Uncommon Schools

09/02/2026

When our Chief Schools Officer, Juliana Worrell, was asked to lead the turnaround at Uncommon Alexander Street Elementary, she raised her hand.

“Changing the trajectory of a child’s life...happens when leaders raise their hand, take responsibility, and commit.”

For 30 years, that belief has been at the heart of Uncommon Schools. You don’t wait for perfect conditions. You take action and get to work. That’s the Uncommon way. 💙

08/27/2026

We’re proud to celebrate our Washington Park High School teacher, Mike Taubman, who was recognized with the Stanford Alumni Excellence in Education Award!🎉

Mike is being recognized for his work in deeper learning, helping students to explore their purpose and artificial intelligence literacy. Mike works with hundreds of students every day in order to help them be better prepared for bright futures.

The 2026 Alumni Excellence in Education Award recipients are Mike Taubman (MA ’05), Suzanne Grant Lewis (PhD ’88), and Julian Vasquez Heilig (PhD ’06). 🌲

Recognized for their outstanding contributions as leaders, researchers, and practitioners, they join a select group of 41 alumni honored over the past decade.

We will formally celebrate these remarkable leaders on Oct. 16 during Reunion Homecoming Weekend. Read on to learn how they are advancing education locally, nationally, and internationally: https://ed.stanford.edu/news/three-stanford-gse-alumni-honored-excellence-education

08/26/2026

A warm welcome for the first day of Kindergarten! 🎒 Our team at Uncommon Bed-Stuy West Elementary opened the doors to our newest scholars and made sure their first day started with all the good vibes. 🥹✨

08/25/2026

The First Week of School excitement is still going strong! 🎉 Our Co-CEOs, Julie Jackson and Brett Peiser, stopped by classrooms to give our students a warm welcome back. Here’s to an incredible year ahead! 📚✨

08/24/2026

Happy First Day of School!💙📚We were thrilled to welcome back our students today across our five regions! This year is extra special: we’re celebrating 30 years of Uncommon Schools! For three decades, our students, families, teachers, and staff have made our community what it is today. Here's to another fantastic year of learning and joy at Uncommon!

08/22/2026

Back to school is a team effort! From Accounting to Human Resources, teams across the Uncommon Schools Home Office came together for our Back-to-School Blitz. They spent the day in our schools, rolled up their sleeves, and helped get everything ready for the first day. Because when we say united under one mission, we mean everyone! 🙌

08/21/2026

"I am smart. I can do this." Camden Prep student Devi knows exactly where she’s headed. 💫 As we continue to celebrate 30 years of Uncommon, we’re celebrating the students who are dreaming big!

08/20/2026

SEND US YOUR FIRST DAY PHOTOS!🚨📸 On Monday, tag and DM us your first day pics for a chance to be featured on our page. We can't wait to see you soon!

08/20/2026

At Uncommon, we’re helping our K-8 students build the media literacy, data skills, and ethical reasoning they need to navigate an AI-powered world. This forms part of the foundation for the AI literacy lessons they will be exposed to in our schools from grades 9-12.

Because we’re not just preparing students for the future of technology. We’re preparing them to lead it.💙

Read our latest blog post to learn more!

Uncommon Schools is implementing a comprehensive K-8 AI literacy pathway, supported by the Robin Hood Foundation Learning + Technology Fund. We don't treat AI as a standalone skill. Instead, we build it on years of computational thinking, data literacy, media analysis, and ethics—from Bee-Bot robo...

08/17/2026

We’re this HYPE to start the school year! Which school had the best chant?👀 As we celebrate our 30th anniversary at Uncommon Schools, our teachers and staff kicked off the year with all the energy! We loved seeing each other again, aligning on our goals, and showing the best school spirit!