WELCOME
The Anchor School was created to cultivate anchors in our communities that build a more just and equitable future, by preparing all students for success in and beyond the university. Our school model is based on excellent instruction, community partnerships, and holistic student development to become an anchor for the community.
The Anchor School values diversity and nurtures the development of the whole child by combining social-emotional programming with rigorous academics that are rooted in cultural history, mindfulness, and community experiences that empower 5th to 8th-grade learners to cultivate well-being and the skills needed to thrive on a path to self-determination in high school and beyond.
Our Why
87%
of the vast majority of punishments in Texas schools are "discretionary," for violations of a school district's Student Code of Conduct, not for more serious offenses that require punishment under the law.
1 in 5
children in Texas aged 0–17 were estimated to have two or more adverse childhood experiences that may have a lasting impact on their emotional, cognitive, social, and biological functioning
85%
of youth in Harris County juvenile detention were African American or Hispanic (53% and 32% respectively), and 26% of those referrals came directly from schools.
20%
of students regularly miss school for mental health reasons
1100:1
the student to counselor ratio in Houston
Over 1/3
of students regularly lose focus in class due to mental health issues
Creating Schools We Want For All Children
At The Anchor School, we believe that students need a school that focuses on more than just academics. The Anchor School is a uniquely designed middle school where through a customized curriculum all key stakeholders: teachers, administration, and students receive professional development on Restorative and Trauma-Informed Practices, DEI, and Social-Emotional Learning. Wellness, and Mental Health. The Anchor School will distrust the school to prison pipeline through alternative methods for behavior intervention, which is a huge step forward in addressing equity in schools and eliminating the school to prison pipeline for youth in grades 5-8.
Going Beyond Education
We have seen too many students suspended and expelled instead of schools making it a priority that teachers and leaders are trained on Restorative and Trauma-Informed Practices, Diversity, Equity and Inclusiveness, Social-Emotional Learning, Wellness, and Mental Health consistently as our learning and growing is a journey. The Anchor School is changing the model and putting people first by working with the community to gain feedback on their lived experiences and training every person in the school to provide them the tools to thrive in a brave space. We want to break the stigma that is present in our communities.
Ending Generational Poverty
At The Anchor School, we believe that we must unpack our own trauma to be able to end generational poverty. The Anchor School is designed to give students agency to overcome the barriers they face to lead and shape the dynamic, global world into which they will graduate by ensuring that we are putting the child, teacher, and leader first.
