Transforming for Academic Excellence and Beyond with an Entrepreneurial Focus

What was the speaker’s main message?

At Edgewood Elementary in Selma, Alabama, educators are using entrepreneurial strategies to educate students. By focusing on entrepreneurial experience and excellence, students are more engaged, have ownership, and see real-life examples of individuals that have started a business.

What was the speaker’s best quote?

“All is well.”

What were the Top 5 ideas from the session?

1. Teachers make the magic happen.
2. Excellence Wednesdays at Edgewood is where students dress up for school.
3. Invite community partners to support the school.
4. Invite parents to support the school.
5. Emphasize vertical alignment.

What is one strategy that you will implement immediately?

I will make sure that our messaging does not exclude some families. At Edgewood, their family engagement invitations are titled Donuts with Grownups or Bagels with Buddies. This is because some students do not have moms or dads at home.

What is one strategy that will help you with instructional leadership?

As an instructional leader, I will continue to remind teachers that they make the magic happen on a daily basis and I will support them to do their magical work because our students deserve our best.

What is one idea that you want to learn more about?

I want to learn more about entrepreneurial frameworks or models to help bring a commerce and entrepreneurship focus to my school.

What are three resources you will check out?

I will check out breakouts online and other schools that have an emphasis on commerce and entrepreneurship.

I can’t wait to tell my teachers about this idea:

I can wait to tell my teachers about this school’s model.

What are some relevant or surprising stats you learned?

I was pleased to learn that Edgewood’s reading data increased 10 points and their math data increased 8 points.

Notes by Aqila Malpass, Assistant Principal of Rocky Ridge Elementary School in Hoover, Alabama.