How a last-chance school launched an education advocate: Making Waves' Dr. Tameka Jackson

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Tameka Jackson understands the challenges facing charter schools.

Years ago, Tameka was very concerned. Not many people thought that New Visions AIM Charter High School II, an alternative charter school in the Bronx, New York, where she was principal, was going to have its charter renewed.

Currently Tameka is in her first year as the principal of Making Waves Academy in Richmond, one of the schools that makes up 5C: The Contra Costa County Charter Coalition. She is a big believer in parent involvement and school choice, and she is creating systems for parents to advocate for their kids and school and also improve their own education. “By choosing a charter school, what parents are saying is, ‘I really want my child to have a high-quality education,” she said. Tameka is now working to protect that choice for Making Waves families both through 5C and parent education programs at the school.

But before she made the decision to start with a new challenge across the country here in California, she was a brand-new principal at a school many had written off as failed. Instead of giving up or accepting mediocrity, Tameka diligently worked to put systems in place to help both students and their families reach success.

“We were able to change lives there,” she said.

AIM II serves an at-risk student population who were older than typical high school students, have been kicked out of their previous school, and lack credits to progress through school. AIM II was “a last chance” school, Tameka said, and now the system seemed to be giving up on the school as well. Before Tameka joined, the school lacked a principal the prior year. “When I started at the school, it was at the bottom,” she said.

While going for a five-year renewal was nerve-racking, Tameka was also confident. She calls herself a “systems and structure” person, and she was confident she and the AIM II community did the necessary work to keep the school open. “If you put in the right inputs,” Tameka said, “the outputs will take care of themselves.”

The school was no longer at the bottom – graduation rates and credit accumulation rates had quadrupled since Tameka became principal. “It was all about working hard, doing the consistent things every day, and having consistent leadership,” she said. “And really putting in the time, effort, and care that the school needed.”

The school sailed through the approval process, garnering the five-year charter renewal. “The authorizers said, ‘This is not the school we walked into five years ago,’” Tameka said.

With those systems in place, the work of turning around the school was complete. It was a well-oiled machine now. That left Tameka feeling like she should try something new. “I’m somebody that needs a challenge,” she said. That led her to look for a new opportunity across the country and an interview with Making Waves Academy Executive Director Alton Nelson for the principal position.

It wasn’t the chance to turn around another school that drew Tameka – “Making Waves already had its own wonderful reputation, and the outcomes are wonderful,” Tameka said. Rather, it was the allure of working with a strong team at a school that already had strong systems in place, with a student population that is similar demographically but different in an important way, Tameka said.

“At (AIM II), we would say we almost wish we could get the kids before they get to a transfer school because, by the time they came to us, they were defeated in so many ways,” she said. “I love the fact that Making Waves starts at 5th grade because you get to build that foundation as they get older. And that prevents many students from having to go that alternative route.”

Tameka understands the importance of school choice and parental involvement from personal experience. The neighborhood schools in Philadelphia were struggling when she was growing up. She’s the oldest of five siblings, and she remembers the challenges her mother faced trying to make sure the kids got a good education. “I had to watch my mom try to navigate the educational system, and it’s a real struggle,” Tameka said.

Tameka said she learned from her alternative school experience that a public school should care about educating families, too. At AIM II, she connected parents to GED programs and saw how that inspired students to get their diplomas as well. At Making Waves, she is excited about continuing the legacy that was already built with parent workshops, monthly chats with parents, and for parents to learn more about college.

“We have a lot of first-generation students who are beginning to think about college and their career,” she said. “So how can we educate the family, (show them) this is how we can get your child college and career ready, this is how you become part of the process, and here’s what you need to do at home.”

Tameka said she wants 5C to both impact policy in a positive way for charter schools and help parents learn how to be advocates for their children’s education. “I think there’s a range of things that can be done when parents decide how to use their power,” she said.

For Tameka, it’s all about creating and maintaining systems so parents can continue to elevate their power so their children benefit.

“I come from a place where it’s really about educating the community as well,” she said. “It’s about partnering with the parents and educating them along the way, bringing them to be a part of the journey.”

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