PAVE Academy News

Scores Soar

Terra Nova assessements are generally taken twice annually by students in thousands of schools across the country. They serve as an accurate and informative gauge of a student's academic progress.

In September, in a room of 100 6-year olds, the average PAVE 1st Grader would have ranked 74th in reading. At the conclusion of one academic year with PAVE, in that same room and with those same 100 students, the average PAVE 1st Grader would have ranked 52nd--leap-frogging 22 students. There is still a lot of work to be done, but we are proud of our scholars' accomplishments!

PAVE Hosts Teach for America

his past summer PAVE partnered with Teach for America (TFA) and hosted TFA's Summer Institute. This meant that many incoming Kindergartners as well as returning 1st and 2nd Graders benefited from the inspiring instruction of 23 new Corps Members. In the fall, these Corps Members will enter elementary school classrooms across New York City.

The Teach For America program was optional for PAVE's students and we had 55 eager scholars participate! Students benefited from a small group structure (the student/teacher ratio was 2 to 1). Students received both one-on-one and small group instruction in the areas of reading, writing, and math, and they were assessed at both the beginning and end of the program to measure their growth over the 4 weeks. PAVE will use this data to determine both the success of the program and for entering into the 2009-2010 school year. PAVE's Instructional Leader, Ashley Ferguson, is an alumnus of the Teach For America program in Atlanta, and PAVE has 2 current corps members on staff and will be adding two more in the fall.

PAVE Students Attend Inauguration of President Barack Obama

On Tuesday, January 20th, 2009, scholars from PAVE Academy Charter School boarded a bus. Only they weren’t headed to our school on Sullivan Street in Red Hook. After many weeks of planning, meeting and fundraising, our families and students were headed to witness history in DC: the inauguration of President Barack Obama.

As you can imagine, this was not an easy trip to organize. Many people called us crazy for taking our children to the largest inaugural gathering in history. But PAVE Academy staff and our amazing parents approached the journey like we do learning every day; we poured a tremendous amount of energy, time and grit to make the seemingly impossible happen. Each parent sold candy to raise the $90 required for them to go on the trip. They attended three planning sessions.

Picture this: it’s the dead of night, freezing cold in Red Hook. 65 members of the PAVE community boarded two charter buses, giddy with excitement and a tinge of apprehension. We flew down I-95 and arrived outside DC well before sunrise. A shuttle bus – empty at the early hour – whisked us to the mall, where we found space for our group on the lawn in front of the Smithsonian. Over the next several hours, we shivered in the cold, napped on the ground, and watched as the crowd, waving flags, grew. When Obama walked out to be sworn in, our group gathered. The hour was upon us. I still remember hearing his voice. The sound on the mall was crystal clear. We all listened without moving.

Every family was so incredibly grateful to participate in this watershed moment. Every ounce of physical discomfort was worth it. Our teachers had created a month-long curriculum in slavery, civil rights and presidency so our scholars, just five and six years old, could appreciate the importance of the day. Surely no one will every forget the sounds, sights and emotions of the experience.

Almost 24 hours after departure, we arrived back at PAVE. We came into school that morning tired for sure, but our resolve to work hard, defy expectations, and inspire others was stronger than ever. We’re now back to the business of building citizens and scholars brick by brick.

Thank you so much for your support. We will continue to update you on the different ways the students are PAVE-ing their way towards college.

— Spencer Robertson

“In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of shortcuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted — for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things — some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.” – President Barack Obama