Just three years ago, Roundy Elementary School was put on a list of schools that might need state intervention.
Then John Haynal came in as principal and instituted a series of reforms that instilled the building with energy, gave teachers some autonomy, and made students more responsible for their learning.
Now, Roundy is off the list of at-risk schools. And the system Haynal instituted is being tried at Vegas Verde Elementary School.
Haynal said he was asked to take over the principal position at Roundy by former Superintendent Dwight Jones.
From there, he hired a team of teachers and administrators that he felt had the right traits to face the school's unique challenges.
"It takes a special skill set to come out every day and have CPS on our campus quite a lot and have kids that just appreciate a smile or a wink," Haynal said.
He said the teachers on his staff are dedicated and are often their seven days a week. Not only did he find dedicated teachers, Haynal and his assistant principals found teachers with a passion for certain subjects and instituted a program called "flipping."
"They flip half way through the day," he explained, "One teacher teaches half the grade level math and the other teaches half the grade level with reading."
He also uses blended learning, which uses technology to fill some of the education gaps for students. This allows students who understood the concept to move on, while the students who need more work get extra attention.
He also instituted a precision model of instruction. Students meet one on one with teachers every two weeks to monitor their progress with an informal assessment.
When a student's weak spot is noticed, a teacher will adjust instruction to address that gap.
"I like to say that every student has their own individualized program for instruction but it may not be written," Haynal said.
At Roundy, reading rates - in a school with lots of English as a Second Language learners - are up 16 percent in just two years, while math scores are up 19 percent. It's been so successful, in fact, that Haynal has been tasked with replicating his approach at Vegas Verde Elementary school. He is currently principal of both schools, and has brought over teachers and staff from Roundy. Not to worry, though. He says that even after they hired new teachers, the schools still have a waiting list of teachers who want to work there.
When he started back in 2012, Haynal enrolled his own daughter, who is now 8, in Roundy and then brought her to Vegas Verdes when he took over that school this year. About 11 teachers and staff members have done the same.
"What I think is a neat thing is our neighborhood has adopted us. We're in a very difficult neighborhood both for Vegas Verdes and Roundy, but we feel very safe," he said.
John Haynal, principal, Roundy Elementary and Vegas Verde Elementary
