Brooklyn Center Community Schools is undergoing an initiative designed to reshape and enhance pride in the Brooklyn Center community.
As one of the smaller public school districts in the metro, it has seen an enrollment drop of nearly 9% in the past two years. On Oct. 1, 2019, BC Schools had 2,348 students in grades Pre-K through grade 12. This number also includes the Insight Online School. In the past two years, the district had an 8.63% loss in student enrollment.
This rebranding project will align with a new strategic plan for the district.
“For almost a year, Brooklyn Center Community Schools has been working on a rebranding project,” said Dr. Carly Baker, superintendent. “I am so excited to share the end results with our staff members, students, families and the greater community. This process has taught me so much more than I thought I already knew about our school community.”
The project has involved focus groups and surveys among staff, parents and students, facilitated by CESO, a Minneapolis-based education management firm that “focuses on helping K-12 schools keep educational dollars in the classroom through creating operational efficiencies in transportation, communications, facilities, and technology,” according to its promotional material.
The lead CESO representative working with BCCS is Bob Noyed, senior strategic consultant, who presented findings from the internal audit at last week’s BCCS School Board meeting. The audit consisted of focus groups and interviews with staff from throughout the district and was conducted in October and November.
Noyed collaborated with the superintendent and Tara Drey, director of communications for the district.
Highlights of the audit revealed several points of pride among staff members, including these:
• Community Schools model provides a great deal of assistance to students and families
• Intentional focus on addressing mental health needs of students
• Diversity of student population enhances learning of all students – “our district is a true representation of what society is like.”
• Small size of district is an asset
• Many students feel a strong connection with other students in the district, and
• Community partners support district and help address needs of students
Additionally, several challenges surfaced from the focus group discussions, including these:
• Need to continue to develop an academic culture throughout the district so students feel like learning is important to them and their future
• Limited financial resources affect what schools can provide
• Significant differences among staff on how to appropriately respond to student behavior issues
• There is an ongoing need to recruit and retain staff of color throughout district and support staff of color
• Need to create more awareness of what can be provided through the Community Schools model
• Many staff identified need for district to implement programs and processes that best fit the district rather than “borrowing ideas” from other districts that are very different than BCCS
“We’ve celebrated what makes us unique, identified what we stand for and discovered where we need to go,” explained Baker. “I want us to be the best version of what BC can offer and the rebranding project comes at a perfect time in our school district’s history. I am hopeful that the next few years will bring about the change our students so desperately need and deserve. The time to be bold and think differently is now.”
According to Baker, the district “will begin the process of creating a new strategic plan to guide our work.” To start the new school year, all of the capital improvement construction projects will be completed and “our schools will feel like new,” she stated. “We continue to innovate what happens in the classroom, with the development of a district-wide science, technology, engineering, arts and math magnet school program. In order to best meet all of the needs of our students and families, we will continue our commitment to the community school model.”
“Today, we celebrate what it means to be a Centaur,” Baker elaborated. “Tomorrow and for many days to come, we will lean boldly into the challenges we face, no matter how daunting the situation. With fearless enthusiasm, we will work to do what’s best for our students and community. We will not be derailed. We will not falter.”
Following are some of the results of what this rebranding project yielded:
“We’re not a community on the fringe, we’re a community moving toward a center. Moving in unison with a shift in cultural expectations. Our voice and achievement will not be disqualified, we’re moving toward a change in history and hearts.
Standing FRONT AND CENTER so we are seen and heard.”
“One of the key outcomes of the rebranding project was to create a new Centaur mascot. We knew we wanted to remain Centaurs and the color purple. Our mascot is a simple yet modern Centaur and is meant to evoke bravery and courage – both brand values. Intentionally gender-neutral, energetic lines communicate action and a readiness to affect change while a lightning bolt depicts a force that helps create well-rounded, global citizens.”
Rod Shilkrot is a contributing writer for Sun Newspapers.
On October 1, 2019, BC Schools had 2,348 students in grades Pre-K – 12. This number also includes the Insight Online School. In the last two years, the district had an 8.63% loss in student enrollment.
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