K035 has gained a reputation in our network as a prominent outlier in almost every domain on the Student Panorama Survey. Last year, the school was a notable deviation for Classroom Engagement and Relationships. In addition to improving in those two domains, this year, K035 is also a positive outlier for Value of Subject, Cultural Awareness, and Rigor. Overall, 92% of students responded positively to a majority of the questions as compared to 82% last year.
This is their home away from home.
—Principal Jacklyn Charles Marcus
Last year, we interviewed Principal Jacklyn Charles Marcus and her staff, and they told us how they work to create an affirming and engaging environment for their students. This year, we visited them again but this time to capture a glimpse of that wonderful environment. The video below cuts together clips from last year’s interview (in black and white) with footage from our more recent visit in February 2023 (in color).
What this five-minute video does not show is how Principal Charles knows the names of all her students or how Ms. Scott opens her classroom at lunchtime to anyone who wants to chat. It does not feature the multiple residencies around podcasting, filmmaking and social studies. It cannot begin to capture the entire week the school devotes to Black Lives Matter and racial justice in education. These actions big and small work to create the “family-oriented ” environment for the students at K035.
I start the day by saying, ‘Good morning, Middle School 35 family, and we really do value what a true family would be about.
—Principal Jacklyn Charles Marcus