How One of the Worst Schools in America Became Top-Tier in Just 10 Years | Let’s Talk Kids

Dr. Christine Johnson, Superintendent of Hoboken Public Schools, takes a deep dive into how she helped to transform the local school system from underperforming academically into one where underprivileged and previously neglected students are reading and writing high above average and rivaling their more fortunate peers effortlessly. They are even performing better than many school systems nationwide, including those being observed by leading pedagogy researchers at Stanford University. Make sure to take notes because this episode is a special one! **Learn more about Hoboken Public Schools below!** Hoboken Public Schools District - https://www.hoboken.k12.nj.us/ Educational Opportunity Project - https://edopportunity.org/ **OUTLINE** 00:00 - Intro & What led Dr. Johnson to become Superintendent? 03:37 - A Demographic Breakdown and History of Hoboken Public Schools 07:00 - How Dr. Johnson improved overall academic and administrative performance over a decade 17:57 - What steps were taken to improve Reading & Writing performance? 22:28 - How were teachers able to address individual students’ needs? 28:01 - What were the barriers when it came to making these changes? 29:49 - Multisensory Reading Training - What it is and the benefits for students 38:32 - How did Dr. Johnson change the school climate? 44:48 - What is the Stanford University Educational Opportunity Project? 50:08 - How Hoboken Public Schools stayed open during COVID Shutdown 59:12 - How the schools are able to test students and learn from data effectively 01:05:03 - How reforming the Hoboken District Strategic Plan made a positive impact 01:11:59 - Main Takeaways for School Districts looking to grow like Hoboken + Outro **---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------** Thank you so much for watching. See below for more information on Let’s Talk Kids and ACNJ. **SOCIAL & WEB LINKS** LTK Linktree - https://linktr.ee/ltkacnj Advocates for Children of New Jersey (ACNJ) Official Website - https://acnj.org ACNJ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/acnjforkids/ ACNJ Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/company/advocates-for-children-of-new-jersey/ ACNJ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ACNJforKids/ **PODCAST LINKS** LTK Linktree - https://linktr.ee/ltkacnj Buzzsprout - https://www.buzzsprout.com/2606664 Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lets-talk-kids/id1889946139 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/63d2bK6RmHAPQe8zBWZQ5U?si=2ddd49f0f2784abd **CONTACTS** [mcoogan@acnj.org](mailto:mcoogan@acnj.org) - Mary Coogan - Host of Let’s Talk Kids | CEO of ACNJ [vjabon@acnj.org](mailto:vjabon@acnj.org) - Viggo Jabon - Editor of Let’s Talk Kids | Multimedia Specialist at ACNJ **-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------** Thank you so much for watching. See below for more information on Let’s Talk Kids and ACNJ. **SOCIAL & WEB LINKS** LTK Linktree - linktr.ee/ltkacnj Advocates for Children of New Jersey (ACNJ) Official Website - acnj.org - ACNJ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/acnjforkids/ - ACNJ Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/company/advocates-for-children-of-new-jersey/ - ACNJ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ACNJforKids/ **PODCAST LINKS** - LTK Linktree - linktr.ee/ltkacnj **CONTACTS** - [mcoogan@acnj.org](mailto:mcoogan@acnj.org) - Mary Coogan - Host of Let’s Talk Kids | CEO of ACNJ - [vjabon@acnj.org](mailto:vjabon@acnj.org) - Viggo Jabon - Editor of Let’s Talk Kids | Multimedia Specialist at ACNJ