RE Log Spring 2023

18 Ransom Everglades LOG SPRING 2023 “We don’t yell at kids. We don’t manage the school with a strong arm; we do it with a soft tone. We have created a culture that’s very unique, very positive, very uplifting.” – Jeffrey Miller ’79, founder of Beacon College Prep In the beginning Most charter school founders choose traditionally high-achieving areas to place their schools to give them the best chance for success. In many areas, charter schools – which are privately operated, taxpayer-funded public schools with free tuition – lure top students and offer serious competition to expensive private schools or traditional district- run public schools. By placing Beacon College Prep in an area of high need, Miller took a calculated risk. He and the founding board members were inspired by the success of Breakthrough Miami – an education program co-founded by Flickinger more than three decades ago and long supported by Miller – which has provided after-school and summer programming for under-resourced students. Nothing about the last 10 years has been easy. Operating a public school in Florida is difficult no matter where the school is located; the state ranks third-lowest in the nation in funding per student, according to the Education Data Initiative. “From day one, our goal for Beacon has been to provide our students with an environment that engages them in meaningful ways, emphasizes the importance of core values, and inspires them to work hard with the goal of attending college,” Krinzman said. Patrick Evans, formerly a teacher at Miami Central High and Miami Norland High, was hired as the school’s founding principal in August 2014, and has been on the ground since. He credited the RE cohort with providing invaluable support. “Ransom Everglades is a school where the belief is to whom much is given, much is expected,” Evans said. “Philanthropy, giving back and service are critical. [RE alumni] have the desire to do good for the City of Miami and a concern for the city holistically. They understand that we’re one ecosystem, and where we struggle as a city and society, they have the influence and power to help that.” Despite the A grade for the middle school last summer, the work is hardly finished. Beacon College Prep’s K-5 school received a C, the grade achieved by the majority of Florida’s 2,200+ public schools (more than 200 earned Ds or Fs). The grade is also not surprising in the aftermath of the pandemic, when executing remote learning was virtually impossible because of students’ home situations. “We don’t,” Evans said, “ever get complacent.” Still, the progress has been undeniable. Beacon College Prep, which opened with a kindergarten through second grade, has grown in size and scope. Some 570 students (370 elementary; 200 middle school) now populate kindergarten through eighth grade on a freshly painted campus that includes a cheery garden and courtyard. The hallways are adorned with school colors (green and black) and lined with college pennants. Students are assigned to home rooms named for universities across the United States. The values advertised in the BCP creed, inspirational quotes and student work and assignments are displayed in the cafeteria, on classroom walls and in hallways. in Service