Today, Noble staff tuned into a final virtual All-Staff zoom event to hear from leaders, before heading into specialized professional development sessions. Noble CEO Constance Jones opened with thoughts on the war in Ukraine, and the continuing violence that has claimed the lives of many in the Noble community.
“Many of our hearts and minds throughout the week continue to be with the people of Ukraine. I think it is important to acknowledge them in this space, and recognize the humanity that unites us all regardless of where we live throughout the world, said Jones …Covid and violence struck our city in unprecedented ways and our students, families, and staff were not immune to this. Please join me in a moment of silence to honor the lives of our students and loved ones we’ve lost during this tumultuous year.”
The mood of the event was reflective and hopeful, as Noble has embarked on major changes that require a steadfast commitment to hearing from our staff, students and parents/guardians. Then, making necessary adjustments based on that feedback to ensure a positive and equitable school experience for our students.
“Some adjustments happen quickly, and others will take time for us to consider and seek additional feedback from our stakeholders. But we can’t wait until the “perfect time” to respond to what’s happening, because the reality is, there is no perfect time. There will always be something that could prevent us from making a change, making us wait a bit longer, but we’re going to keep pushing to improve as an organization every single day,” said Jones.
Head of Schools, Ellen Metz, shared insights gained from staff surveys and how adjustments will be made based on the feedback.
“Our commitment to anti-racism calls us to institutionalize the continual, critical self-reflection that promotes ownership and culturally responsive and sustaining practices at every level of our organization, said Metz…We must continue to develop ourselves on HOW to hold each other and students to a high bar in such a way that honors our commitment to anti-racism.”
The zoom ended with an awesome recap Hope Chicago’s partnership announcement with Johnson College Prep. Check out the video of the announcement – the joy is contagious!
