“Many of our families faced food and housing insecurities in the past year, including a high COVID-19 positive rate.”
The challenges called for our Student Support Team to meet 3 days and at times 4 days a week to problem-solve about ensuring that families have what they need and that students were not only present but emotionally available to learn.
– Carline Pignato, Principal
William Ellery Channing School
Professional Bio
Carline Pignato has been the leader at her school for seven years. She was assigned by the former superintendent to ensure that the school exits turnaround. At her school, they continue to utilize research-based school improvement strategies intended to improve teaching and learning outcomes, as well as family partnership. Coherence in their strategies, as well as literacy instruction, highlight their work as teacher leaders leading the instructional work of the school.
About the Channing Community
Our school is located on a quiet street where voluminous Japanese cherry blossom trees are the first to welcome visitors and where many generations are products of our school. We take pride that our students are increasingly diverse and many speak multiple languages. Our students now come from not only Hyde Park, but also Dorchester, West Roxbury, Mattapan and Roslindale. We have a School Site Council that has an active leadership role with us. To paraphrase so many of our families, they choose our school for the caring and loving staff that prioritizes wellbeing and learning.
The Pandemic Impact on the Channing
Many of our families faced food and housing insecurities in the past year, including a high COVID-19 positive rate. The challenges called for our Student Support Team to meet 3 days and at times 4 days a week to problem-solve about ensuring that families have what they need and that students were not only present but emotionally available to learn. We now know our families more personally and they do not hesitate to seek support nor give us feedback based on the learning goals we constructed for students.
How will the Re-Centering Cohort help your school community?
I would appreciate the opportunity to create an even more specific MTSS that meets the needs of the whole school, subgroups and individual students as well as the supplies, technology and materials that align with their learning needs to not only close the gap but also to bring students above grade level efficiently. I would also appreciate support around a tighter system that codifies effective instruction in all the subject areas. The needs are slightly evolving as more and more students enroll in-person.
