Noble and Empower charter schools find CrossFit fits their mandate to pursue excellence in education.
The Noble Network of Charter Schools is located in the worst neighborhoods of Chicago: Englewood, Garfield Park, West Humble Park. Ninety-five percent of its students live below the poverty line, and many of the schools in the neighborhood are equipped with metal detectors to curb violence. When students enter Noble schools in the ninth grade, they’re usually reading, writing and doing math at a third- or fifth-grade level. Four years later most qualify for college. In fact, among open-enrollment public schools in Chicago, kids from Noble score among the top students every year.
Despite financial hurdles, dozens of new charter schools are launched each year in the U.S. The rewards are rarely financial, but operating a charter school allows for longer school days, an adjusted curriculum, new and dynamic teaching opportunities, and the chance to pursue diverse learning models. Charter schools have the freedom to experiment and adapt.
“We’ve broken the code on great academics. And the code is based on a really disciplined culture and hiring incredible talent to deliver the great academics to the kids,” said David Oclander, principal fellowship at the Noble Network of Charter Schools.
It’s not the pursuit of money that makes administrators want to open charter schools. It’s the pursuit of excellence. And CrossFit fits that model perfectly.