My name is T.J. Scott. I've taught Language Arts at the Charter School of Excellence's Leadership Center for the past six years. Based on my experiences through those years, I believe CSE provides an essential service to students by creating an environment where they can find success even if they've struggled elsewhere. We do this by focusing on building relationships with students, giving them options, and working together to meet all kinds of student needs.

Our building, the Leadership Center, is smaller in scale than most schools, with about 150 students. This allows us staff to really get to know the students, including the ones that are not in our classes. Additionally, all staff spend time each day in the computer lab, where they get chances to interact with students that aren't on their class rosters. This is helpful because often when a student gets put into a new class, the teacher already has a base level of knowledge about that student. This aids us in relationship building, which is essential; many of our students have had issues at other schools (whether due to behavior, bullying, or something else), so it's crucial that we work to build trust to make them comfortable and receptive to everything we're trying to teach them.

We also make students comfortable by giving them options. At the high school level we have two different buildings: Leadership Center and Skills Center. Skills is set up in a way that is similar to a traditional high school, though it focuses on the same level of relationship building as we do at Leadership by also being smaller in scale compared to most high schools. For students that enjoy that kind of setup, it's a great place to be. You get the traditional kind of high school experience while also getting individualized attention not possible at larger buildings.

Leadership, on the other hand, uses a blended learning model that makes it easier for students to learn at their own pace. Throughout the year, as new students start with us and other students work at their own paces on our curriculum, I will often have students in the same class working on different topics and assignments. This is not a bad thing; instead, it's the program working as intended, adjusting to individual student needs rather than trying to get them to adjust to where we are at. Critically, this also makes it easier for new students to be comfortable being in a new school, as they do not have to worry about whether they are ready for whatever topic the class is working on. This in turn makes it easier to build relationships with these students to better engage them and encourage them towards success.

A final factor that makes a huge difference in getting them to this success is the staff. I'm proud to say I work with a group of people (both in my specific building and throughout our other buildings and administration) that I don't just work with, but genuinely like and respect. Everyone is dedicated to doing the best they can to help our students; if anything, the work everyone has done throughout the COVID-19 situation has just further impressed upon me how important it is to everyone working at CSE that we help students to the best of our ability. Whatever students need, someone at CSE is there to help them with. If it's academics, their teachers are always available. If they're having a personal issue, guidance counselors and mental health therapists are there to give a helping hand; they also inform teachers and other staff as needed, so we're able to better respond to specific student needs on a day-to-day basis. Everyone comes together to do what is needed to be done to keep students moving forward, which to me is what working in a school is all about. It's certainly what CSE is all about.

I chose to work at CSE because it is unlike any other school I worked at in the past. The staff is amazing and very supportive. The students are also amazing. I love the fact that when we have a student or family in need the school immediately jumps into action to help that student or family out. We also have a strong community outreach program that is amazing. I also love the fact that in tough times we are able to band together and do what needs to be done for the benefit of our students. In these tough times I have also seen staff pull together and help those that were struggling with some of the distance learning requirements like creating Google classrooms, shooting instructional videos, etc.  Our building is full of amazing students and staff and that is what makes us unique. We take in those kids who have rough edges and do our best to polish them up and send them out into the world so they can have successful adult lives.

I have worked at CSE for 10 years now, and I am gratified to have been participating in a mission as inclusive as ours. CSE is a close-knit family that is laser-focused on creating opportunities for students of diverse backgrounds. Every student counts, and every student has inherent value and an ability to contribute to our community and improve our world. Our task lies not only in educating all children, but more importantly in helping them discover exactly how they can contribute to our community and continue the march of progress in our world. I remain at CSE because I believe in our mission. It is a mission that I have watched come to fruition each year with each new class coming in and each senior class launching into the world. I know that the CSE team is like-minded, and this binds us all together in our common mission.

I believe in what we do and I believe in the community that we serve. We have many events during each school year that tug at my heartstrings, including but not limited to the Multi-Cultural Fair, Breakfast with Santa, and our Back to School Picnic. It's an honor to work in a school that values and cherishes diversity within our student body, and I love that these opportunities of togetherness are provided to all of us. Together we thrive in our diverse culture of mutual respect and the celebration of our differences.

My experiences at CSE help support my belief that it takes a village to raise and educate a child.  Unity is a key component to education of children at the Charter School of Excellence. The camaraderie, staff , teachers, and  administrators  of both the middle and high schools come together on one unified front in all that pertain to students and their families. Everyone was able to display his or her talents and strengths at some point. Our smaller classes allow teachers to communicate on a more personable level, focusing on the needs of each individual student. Students were able to help each other more freely. All options are considered in solving problems, but the focal point is always what is best for each particular child.

Our School Is Cool! I have been with CSE for 15 years and from where we started to where we are now really excites me. Every year there are new curriculum offerings and new opportunities for our students.  I feel our school is one of the best options for students in our area. I truly enjoy working with all the staff here, they are a greatly dedicated team and are here for all our students.  Simply put, I Love My Job!

The Charter School of Excellence (CSE) is a wonderful district to work in.  The support from the school's administration team, in all aspects, is extraordinary. The benefits for the students include dedicated teachers and personal tutoring.  CSE allows for a high level of empathy between teachers and students, which enables stronger relationships and an environment where the students learn better. CSE is a place for students to be accepted and to show their fortitude. At CSE you feel like family. CSE is a place to call home for both students and teachers.

My name is Dan Hanas. I am a principal at the Charter School of Excellence (CSE) Leadership Center.  I have been employed at CSE for 15 years.  I am very thankful for the opportunities I've received at CSE. I am surrounded by a fantastic staff of caring people who make it a priority to serve our students. We work with Erie area youth who, for one reason or another, did not find success in their home school district.  Through school choice and the option for charter schools, our students were able to enroll with us and have another avenue in order to find success. We are able to instill confidence into our students that our environment is one they can thrive in and reach their academic goals.

Last week I was fortunate enough to attend our high school graduation and be part of the administration who received our graduates and offered them their hard earned diplomas. As I reflect on our ceremony, the one thing that sticks out to me was how diverse our graduating class was. Our students come from all sorts of different cultural backgrounds and ethnicities. I feel this is one of CSE's greatest strengths.  Our school's diversity allows our staff and students to learn from one another and we are all able to appreciate the idea that we are different in our own ways and that is entirely ok.  CSE and its community celebrates our different heritage and provides a safe environment where all students are able to feel comfortable and they do not need to worry about judgement or discrimination.

The main reason I choose to work at CSE and plan to continue employment there for many years is due to the people I work with. There is no divide between teachers and administration as is seen in many other systems. Our system is one where we are all part of the same team working together to educate our students and prepare them for life after high school. Positive interactions between staff and sharing of ideas allows us to be in an environment where we care about one another both professionally and personally. I have built many friendships with CSE staff which will last far beyond my career.  I believe the students notice this and it is a good model for them to live by.  This caring environment is one of the main reasons we have built such a positive school culture at CSE. This is why I choose to stay and I feel it is why many of our other staff, students, and their parents are drawn to being a part of the CSE community.

The Charter School of Excellence provides a warm and welcoming environment for students and teachers, making it easy to develop relationships and promote learning.  The students are enthusiastic learners who are engaged in their studies and seem genuinely happy to be at school each day. This atmosphere is necessary for fostering growth and encouraging success for all.  CSE is not just a school; it is a carefully crafted community of teachers and learners focused on continuous improvement. In addition to academic programs, CSE offers a wide range of elective courses and opportunities such as the workforce program, which provides an amazing opportunity for students to learn valuable work skills that translate into a resume-building experience for future employment. Throughout my career as a teacher, I have learned that in order to have an impact on students, a teacher must be enthusiastic and motivated by his or her environment and I can say with 100% certainty that I look forward to coming to work each day at CSE. The administrators value the work I do, my colleagues are supportive, and we all work together collaboratively as a professional family to serve our students to the best of our ability.

I am proud to be a teacher for the Charter School of Excellence because CSE is committed to the success of every child. I love teaching the students as well as learning from them. I work with the most dedicated teachers, administrators, and staff possible. I believe that every day is a new opportunity to learn and my goal is to prepare my students to be successful and to be life-long learners.

My time at CSE has allowed me to build real relationships with my students and help them to grow.  Teaching in a small school means that I have received the opportunity to get to know most of the student body and I have worked to help many of the students realize their full potential. As a ninth and tenth grade teacher, I have been able to watch my students grow for four full years and then move onto the next steps of their lives. It has truly been an honor to play a role in their success.

 I have also been blessed with supportive staff and fellow teachers at CSE.  The administration truly believes in our mission and in helping all students be successful.  The teachers can always be depended on for advice, resources, or support. I would not have been able to grow into the educator I am now without the support of the professionals in my building.

The small environment at CSE is more than a school, it's a family.  The adults and students all work together to build one another up and help move towards our goals. They can also be counted on in the hard times to lend a hand and to work together to build a better future.