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Leading on the Line: Reimagining the High School Experience at the Harlem Children’S Zone Promise Academies

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Leading on the Line: Reimagining the High School Experience at the Harlem Children’S Zone Promise Academies Leading on the Line: Reimagining the High School Experience at the Harlem Children’s Zone Promise Academies The Harvard community has made this article openly available. Please share how this access benefits you. Your story matters Citation Fisher, Annice Enyonam-Kwawu. 2017. Leading on the Line: Reimagining the High School Experience at the Harlem Children’s Zone Promise Academies. Doctoral dissertation, Harvard Graduate School of Education. Citable link http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:33774651 Terms of Use This article was downloaded from Harvard University’s DASH repository, and is made available under the terms and conditions applicable to Other Posted Material, as set forth at http:// nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:dash.current.terms-of- use#LAA Leading on the Line: Reimagining the High School Experience at the Harlem Children’s Zone Promise Academies Doctor of Education Leadership (Ed.L.D.) Capstone Submitted by Annice E. Fisher To the Harvard Graduate School of Education in partial fulfillment of the graduation requirements for the Doctor of Education Leadership. April 2017 2 Dedication All things work together for the good of those who love the Lord, who are called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28 I dedicate this Capstone to my parents Darlene Fisher and Daniel Kwawu. God took a man from the village of Anfoega and a woman from Washington D.C., brought them together to birth me. I am who I am because of your beautiful model of God-fearing love, compassion, and grace. You always reassured me that with God, “all things are possible.” At an early age, watching the both of you embody a “generosity of spirit” towards everyone that you encountered set a fire down in my soul to create opportunities where everyone has the opportunity to actualize their full potential. God truly has worked all things together for the good, from Englewood to Harvard. Words cannot express how deep my love runs for each of you. I entered Harvard this commitment and leave Harvard more steadfastly committed to “lifting my community as I climb”: We have to improve life, not just for those who have the most skills and those who know how to manipulate the system. But also for and with those who often have so much to give but never get the opportunity. Dorothy Height 3 Acknowledgements Family and Friends To my brothers (Anthony & Selasie), nieces, and nephews, I pray that each of you continue to pursue your dreams, all things are possible. I want to thank my maternal and paternal families for their constant prayer, love, and support. For every friend (too many to name), that called, texted, and prayed for me, I appreciate you more than you will ever know. Valerie Holmes, you have been my ride-or-die mentor, big sister, and model of “Blackgirl magic” since I was 19 years old—thank you for always challenging me to bring my best self forward. To Lumarie and LaRita, you are my sisterfriends for life, thank you for being there “through it all.” My Fairy Godmother Dr. Deborah Jewell-Sherman: God orchestrated our meeting when you interviewed me for EdLD. From your welcome call to EdLD until now, you have been a steadfast rock of love, Godliness, compassion, and grace. I love you dearly! I count it a privilege to leave EdLD. with not only a mentor but a godmother. My Defense Committee Dr. Deborah Jewell-Sherman, Dr. Ronald Heifetz, Chief Executive Officer Anne Williams-Isom. God could not have orchestrated a more powerful committee of wisdom, compassion, and strength. Taking adaptive leadership with Professor Heifetz changed my life and gave me inner and outer tools to approach residency and life as an open vessel. Heifetz, thank you for using your gift to empower the thousands of people taking your class to make the world a better place. Dr. Jewell-Sherman, thank you for simultaneously pushing me both academically and personally to embody equity and excellence. CEO Anne Williams-Isom, thank you for guiding me and trusting me to exercise leadership at HCZ where the stakes and accountability are high and the world is always watching. Most CEOs won’t carve out time to meet with their own staff; yet you invested one-on-one time with me and taught me numerous leadership and life lessons. My Harvard/EdLD. Family I did not know that one place could harbor so many kind and loving souls. Dr. Adria Goodson, thank you for inspiring me to unleash, own, honor, love, and nurture “my best self.” To my confidante, the newly minted Dr. Ali Imad Fadlallah, your friendship was a pleasant blessing to the Harvard experience, thank you for modeling what it means to be led by God and to step out on faith. To the Ladies Power Pod, thank you for your love and support and for pushing me to continually grow. Team Breakthrough: each of you humbly taught me what it means to utilize the strengths of a team to maximize our power for transforming self and the sector. C5, I love each and every one of you---our genuine love and care for one another is simply beautiful. With C5 out in the world, I know that educational equity is possible. Thank you Gislaine Ngonou and Raychael Jensen and many others from the EdLD Women of Color Network who provided support and love throughout this journey. My TF, Pei Pei Liu thanks for reviewing my drafts and pushing my thinking. To the HGSE student affairs staff, but especially Tracie Jones, thank you for being a listening ear and support system for navigating Harvard and life. To the HGSE faculty (too many to name), thank you for pushing me to excel academically, socially, and emotionally. HCZ Staff Dr. Marquitta Speller, you are a brilliant ray of sunshine, deeply committed to educational justice. Your unwavering support and daily reminders that I am the “soon to be Dr. Fisher” carried me and I thank you for trusting me to lead One Promise. To the Promise H.S. teams, HCZ senior leadership, and countless HCZ angels, thank you for welcoming me into your “prized jewel,” challenging me to handle it with care, and pushing me to think about the nuances of exercising leadership at a national model. I am deeply humbled by your steadfast commitment to Central Harlem young people and their families. 4 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................................................6 HARLEM CHILDREN’S ZONE OVERVIEW ............................................................................................................. 6 Evolution to a Birth Through College Model ............................................................................................................ 6 Promise Academy High Schools ................................................................................................................................. 7 Promise Alumni College Success ............................................................................................................................... 9 A Reexamination of the Model ................................................................................................................................. 11 Problem of Practice .................................................................................................................................................. 12 THE REVIEW OF KNOWLEDGE FOR ACTION .................................................................................13 WHAT ARE THE PROBLEMS? ................................................................................................................................. 13 Problem Diagnosis ................................................................................................................................................... 14 College and Career Readiness Frameworks ............................................................................................................ 16 WHAT MIGHT THE SOLUTIONS LOOK LIKE? .................................................................................................... 19 Strategic Visioning ................................................................................................................................................... 19 School Design ........................................................................................................................................................... 20 School Consolidation ............................................................................................................................................... 22 HOW I WILL I LEAD OTHERS THROUGH THE CHANGE PROCESS? ........................................................ 23 Adaptive Challenges and Adaptive Leadership Framework .................................................................................... 24 Micropolitics and Macropolitics .............................................................................................................................. 27 Organizational Culture ............................................................................................................................................ 29 THEORY OF ACTION ................................................................................................................................................ 31 THE WHAT AND HOW: ONE PROMISE PHASE I ..............................................................................33 ONE PROMISE PHASE I: MY APPROACH TO THE PROJECT ............................................................................ 33 IMPLEMENTING PHASE ONE: ASSET AND PROBLEM
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