We are Crew!
“At Detroit Achievement Academy, our motto is, “We are crew, not passengers.”
When you think about a crew on a ship, for example, everyone has their specific role. No matter what that role is, though, each person is working towards the same goal of keeping the ship afloat. This is what our motto means here at DAA; we are all working together for the good of our school community. From the Head of School, to the teachers, students and parents everyone has a role to play in the growth and success of the young people we encounter daily.
One way to ensure that this goal is met is through daily crew meetings with students, their homeroom teachers and crew partners. A crew partner is an adult staff member who supports their designated crew (class) during morning and closing crew meetings and other times throughout the school day.
I’ve had the pleasure of working with the same crew for the past two years watching them grow from one year to the next. This is not always the case as crew members tend to stick with a certain grade level and not a specific class, but it has been an experience that I truly cherish. There are so many benefits to looping with a crew, but the one that stands out to me the most are the relationships that I’ve been able to build with students and their families.
I can only imagine that the bond we have will continue to grow throughout their time at DAA and beyond.