March 24 Akron Board of Education meeting
Covered by Documenter Emma Lassailly (see her notes here)
What does Akron’s I Promise School have in common with Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the fictional boarding school in Harry Potter novels and films?
Both schools found creative — and fun — ways to sort students, teachers and staff into groups.
Last fall in Akron, this innovative effort started with the spin of a wheel, aligning with I Promise School’s Five Habits of Promise:
- Spins that landed on red sent participants to Tumanako: House of Perspective.
- Blue sent them to Shorisha: House of Problem Solvers.
- Black landed participants in Ore’: House of Partners.
- Purple led to Perpetuo: House of Perpetual Learners.
- Yellow led them to Nkramo: House of Perseverance.
Though still in its early stages, the house system has already yielded positive results, including increased attendance and a decline in student behaviors that require intensive interventions. Principal Stephanie Davis also reported increased connections between students and staff, as well as the growth of a unifying structure across all six grade levels.
“We wanted to instill a sense of belonging for every student, along with the staff,” instructional coach Stephanie Arnett told shared during a board meeting presentation on March 24. Arnett helped to implement the program at I Promise School with assistant principal Kelli Pestello.
Fostering connections in Akron Public Schools
Each house functions as its own community, fostering connections across grade levels and strengthening relationships between students and staff.
House systems are common in the United Kingdom. There, students identify with their boarding houses while they reside at boarding schools. In residential and nonresidential schools, houses function as tight-knit communities with mentorship, extracurricular opportunities for casual interactions and competitions to earn praise and credits toward future rewards and celebrations.
Learning from an academy in Georgia
Davis joined IPS in 2023, and one of her priorities was to cultivate a sense of community within the building. Meanwhile, two staff members advocated for Davis to follow a house system model that’s popular at Ron Clark Academy in Atlanta, Georgia.
“When they told me more, I got very excited about the house system,” Davis said.
With funding from the LeBron James Family Foundation, three I Promise School staff members visited the Georgia-based academy to study the program.
Davis said the house system plays a key role in implementing Ohio’s Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports, which guides schools in improving academic, social and behavioral outcomes.
School board member: ‘That’s the type of energy we need’
Akron Public Schools Board Vice President Bruce Alexander was on-site for the third-grade house sorting event.
He noted at the school board’s general meeting on March 24 that he was impressed by the enthusiasm.
“That’s the type of energy we need to have at Akron Public Schools,” he said.
