Green Dot Welcomes Excel Students and Staff to the Family
It’s official! When Excel Public Charter School in Kent, Washington opens its doors in the August of 2017, it will do so as part of the Green Dot Public Schools family, making it our third school in the Washington region (along with Destiny Middle School in Tacoma and Rainier Valley Leadership Academy in Seattle).
At the Helm: Kristina Howard
Excel brings a host of creative minds and experienced educators to the Green Dot family, in addition to being the first charter public school in Kent. Leading Excel is Principal, Kristina Howard.
As the first person to graduate college in her family, and with an extensive resume in educational leadership, Ms. Howard embodies the value for education that she hopes to instill in the hearts and minds of all Excel students. Howard’s accomplishments include a degree in Mathematics from Oakland University and a master’s degree in Education Leadership from Lamar University. Prior to Excel, she worked as a school leader in both the Dallas Independent School District (2013-2015) and the Round Rock Independent School District (2015-2016) in Texas.
One of the cornerstones of Howard’s educational philosophy is the belief that coaching teachers creates the greatest impact on students. “As Excel’s school leader, I am looking forward to the tremendous amount of resource that Excel will gain by joining a network of schools with aligned vision and mission, including expanded coaching and supports for our educators,” said Howard.
Green Dot initially partnered with Excel last year in order to provide educational services, which included academic and operational coaching supports. After seeing commonalities in mission and after further discussions with the school community, Excel’s Board of Directors requested to make the partnership permanent. The Washington State Board of Education and the Washington Charter School Commission both approved Excel joining Green Dot’s network as of July 1. Ultimately, Green Dot will continue supporting Excel’s staff and equipping students with the academic and social-emotional supports necessary to thrive in years to come.
We enthusiastically welcome them to the family!
Excel’s Planned Growth
Excel plans to expand by one grade every year until they can serve students from 7th to 12th grade. This fall, Excel will offer grades seven to nine and continue its focus on science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics programming (STEAM). Howard also plans to continue implementing computational thinking within the curriculum at Excel, as the burgeoning characteristics of computer science have proven to create practical, engaging material for students.