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Monique Brinson; Jamaica Plain, MA
 “Science
was a subject area that I greatly enjoyed as a youngster and I want to
open the door to the joy of scientific inquiry and processes for my students
as well.”
School at a Glance:
Young Achievers Science & Mathematics Pilot School
Jamaica Plain, MA
Grades: Pre K-8
Enrollment: 301
Students per Teacher: 20
Ethnicity:
62% African American
22% Hispanic
13% White
2% Asian
Percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch: 63% versus
a state average of 30%
From its inception in 1995, the Young Achievers Science & Mathematics
Pilot School (YASM) in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, envisioned a math
and science emphasis for urban children in Boston. Its mission statement
reflects the school’s belief “that every student can learn
algebra and understand the concepts of biology, can plot the course of
a beam of light, and come to grips with the vastness of the stars.” The
scope of the science program at YASM includes teaching three to four units
in life, Earth, physical, and technological science during the course of
the school year.
Monique Brinson was a founding teacher of the YASM pilot
school, and she has worked in the Boston Public Schools system for 11
years. For the past
nine, she has taught science using units from National Science Resource
Center’s (NSRC) Science and Technology for Children and the Education
Devleopment Center’s (EDC) Insights kits, She augments each unit
with learning centers and hands-on activities, as well as texts to support
learning. “My first year of teaching at a traditional Boston public
school, I was not required to teach science. Although it was not a requirement,
I worked directly with the science-only teacher to develop activities that
supported the themes and concepts I was teaching my students... Science
was a subject that I greatly enjoyed as a youngster and I wanted to make
sure I opened the doors to the joy of scientific inquiry and understanding
for my students as well.”
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