“The program is all about the empowerment of teachers. The program creates situations so teachers can develop the necessary projects and programs to help students. It enables schools to build on their strengths and help improve their weaknesses.”
“I have colleges in programs that are somewhat similar to the GEAR UP program. But they are astounded when they look at the success that this program has had.”
“In my estimation we will work with schools for 10 to 12 years, until they are sustainable and funded, and then drop them from the program and pick up new schools. It can't be a series of programs funded externally — its start-up funding.”
“These schools have seen a drop in suspensions and expulsions, a rise in GPAs, a rise in test scores, and more activity in extra curricular events. They [Waite High School] were a high- poverty school that was very low-tier in academics, and now they are equal to top schools in the state.”
