Committed educator Broderick Boxley shapes young minds by demanding academic excellence from his students. Broderick Boxley served as Head of School and Chief School Administrator at Princeton Charter School, in Princeton, New Jersey. The school is a public institution that offers an academically challenging environment for students from kindergarten to eighth grade. Princeton Charter School represents the first charter school in the nation accredited by the American Academy for Liberal Education. Broderick Boxley joined the school in July of 2008 and continued to emphasize the school’s impressive academic success. He also pushed the faculty and students to embrace character education with a new slogan: “Inspire, Challenge, Support, Accomplish.” During his tenure at the school, Broderick Boxley oversaw the design and construction of a $5.8 million campus facility building. The project was completed on time and budget without distracting the staff or student body. From 2003 to 2008, Broderick Boxley was the Principal and Curriculum Supervisor for Cherry Hill Public Schools, located in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. He supervised and counseled all of the school staff and planned the overall goals and direction of the school. He encouraged the professional and personal growth of the faculty by promoting activities that helped them become better educators. Broderick Boxley attended the University of Pennsylvania from 2003 to 2006, when he received his Doctor of Education. His dissertation was titled “Preparing Instructional Coaches To Promote Reflective Teaching: A Case Of How New Mathematics Coaches Carve Their Roles As Learners And Teachers Of Colleagues.”
Consult with learning organizations to accomplish improvement in learning and leadership. Initiate improvements in classroom instruction by helping to incorporate research-based practices to identify solutions to problems with student learning. Set or help identify a clear pathway toward distributed leadership within the schools, working with a highly capable team to build a cohesive, professional teaching culture. Coach and consult with leadership to sharpen management execution. Bring attention to agreed upon plans and track performance metrics against quantifiable plan objectives. Lead, plan, or help enhance professional learning networks and events along with leaders and stakeholders. Help to build a cohesive, professional teaching culture.
Teach graduate level courses, coach and lead certificate and master's students; and assist with departmental outreach plans. Co-coordinate and participate in professional development initiatives organized to support practitioner's learning and job execution. Areas of special interest include organizational theory, coaching and supervision.
Prior to making a career shift into educational consulting, leadership coaching, and higher education, I was privileged to serve as Head of Princeton Charter School in Princeton Township, New Jersey. Princeton Charter School is one of more than 60 New Jersey Department of Education-sanctioned charter schools opened in the past 13 years. Each of these unique charter schools operates independently outside the jurisdiction of local boards of education. When it was founded in 1997, Princeton Charter School welcomed 72 students in grades 4-6; today, it serves over 340 students in grades K-8.
High academic achievement is the cornerstone of Princeton Charter School, which admits students from Princeton Township and Princeton Borough on a random lottery basis. Princeton Charter School’s 8th grade class was ranked first in the state in science for the 2007-2008 school year and is well recognized for its exceptional course offerings in French and Spanish. Some 70% of students at the school go on to attend Princeton High School, although a significant number of students are accepted at elite private academic institutions as well.
Princeton Charter School has achieved considerable recognition in the past decade. In 2004, Princeton Charter School earned the distinction of being named the U.S. Department of Education No Child Left Behind Blue Ribbon School. Schools achieving this distinction consistently show high academic achievement or markedly improved student performances. The school also won the annual Charter School of Distinction Award from the New Jersey Department of Education in 2004.
Princeton Charter School’s tradition of excellence was still strong when I joined in 2008. Indeed, I experienced an unparalleled synergy between faculty, board, and parents, resulting in a truly successful and unique school curriculum. We made great strides in teacher leadership, professional learning, and student character development. Another Princeton Charter School project that I was pleased to see through to completion was the construction of a $5.8 million campus center. The spring 2010 opening of the center was on time and on budget, and caused no classroom disruptions. Although I am no longer directly affiliated with the school, I look forward to Princeton Charter School continuing to expand its reputation for all-around excellence in the future.
The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom, Broderick Boxley
One of my favorite books, The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom, was authored by the famous spiritual teacher Don Miguel Ruiz. In this book, Ruiz examines constraints that we impose on ourselves. His theory is that we limit our overall development and growth as human beings when we do not embrace and live by the four agreements, which he defines as the following: be impeccable with your words, don’t make assumptions, don’t take anything personally, and always do your best.
In order to open up the path to personal freedom, Ruiz explains that an individual must find the courage to express what he or she really wants. A renowned shaman of the Toltec tradition, Ruiz has published many books that speak to this effect. His belief that we must free ourselves from the boundaries of our self-limiting nature has inspired many to adopt the four agreements in their personal lives. While the writing style and concepts explained in the book are simple and practical, Ruiz writes with an instructional tone that begs the reader to examine the issues he covers more thoroughly.
With an argument that concentrates on persuading people to believe in their own dreams and abilities, instead of settling for the things we have been programmed to believe and want, The Four Agreements is a powerful book that has the capacity to change anyone’s life for the better. One of the most compelling aspects of the book is the fact that Ruiz recognizes how hard it is to change core beliefs. Instead of writing generally about how people should change their ways and embrace a new method of free living, Ruiz gives simple suggestions on how to view things differently. This method has helped countless readers find the personal freedom and determination necessary to reclaim their lives. For me personally, I find strands of wisdom in this book that point me to the bible and the life of Jesus Christ for study and personal application.
Broderick Boxley’s Work with the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS), Broderick Boxley
January, 2011
Educator and administrator Broderick Boxley has consulted for numerous educational organizations, including the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS).
As a member of the group responsible for drafting the organization’s Core Propositions for Educational Leaders, Boxley assisted in the development of standardized assessments for elementary school teachers. He has been involved with the NBPTS’ National Board Certification for Principals. In a March 23, 2010, BusinessWeek article titled “The Business of Strengthening School Leadership,” Penny Pritzker, Chairman of the Chicago Public Education Fund and member of the President’s Economic Recovery Advisory Board, inquires as to why public educators should not be required to pass board certifications when so many other professions require them as a means of quality control.
The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards’ National Board Certification for Principals aims to address this important issue by providing a rigorous certification process that will ensure high levels of skill and expertise in public educational leaders throughout the country.
With a strong track record of developing effective and successful standards and assessments, the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards develops and administrates certification programs such as the National Board Certification for Principals under the auspices of the National Board Certification for Educational Leaders (NBCEL).
Another certification that falls under the purview of NBCEL is the National Board Certification for Teacher Leaders. Learn more about the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards at NBPTS.org.
NBPTS introduces the National Board Certification for Educational Leaders.
In my years in education, school administration, and classroom instruction, I have found the following simple fact to be true: Children learn better when they are having fun. Indeed, young minds are less apt to absorb information through rote memorization than they are through relatable, interactive means.
posted at schoolspecialist.com
To this end, I have found Disney Educational Productions (DEP) to be an enormously beneficial tool in teaching children. In this entry, I have highlighted and described three major DEP programs: Bill Nye the Science Guy, Schoolhouse Rock!, and Wild About Safety.
posted at minnesotansforglobalwarming.com
Bill Nye the Science Guy Bill Nye the Science Guy originally aired for six years in the 1990s on the PBS Kids network. Aimed at an audience of preteens, each episode of the show addresses a specific area of science. For example, some episode titles include “Flight,” “Phases of Matter,” “Simple Machines,” and “The Moon.” Bill Nye the Science Guy remains an influential teaching tool in modern classrooms throughout the world and has won 19 Emmy Awards.
posted at singbookswithemily.files.wordpress.com
Schoolhouse Rock! Originally aired on the ABC television network, Schoolhouse Rock! aired from 1973 until 1985, and again from 1993 until 1999. An educational tool for a wide range of topics, the show contains a series of musical animations. The first season, called Multiplication Rock, includes 11 episodes dedicated to teaching children the multiplication tables, from 0 to 12. Subsequent seasons include Grammar Rock, America Rock, Money Rock, and Earth Rock. The latest episodes of Schoolhouse Rock! were released directly to video in 2009.
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Wild About Safety The widely loved characters Timon and Pumbaa from Disney’s The Lion King are the stars of the Wild About Safety shorts. This series endeavors to help children in kindergarten through third grade learn various types of safety, from around-the-house tips to ways to minimize environmental damage. Other topics addressed by the Wild About Safety series include what to do in a fire emergency and lessons in water safety.
Broderick Boxley has worked in education and education administration throughout the New Jersey area for more than 15 years.
