engages their hearts and minds every day.
5. Read, think about, talk about, and write about texts that are culturally sensitive, reflect the diversity in our world, and vary in genre, content, and perspective.

Schools are places where literacy educators:

6. Implement a coherent set of evidence-based instructional practices in whole-class, small-group, and individual contexts.
7. Make expert instructional decisions based on evidence gained from systematic observation and ongoing assessment data.
8. Work as a team to take collective responsibility for the high achievement of each student in a widely diverse population.
9. Act as members of a community with a common vision, common goals, common language, and a strong belief that their work can transform children’s lives through literacy.
10. Demonstrate an unwavering commitment to their own professional learning and to support the learning of their colleagues and team members.

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