- We're now joined by Yasmeen Sampson, who is head of school at Philip's Academy Charter School in Newark.

Yasmeen great to have you with us.

- Thank you so much for having me.

- Describe the school.

- So, Philip's Academy I think is a really special place.

I don't even know where to begin, but our history now is approaching 37 years years.

In 1988, Philip's Academy started with 10 students in Newark as an independent school.

So, we are the first school in New Jersey to convert from independent to Charter, and that was with the mission of being able to serve more students, a real high quality education.

And so that's been the mission to, since the very beginning, to give the very best to students what they deserve.

- So, lemme ask you this, this is part of our series in the graphic come up urban education that works.

- Yeah.

- We're trying to understand what works, what does not, what are two or three of the most important components of the success of Philip's Academy Charter School?

The keys to making it work for the students and the parents of those students?

- Think on like a philosophical big picture kind of approach.

We wholeheartedly believe that you can have a rigorous, real high expectation education and not compromise happiness and joy.

So, like our model is rigor and joy.

I think sometimes...

I think sometimes we can miss the moment to show our students in urban areas that happiness is still within their reach while we care really deeply about closing academic gaps.

I would say in addition to that, a holistic approach because you can't just give the basics when we're kind of fighting our way to the top.

So, we do believe in wellness as a real important tenant to how we educate.

And I think sometimes it gets lost in like holistic or we're well-rounded.

But I think we kind of do that well because we try to get to the root of issues.

- This is interesting 'cause you used the word rigor a couple times.

Rigor to me, the definition of it is just having the highest standards in everything we do, that can be challenging for adults, much less students.

How well do your students respond to not just, the rigor that is expected, the standards that are expected of excellence, but also the candid conversations, the feedback that you give.

I'm a student of feedback and how people respond to it, how people give it.

How do you even teach doing that for your educators, your teachers, and then putting the students in the right frame of mind to receive it?

I know that's a loaded question, but over your shoulder it says everything's figureoutable Yasmeen.

- Yes.

- So, help us prove that.

(Yasmeen laughing) - Well that's a heavy one.

- I know.

- Where I'll start is we've done I think the hard work of getting really grounded in what we believe.

And so we have core values.

One of our core values is unwavering belief, that we believe that we can achieve really hard things as a community.

Another one of our core values is a culture of feedback, Steve.

And so everybody can give and receive feedback and so nobody is above feedback.

Administration have to take the feedback when we're getting it wrong, we're getting it right, and same with all the adults in the building.

And I will say it's not the easiest thing to get used to, however, it is essential for growth.

And so as we embody this as a way of being, I think it begins to permeate all the things that we do.

And not to say that it's 100% where we want it to be, but I think as we root ourselves in what we believe, then the actions follow.

- And what a gift, a tool, to give to students who come through Philip's Academy Charter School to be in the frame of mind of growth and improvement, which requires candid constructive feedback, which is often hard to hear.

That's way more than just getting a good grade on a test.

That's a life skill.

How about this one?

What about the, is it the Eco Space?

- Yes, our Eco Spaces program?

- Eco Space education program, talk about that.

- Yeah, so I think a lot of times, people will come to our building just because we have a rooftop garden The cool thing about the garden is, it is representation of so much more.

So, we definitely teach students that there's this sustainable, healthy way to live and eat, but there's also embedded in the curriculum, cross curricular learning.

So, the idea of seed to table, but also measurement and collaboration.

And we serve food in a family style format so that we're also having conversations and it's not just, there are moments to disconnect and connect with each other as a community.

So, I would say that the Eco Spaces program, like on, um... basic scale, we have a hydroponic garden where kids are able to grow and eat the food that they grow.

We have a garden, we have a teaching kitchen, but really we're trying to teach our community around healthy living that is fighting against obesity and fighting against poor, um... just habits that have been ingrained in our communities.

- Yasmeen lemme try this.

Being born and raised in Newark, in Brick City, going to the public schools in Newark, as a kid, many years ago, and I think about the expectations, the lack of expectations that so many have, of so many kids out of Newark, particularly African American Hispanic students, low expectations on the part of so many who don't know them.

You have high expectations for those students because?

- Because they're worth it.

I think for me, just given a little tiny bit about who I am.

I have spent all of my years in Newark educating students for the past 24 years.

I also have experienced students who attend the highest, tuition-based schools in New Jersey because New Jersey has such a range.

And so I believe that all of our students in Newark deserve the same thing.

They deserve beautiful buildings, they deserve excellent experiences, they deserve high expectations, and they deserve mission statements that say our kids can be happy.

We kind of were raised with this idea of like grit and fighting to get what you, you know, what are basic needs.

And I think at Philip's, what we believe is that it shouldn't be a fight to have what kids deserve.

And so we are unwavering in that.

- One to 10, I ask people this all the time.

One to 10, your passion level for the work you do is what?

- 10 hands 10.

- 10 outta 10?

- 10 outta 10.

- Even in the tough times?

- Even in the tough times.

- Because?

- The tough times are, (Yasmeen laughing) the tough times are tough, Steve, but I think it's the passion that keeps us at the 10.

- And I gotta do this as a student of leadership, obsessed by it.

Everything.

If you can see that it says everything is figureoutable.

I have the exact same, our team thinks, he's ridiculous.

You believe that, don't you?

- I do.

I really do.

- It has to be even if, and I won't get on my soapbox.

Even if what you figure out was not what you thought you would figure out, just accepting the status quo because it's the way it is, that's a prescription for mediocrity and ultimately failure, whether it's a school or any other organization.

Yasmeen Sampson doing important work.

Head of school at Philip's Academy Charter School, part of our series, "Urban Education That Works."

Yasmeen cannot thank you enough for joining us.

Make sure you join us in the future.

We'll have you back to talk about the progress of your work with you and your colleagues and your students.

Thank you Yasmeen.

- Thank you so much Steve.

- You got it, stay with us, we'll be right back.

- [Narrator] Think Tank with Steve Adubato is a production of the Caucus Educational Corporation.

Funding has been provided by New Jersey Children’s Foundation.

EJI, Excellence in Medicine Awards.

A New Jersey health foundation program.

Congress Hall.

A Cape Resorts property.

PSEG Foundation.

The Fidelco Group.

New Jersey Sharing Network.

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Wells Fargo.

And by The Russell Berrie Foundation.

Promotional support provided by The New Jersey Business & Industry Association.

And by New Jersey Monthly.

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