Foundation Collegiate Academy
Welcome Packet
2011
Faculty and Staff Orientation Programs:
Gear UP!, Boot Camp and Student Orientation
Welcome Letter
April 2011
Dear Founding Faculty or Staff Member,
Welcome to Foundation Collegiate Academy!
You have joined an extremely talented and hardworking team of individuals who are
determined to prove that we can close the achievement and opportunity gaps that exist in
the city of Trenton and that we can transform the lives of urban students and their families.
We are ecstatic that you have chosen to be a part of this mission.
In just a few short months we will embark on a rewarding journey. Through high-quality
instruction, a culture of high expectations, a belief that all students can excel and a
“whatever it takes” attitude, we will diligently pursue our mission – to ensure that all
students secure the academic knowledge and skills to excel in college and beyond. We know
that over the next year or so you will make indelible contributions in the classroom, in the
community and on our team as a founding high school team member.
Being a founder requires a heightened sense of urgency, dedication, passion and pursuit for
perfection. As we inaugurate Foundation Collegiate Academy, you have the unique privilege
of starting something wonderful – a college preparatory school that will enable students to
succeed. Imagine starting something that will exist and excel in decades to come!
We are humbled by the commitment you are making to our students and their families and
look forward to collaborating with you on this courageous expansion. We are looking
forward to seeking you in May!
Best,
Nicole Falconer
High School Principal
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Our Team
Last year Foundation Academy hired approximately 3% of applicants.
Congratulations!
We think you are pretty special!
Jill Spiegel – Founding High School English Teacher
Jill Spiegel, our colleague for the past three school years, will be joining the high school
team. In her time with Foundation Academy to date, Jill has taught 6th, 7th and 8th Grade
English-Language Arts. The lion’s share of Foundation Collegiate Academy’s Freshmen and
Sophomores will have been taught by Jill, and thus Jill will be expected to carry and
represent the very best lessons learned from our middle school to the new high school
team. Prior to joining Foundation Academy, Jill student taught in Baltimore County,
MD. She received her B.S. Magna Cum Laude in English and Secondary Education from
Towson University.
Gloria Thompson Rosario – Founding High School Spanish Teacher
Gloria Thompson-Rosario joins our team as a veteran New Jersey Spanish Teacher. She has
taught at D.U.E. Season Charter School in Camden, Northern Burlington County Regional
High School, the State of New Jersey-Office of Education, Memorial Middle School in
Willingboro and the Burlington School District. Gloria is the co-founder of a charter school
that is scheduled to open in Willingboro in the fall of 2012. She earned her B.A. in Puerto
Rico and Hispanic Caribbean Studies from Rutgers University.
Inessa Shor – Founding College Advisor
Inessa Shor will serve as our Founding College Counselor. In this role, she will serve as the
“tip of the spear” in ensuring that we achieve our mission of securing access to college for
all of our students. She will develop our knowledge base of colleges, shape and execute the
college search, application and selection process for all of our students and their families,
and do whatever it takes to secure acceptances for all of our students at the universities and
colleges that are most appropriate for each one of our students. Inessa is a first-generation
college graduate, receiving her B.A. in Psychology Magna Cum Laude from Rutgers University
and her M.A. in School Counseling from the College of New Jersey. She has had experience
working as a Student Assistance Counselor at Allentown High School (NJ), a Therapist at The
Lester A. Drenk Behavioral Health Center (NJ) and other mental health, counseling and
youth development work.
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Stephen Ryan – Founding High School Math Teacher
Stephen Ryan joins our team as a career changer entering full time teaching with Foundation
Academy. For the past year, Stephen has participated in the Philadelphia Teacher Residency
program at Benjamin Franklin High School. Prior to entering teaching, Stephen had a
successful career in the business world, working in marketing, sales and
engineering. Stephen received his Bachelor of Science in Engineering Science and
Mechanics from the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, a Master of Business
Administration from the Smurfit Graduate School of Business at University College Dublin in
Ireland and will shortly receive his Master of Science in Education, with a concentration in
Secondary Mathematics from the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of
Education.
Marlene Rice – String Orchestra Director (Middle and High School Music Teacher)
Marlene Rice is the String Orchestra Director and teaches Music at Foundation Academy. A
professional violinist with experience in major orchestras and ensembles throughout the
United States, Ms. Rice was previously Program Director and Teaching Artist for The Noel
Pointer Music Foundation. In addition, Ms. Rice has served as a string instructor in the New
York City and Detroit Public Schools. Ms. Rice received a B.S. from Eastern Michigan
University and a Master of Music from the University of Michigan
Nicole Falconer – Founding High School Principal
Nicole A. Falconer is the Principal of Foundation Collegiate Academy. Ms. Falconer served as
a History Lead Teacher and Coordinator of Students Affairs at Frederick Douglass Academy
VII in Brooklyn. She has also served as a Teacher Selector for the New York City Teaching
Fellowship prior to joining Foundation Academy. Ms. Falconer received an Excellence in
Teaching Citation from the New York State Assembly in 2007 and again in 2010 for her
students achievement in the classroom and on standardized assessments. Ms. Falconer
holds a B.A. in History from Yale University, a Masters in the Science of Teaching from Pace
University and an Advanced Masters in Education from the Teachers College at Columbia
University. Nicole is currently working on a doctoral degree in Organization and Leadership.
Ronald Brady – Head of School and Co-Founder
Ronald C. Brady is the Head of School and a Co-Founder of Foundation Academy. Mr. Brady
previously served as the K-8 and Middle School Principal at Trenton Community Charter
School, the Director of the Career Learning Academies and Smaller Schools (CLASS) Project
in the Paterson, NJ Public Schools, Director of the Office of State Operated School Districts
in the New Jersey Department of Education, Assistant to the Chancellor of the New York
City Board of Education and as a Research Associate at The Edison Project. Mr. Brady is a
Harry S Truman Scholar and holds an MPA from Princeton University and a BA magna cum
laude in History and Government from Bowdoin College. Mr. Brady serves on the Bowdoin
College Board of Trustees.
Pending Foundation Academy Board of Trustees approval, we will announce the Founding
Science Teacher and the Founding Special Educator after the May and June Board Meetings.
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Our Rationale
The Rationale behind Our Orientation Programs
Preparing to teach, lead and work in a “No Excuses” college-preparatory requires a full
understanding of what “No Excuses” schools are and what habits effective faculty and staff
members demonstrate. The “No Excuses” philosophy posits rigorous academics and high
behavior expectations. All faculty and staff members hold themselves and each other
accountable to a set of high student, teammate and school community expectations. We
make the consciousness effort to allow “no excuses” from ourselves and from each other in
order to ensure our students are successful.
Our Orientation Programs, beginning with Gear Up! are a series of opportunities to meet
teammates, learn about the Foundation Academy way and to be introduced – and later
immersed – into a philosophy of education that is driven by our mission and our core values.
The Goals for Our Orientation Programs
By the end of our Orientation Programs, faculty and staff members will have:
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Actively begun to develop relationships with their teammates in the
middle and high school.
Participated in team-building exercises that build collaboration and conflict
resolution.
Established collaborative norms, rituals and routines that will govern our
team, our students and our community throughout the school year.
Delved deeply into and discuss attitudes, habits and expectations of rigor.
Reviewed the school calendar and become familiar with school systems.
Been introduced to professional learning tools and techniques to improve
student learning through teacher planning and implementation.
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Gear Up!
Gear Up! events and activities are Pre-Boot Camp sessions designed to build camaraderie, introduce new
faculty and staff to Foundation Academy and to set the groundwork for the intense professional
learning and planning that will begin in Boot Camp.
Event 1 – A Visit to North Star Academy (Optional)
Wednesday, May 18, 2011 at 7:30 am
When the co-founders of Foundation Academy began their search for an educational institution that
could serve as an exemplar for the school they would create, they looked to North Star Academy in
Newark, New Jersey. North Star Academy – a blue ribbon school of excellence – is one of New
Jersey’s first public “No Excuses” college-preparatory charter schools. North Star stands as a beacon
of organizational and academic success.
We would like each founding faculty member to see our exemplar school – North Star Academy – in
action. As such we have arranged for a school tour and visit, followed by a team lunch to discuss our
observations and ambitions for Foundation Collegiate Academy on Wednesday, May 18, 2011. Please
RSVP to Nicole Falconer (nfalconer@foundationacademy.org) within 48 hours of receiving this
Welcome Packet. This event is optional. Professional attire is required.
Event 2 – Gear Up! Part 1
Sunday, May 22, 2011 at 9:30 am
Please join us for team-building and professional learning exercises at Foundation Academy’s middle
school campus. Plan to remain with the team from 9:30 am to 2:30. Additional information is forth
coming. Business casual attire is recommended.
Event 3 – A Visit to Foundation Academy
Thursday, May 26, 2011 at 12:45 pm
Please join us for an afternoon visit to the middle school. During this event faculty and staff members
will observe eighth-grade classes, middle school norms and systems (e.g. hallway transitions and
detention), meet with the Student Affairs Administrator, meet with the High School Principal, and
participate in the middle school faculty meeting. Participants will have th opportunity to observe and
discuss best practices with our Upper Middle School staff. This event will include with a Welcome
Dinner sponsored by the Foundation Academy Board of Trustees. Board Members will be formally
introduced to the Foundation Collegiate Academy faculty and staff at this time. Professional attire is
required.
Event 4 – Gear Up! Part 2
Sunday, June 26, 2011 at 9:30 am
Please join us for professional learning exercises at Foundation Academy’s middle school campus.
Plan to remain with the team from 9:30 am to 3:30. Additional information is forth coming. Business
casual attire is recommended.
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Professional Learning Tasks
Required Reading Material and Tasks
Sunday, May 15: Please complete the Teacher
Questionnaire and Next Steps associated with
your job description. The Teacher
Questionnaire is attached. You have or will be
sent your job description and next steps in a
separate email from Nicole Falconer.
Sunday, May 22: Please complete Inside Urban
Charter Schools and prepare your thoughts for
our group discussion.
Sunday, June 26: Please complete The Five
Dysfunctions of a Team and prepare your
thoughts for our group discussions.
Sunday, July 24: Please complete Teach Like a
Champion and Tools for Teaching and prepare
for an intensive and rewarding professional
learning experience. Please read the following
sections:


Teach Like a Champion (Part One
Techniques 2, 6, 18, 22, 28 – 35, 36, 38, 40,
and 42; Part Two Chapter 10 and 12)
Tools for Teaching (pages 133 – 241, 309 –
319)
For your convenience, we have purchased the resources listed above on your behalf. We will
mail and/or distribute them in time for you to meet each deadline.
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Highly Recommended Reading Materials
Sweating the Small Stuff
By David Whitman
Teach Like Your Hair is On Fire
By Rafe Esquith
Understanding by Design
Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe
Driven by Data
By Paul Bambrick - Santoyo
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Our Anchor Text
Teach Like a Champion
Description: Doug Lemov offers 49 essential teaching techniques that – when effectively
executed – ensures teaching excellence and high student achievement. This is a must-have
resource. It is replete with concrete, specific and actionable classroom teaching and
planning strategies.
Habits of Excellence: We have chosen seven techniques to concentrate on in the inaugural
year of Foundation Collegiate Academy.
TLAC Technique
Right is Right
Begin with the End
Checking for Understanding
Cold Call
100 Percent
Page
Number
35
57
97
111
167
Strong Voice
182
No Warnings
199
Focus
Setting High Academic Expectations
Planning that Ensures Academic Achievement
Structuring and Delivering Your Lessons
Engaging Your Students
Setting and Maintaining High Behavioral
Expectations
Setting and Maintaining High Behavioral
Expectations
Setting and Maintaining High Behavioral
Expectations
Personal Goal: At the beginning of the school year we will ask each faculty member to select
two of the seven techniques to focus keenly on. We advise faculty members to select the
two techniques they believe to be among the most challenging and will be most critical for
teaching and learning excellence.
School wide TLAC SMARTgoal: By the close of the 2011 – 2012 school year, Foundation
Collegiate Academy faculty members will effectively execute the chosen seven TLAC
techniques with 80% or higher proficiency.
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Foundation Academy Charter School Teacher Survey
Name
BASICS
Address
Birthday
PROFESSIONAL GOALS & EXPERIENCE
Why did you decide to go
into education?
What really pushes your RED
button?
What do you hope to
accomplish this year?
What are your ultimate
professional goals?
SHARED UNDERSTANDINGS
What are your expectations
for our private interactions?
What have supervisors done
in the past to make you feel
valued?
What have supervisors done
in the past to make feel
devalued?
How do you like to be
recognized?
How might you be
misperceived?
How do you best process
information? Writing?
Reading? Talking?
How do you prefer to
communicate? Receive
feedback?
If you are having a bad
day/are stressed, what can I
do to support you?
STRENGTHS AND AREAS FOR GROWTH
Please order these key skills from
STRONGEST to WEAKEST:
Please order these core values from
your STRONGEST to your WEAKEST:
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
Meeting Participation
Influencing and Motivating Others
Critical Thinking
Working Well with Others
Communication Skills
External Relationship Building
Organization
Management
Meeting Facilitation
o
o
o
o
o
Be a Good Teammate
Model the Core Values (Respect, Responsibility, Honesty, Caring)
Ensure Student Learning
Work Hard
Sweat the Small Stuff
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PLEASE MOVE THE CHECK MARK TO
THE APPROPRIATE BOX:
Creating organizational systems and
structures
Maintaining organizational systems
and structures
Facilitating groups
STRONG
STRENGTH
STRENGTH
NEUTRAL



Starting with the end in mind

Collaborating

Stepping back to assess the effectiveness of
what I’m doing, reflecting on progress, and
establishing an action plan for improvement

Modeling what I want others to do
and be

Giving critical feedback

Using technology

Generating Team Spirit

Completing tasks well in advance

Being proactive; moving complaints
quickly into solutions

Being reliable

Accessing resources instead of
reinventing the wheel

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WEAKNESS
STRONG WEAKNESS
PLEASE MOVE THE CHECK MARK TO
THE APPROPRIATE BOX:
Accepting responsibility instead of
making excuses
STRONG
STRENGTH
STRENGTH
NEUTRAL
WEAKNESS

Holding myself to high expectations

Holding others to high expectations

Which ONE are you most
comfortable helping others with?
Favorite:
Snack
Food
Other Things I Should Know About You
School Supply
Book
Genre
Color
Candy
Favorite inspiring
quotation?
FREE SPACE: Feel free
to add anything else
that will give me a
better idea of who you
are personally or
professionally.
Thank you for taking the time to fill this out!
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STRONG WEAKNESS
Important Dates
Boot Camp
July 25, 2011 – August 12, 2011
We will be able to:
1. Build a school culture that is mission-driven, focused on student achievement,
rigorous and congenial.
2. Develop a purposeful and coherent set of organizational systems that are consistent
across the school community and are focused on our school mission.
3. Develop a curricular program that pushes each student to become a critical thinker,
polished writer, problem-solver and innovator.
Student Orientation at Princeton University
August 10 – 12, 2011
Students will leave orientation with the following experiences:
1. Meet Foundation Collegiate Academy faculty
2. Begin bonding with Academic Advisor and advisory cohort.
3. Bond with classmates.
4. Internalize Foundation Collegiate Academy values.
5. Begin forming academic habits that are essential to student success.
6. Experience the rigor of high school academics.
7. Demonstrate social norms for class settings, large group meetings, meal times, and
campus guest etiquette.
8. Become excited about entering high school and preparing for college.
9. Introduce discussion style courses.
10. Have fun.
Summer Session
August 15 - 26, 2011
During these two-week half-day sessions, the entire school community will focus on
implementing the goals and systems identified in Boot Camp.
First Full Day of School
August 29, 2011
Let the hard work begin! 