Leadership Message Week of 9/22/25

Keys to Success: 

Keep Our School Goals Front and Center

School Goals 2025-2026 School YeaR

1. Rigorous Classrooms

By June 2026, Harlem Prep High School will close learning gaps and elevate academic performance through strong preparation, creative thinking, and data-driven instruction. We will ensure rigor in every classroom and prepare scholars for college, career, and life beyond high school.

Focus Area – “Planning with Ratio & Engagement in Mind”
Scholars do the intellectual heavy lifting. Teachers focus on deep lesson internalization and use multiple engagement strategies to build scholar ownership, discussion quality, and analytical thinking.

Benchmarks:

• By the end of T1: 100% of teachers plan/highlight all 3 lesson internalization components in their lesson plans.

• By the end of T2: 75% of scholars respond to questions in complete sentences with evidence (both written and verbal).

• By the end of T2: 85% of teachers deliver clear, concise “what to do” directions for all parts of their lessons.

• By the end of T3: 100% of teachers incorporate at least 3 high-engagement techniques (Turn & Talk, Everybody Writes, Cold Calling, etc.) during instruction.

• By the end of T3: 100% of teachers consistently give clear “what to do” directions for each phase of their lesson.
  
  

2. Culture of PRIDE – High Expectations & Belonging

HPH will make relationships, respect, and high expectations the foundation of our legacy. Every scholar will feel seen, heard, and valued, and every interaction will reflect the Pride of the House of Dragons.

Focus Area – “Participation”
Scholars are proud to be part of HPH. They greet peers and staff warmly, engage actively in lessons, and contribute to a positive learning environment. Every scholar can name at least one trusted adult and one subject where they excel — and explain why.

Focus Area – “High Expectations Culture using TBMS”
We will ensure that the Tiered Behavior Management System (TBMS) is used consistently and with fidelity to uphold our school-wide expectations.

Benchmarks:

• By the end of T1: 70% of teachers implement TBMS with fidelity.

• By the end of T2: 85% of teachers implement TBMS with fidelity.

• By the end of T3: 100% of teachers implement TBMS with fidelity.

Must READ!!!!

Weekly 

School focus information

Academic HQ

From Dre: Weekly focus

From Dre

Weekly Focus: First Five Minutes & Setting the Tone for Excellence (Threshold 2.0)

Why This Matters

The first five minutes of class set the tone for everything that follows. Establishing consistency here builds scholar routines, accountability, and engagement. This structure:

• Minimizes downtime and maximizes instructional time.
  
  

• Promotes smooth transitions and reduces hallway distractions.
  
  

• Reinforces learning goals by creating urgency and clarity from the start.
  
  

• Creates pockets of excellence across the building that we can scale together.
  
  

Teacher Non-Negotiables

• Threshold 2.0: Greet scholars warmly at the door (“Good morning/afternoon”).
  
  

• Support Hustle: Ensure scholars move urgently into class; minimize hallway lingering.
  
  

• Do Now Ready: Point to the Do Now slide immediately upon entry.
  
  

• Stay at the Perch: Begin with scan → narration → redirect cycle (no answering questions yet ).
  
  

• Drop Your Register: Use a firmer, lower tone for redirections to shift from warm → demanding.
  
  

• Name & WTD: Be explicit. Example: “Dre, start copying the problem.”
  
  

• Affirm: Close the loop with a smile, thumbs up, or “thank you.”
  
  

• Positive Narration: Narrate and reinforce compliance; 100% is achievable.
  
  

• Close & Circulate: Once the door is closed, start the timer and circulate with a clear look-for to check readiness and engagement.
  
  

• No Passes during this time.

Scholar Non-Negotiables

• Enter silently and urgently.
  
  

• Sit in your assigned seat immediately.
  
  

• Bags on chair backs, food/water away.
  
  

• Do Now started within 60 seconds of entering.

Bright Spots

We’ve already seen Carpio, Karls, McGill, and Cho consistently modeling threshold excellence and setting the tone for their classes. Their posture, urgency, and scholar engagement are examples for us all.

Deliverable for the Week

By the end of day Sunday 9/21/25

• Every teacher must create one Do Now slide for each lesson next week. (The same slide can be used)
  
  

• This slide should be copied into every presentation moving forward.
  
  

• Sample Do Now (shared in PD slides):
  
  

  • Sit in your assigned seat
    
    

  • Bags on chair backs
    
    

  • Food put away (including water bottles)
    
    

  • Silent & solo work on the Do Now
    
    

  • 5 minutes on the timer

Impact on Our Culture

When we hit 90%+ of scholars inside classrooms before announcements (1st–5th periods), we are modeling what excellence feels like across the building. Consistency in these first five minutes is the foundation for rigor, achievement, and joy in the rest of class.

Reminder

1. CMO partners are going to be in classrooms and may be live coaching to help us meet our goal of establishing a strong learning culture in the first six weeks

2. Their coaching will focus on the areas below:

Between 9/15-9/26, HPH leaders and CMO partners will increase feedback and track data on the following critical “first six weeks playbook” areas (see tracker - HPH Sample Tab):

• Live coaching for 100% engagement via the WTD cycle

  • Pause model/coach teachers when they don’t cue to attention or follow through on the entire cycle

• Norms

  • Raise a hand and one mic

    • Belief: We believe one voice should be on at a time to respect the speaker

    • Belief: We believe questions and ideas are important, and to share them we must raise our hands. This ensures voices are heard and class can proceed without distraction.

    • Action: 

      • Teacher/Leader Self-interrupts, during a call out

      • Teacher/Leader models raising hand up front so scholars receive a visual for the expectation

      • Teacher/Leader does not engage with call outs

      • Teacher/Leader  

  • Shirts tucked in all the way

    • Belief: We believe that having shirts tucked is part of looking prepared for school and acting in alignment with school expectations. This is reflective of workplace expectations that scholars will engage with during their careers.  It is preparation for school and life.

    • Action: For scholars who have shirts partially of fully untucked, ensure they tuck in all the way.

      • Teacher/Leader pushes scholars who partially tuck in shirts to do it all the way.

      • Teacher/Leader has the scholar step to the side to fully tuck in.

  • No gum, or food or drinks other than water visible

  • Bags on the back of chairs or below desk

• Routines and Procedures

  • First Five

    • See tracker for details

• Pen to Paper feedback

  • Have exemplar in hand during lesson

  • Use exemplar to provide pen-to-paper feedback during IP

Data Dash Board

From CJ: 

Under construction

Special Services Corner

From 

Under construction

Culture Corner

From Dre, Kyrie & Sapp:

Dean's Role and Support Systems

ALL STAFF: REVIEW THE SLIDES AND COME WITH QUESTIONS FOR MONDAY MORNING!!!

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!!!!

The attached slide deck outlines the responsibilities of deans and the protocol for handling student send-outs within the Dream Big Office (DBO). Deans are responsible for processing send-outs, handling suspension letters, and ensuring data accuracy for demerits and other behavioral situations. They also meet with parents, serve as a support for teachers, and facilitate mediations and incident reviews.

Communicating with Scholar Support

The slideshow emphasizes effective communication with the Scholar Support Team. Here's how staff can get in touch:

• Email: Use for non-urgent situations, including details about the issue and suggested meeting times.

• Phone Call: Reserve for emergencies or when immediate help is needed from a Dream Coach.

• Text Message: Use for non-emergencies that require a quick response.

• DeansList: The preferred method for documenting and tracking ongoing behavioral issues.

The Crisis Prevention and Intervention Referral should only be used for urgent situations like fights or students throwing chairs.

Handling Send-Outs

The guide provides practical advice for teachers on how to manage disruptive behavior before involving the support team. It includes hypothetical scenarios to help staff think through how they would handle situations like:

• Arguments between students.

• A student taking too long on a bathroom break.

• Students not reporting to the DBO after being sent out of the classroom.

The guide stresses that in all send-out situations, it's important to take immediate action, use calm strategies, and follow up with the DBO to ensure the issue is resolved and documented.

Scholar Off Campus Lunch 

iScholars who arrive at school everyday on time, and do not receive any send outs will be awarded off campus lunch during their lunch period Monday - Thursday. Families will receive an email every Friday to notify them their scholar has earned off campus lunch for the next week, and will be responsible for emailing ops if they do not want their scholar to go off campus. Here is the HPHS Outside Lunch 2025-2026 list. 

➡Dean  - Send Out Supports Slides⬅

Operations

From Dre & Nashay:

HPHS Planning Calendar: The HPHS Planning Calendar is a resource to know what is happening at HPHS! The calendar features testing dates, school events, network events, Town Hall dates, dress up days, and more.  If you have any ideas for events or have any questions about the pacing calendar please email and let ops know.

Scholar Clubs: Scholar club auditions will take place October 7th - 9th. Clubs will officially start the week of October 20th. If you are interested in hosting a club, please complete THIS interest form by 4:00pm Friday September 26th. 

PSAT/SAT School Day: The SAT's is an entrance exam used by most colleges and universities to make admissions decisions. Scholars in grade 10 will sit for the PSAT and scholars in grade 11 will sit for the SAT’s on Monday October 6, 2025. Scholars in Grade 9 will engage in a day of instruction, and scholars in grade 12 will attend college tours. The MBM will be available for your review in next week’s staff weekly email. 

The way of the Dragon: Please ensure that you are studying this document and internalizing all information. This week, our focus is on the Instructional Deliverables section. Please email HPHS_Leadership@DemocracyPrep.Org any questions by Tuesday EOD. 

Weekly engagement: ALL STAFF MUST RESPOND

From Dre:

Engagement question for the week:

1. What is one key takeaway from the PD session held today? 

2. Why is this resigning with you? 

• Email your response to the leadership team no later than 7:30am on 9/22/25  

From Morgan

Weekly News

From Morgan:

Monday 9/22/25

• Arrival: 7:25am 

• Staff Huddle: 7:30am

• Dress code: Professional Dress 

• Staff out: N/A

• Birthday: N/A

Tuesday 9/23/25

• Arrival: 7:25am 

• Staff Huddle: 7:30am

• Dress code: Professional Dress 

• Staff out: N/A

• Birthday: N/A

• Deliverables:

  •  Week 5: 

    • Week 9.29: 5 lessons

  • EOD: Email confirming you have read The Way of The Dragons:  STAFF COMMUNICATION +INSTRUCTIONAL DELIVERABLES section. Please include any questions you may have.

  • Mandated Reporter Training Due

Wednesday 9/24/25

• Arrival: 7:25am 

• Staff Huddle: 7:30am

• Dress code: Professional Dress 

• Staff out: N/A

• Birthday: N/A

Thursday 9/25/25

• Arrival: 7:25am 

• Staff Huddle: 7:30am

• Dress code: Professional Dress 

• Staff out: N/A

• Birthday: N/A

Friday 9/26/25

• Arrival: 7:25am 

• Staff Huddle: 7:30am

• Dress code: DP Casual 

• Staff out: N/A

• Birthday: N/A

• Grades:

  • 4 classwork assignments

DPNY School Calendar 2025 - 2026

• 9/21 - African American Day Parade.

• 11/2: NYC Marathon- Several staff members are running and our network has plans in the works to support them!

• 12/18 - Staff Network Winter Ball

From Morgan

• 9/22/25 by 7:30 am: 

  • Weekly engagement question 

• 9/23/25 by EOD: 

  • Deliverables:

    •  Week 5: 

      • Week 9.29: 5 lessons

    • EOD: Email confirming you have read The Way of The Dragons:  STAFF COMMUNICATION +INSTRUCTIONAL DELIVERABLES section. Please include any questions you may have.

    • Mandated Reporter Training Due

• 9/26/25 by EOD: 

  • Grades:

    • 4 classwork assignments

• Click HERE