At the beginning of her middle school experience, Janette was one of the most struggling students at Hamilton Middle School, both academically and behaviorally. She is the first to say, that before the “Hamilton Renaissance”(the term used to describe the improvement seen at the school under the leadership of Principal Nick Dawkins, and Assistant Principals Brad Mann and Yolanda Greer) she was off track, engaging in detrimental behavior. Janette is now one of many thriving students. She is a very special student who is symbolic of the change and turnaround that has happened at Hamilton. Janette sums it up in one statement, “When our school changed, my life changed!”
“When I started my 6th grade year at Hamilton, it wasn’t my best year; things were rocky for me and a lot of my friends. Once Mr. Dawkins came in as our principal, doors really opened up for me. The school opened up so many more opportunities for us. I got the motivation I needed to get on track to do my best. I realized that if I didn’t start having better expectations for myself that the train was going to leave – without me. I won’t have another opportunity to get a good education. I’ve always known I was smart, I just didn’t always show it. The staff here at Hamilton is so incredible. I get the encouragement I need on a daily basis; each person has such a positive attitude. I can tell that they truly care about me.
Before things changed here at Hamilton, I didn’t care. I had given up on myself. But when things started changing at Hamilton, my life started to change. My mom also helped kick start my transition. I began to realize that the way to a bright future is an education, and because I was being so stubborn, I wasn’t getting the education I needed to be successful. I am never going to give up now. I know that I have to keep going… keep pushing myself. Even when things are tough, like they are now in my advanced geometry class, I know that it’s just preparing me for my future.
My goal for this year is to finish 8th grade with the highest GPA I’ve ever gotten, so I can be on track to be a valedictorian when I graduate from high school. I am so grateful for all my teachers and family who pushed me and helped me realize that I wasn’t being the kind of person that I needed to be. I didn’t want to listen, but, now that I’ve accepted, it I am growing so much, each day.”
The Denver Public Schools Foundation is proud to help support various leadership programs throughout the district. Programs that support principals like Nick Dawkins, and students like Janette. With community support, Denver Public Schools has made an intentional investment in our people and our culture. DPS offers nine distinct leadership preparation programs which provide aspiring school leaders the opportunity to develop alongside an established, successful principal. Nick Dawkins has participated in many of these programs and is a living example of how valuable this work is. Another important piece of the leadership development curriculum is a focus on six Shared Core Values (see them here). Educators are mission driven. They care about their students, their work is not easy. Creating a culture that actively celebrates our Shared Core Values enables teachers and school leaders to connect with the very things that brought them to this challenging and rewarding profession in the first place.
Great teachers and transformational school leaders are essential to achieving our goal of seeing Every Child Succeed. It is every child’s right to have a transformational leader in every school and every classroom. Janette’s story of success is a prime example of the lasting impact our educators have on our students. Our educators’ work in classrooms today is shaping the generation that will lead us tomorrow. These investments are transformational. With your support, we can continue to invest in our great teachers and transformational school leaders, click here to make a secure, online donation – your gift will help ensure that Every Child Succeeds!