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Head of School's Message
The fundamental principle of the Escuela approach is that education is the key to improving the lives of students and their communities.
Throughout history, people with access to education have improved their lives and the lives of others, while those to whom access was denied have often underachieved and underperformed, and at worst, simply existed within repressive social systems.
For leaders like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Ghandi, and Barack Obama, the ability to lead movements that shifted global paradigms was due, in large part, to their exceptional educational training.
Regardless of a child’s potential, a strong academic foundation, critical thinking skills, and self-esteem are the key ingredients for turning possible futures into realities.
Dr. Sandra Roussell
Head of School
When knowledge is combined with self-confidence, you recognize that there are no glass ceilings. You can accomplish anything!
True education engages the whole person. It is a spiritual, emotional, and mental experience.
~ Dr. Sandra Roussell
The top three myths I see well intentioned parents fall prey to when strategizing an educational plan for their child(ren) are:
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Assuming that more technology is better
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Believing that lack of structure at home inspires creativity
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Thinking that empty praise builds self-esteem
TECHNOLOGY
Although technology is now a fact of life in every area of human interaction, it is still only a tool for us to exchange ideas, goods, and services. In other words, a child who knows how to turn on a mobile device or use a computer program is not necessarily demonstrating critical thinking or the capacity for creative problem solving. Computer skill is not human skill. With the advent of technology, the ability to communicate powerfully with others is more critical than ever.
STRUCTURE
Creative ideas are generated best within a structured container or environment. Lack of structure and accountability robs children of the crucial sense of safety they need to mature emotionally and stretch intellectually. Accountability is a necessary ingredient in a recipe for excellence.
SELF-ESTEEM
Simply telling a child that everything he or she does is wonderful and worthy of applause is a mistake. If everything is praised, praise becomes empty. Children need to know when a task can be improved upon or commended for their efforts and accomplishments in authentic ways. This is what builds self-esteem.
For children of color in today’s modern world, education has never been more important as a requirement for success. At Escuela Plus, our highest aim is to create young people who are intellectually, socially, and culturally mobile and capable of succeeding in a diverse and fast changing global environment.
As the founder and Head of School, my commitment is that each child on our campus feels safe, loved, and realizes that he or she has the capacity to transform obstacles into opportunities. One of the things I’m most proud of is that for decades we’ve made the finest education accessible to many families who might be excluded for financial reasons. Escuela has always maintained a very reasonable tuition rate, frequently at a fraction of the tuition at academically comparable schools.
Over four decades, the Escuela method has produced confident Renaissance children, able to exceed expectations in any environment.