Skip to main content
Georgia Charter Schools Association
My Account      Teacher Certification      Vendor Directory      Events      Facebook Twitter Search
  • Get the Facts
      • Charter School Enrollment Numbers in GA
      • FAQs About Charter Schools
      • Approved GA Charters »
  • Advocacy
    • Take Part
      • Advocacy Training
      • Market Data Analysis
      • Become an Advocate
      • Serve on a Charter Board
    • Tools You Can Use
      • How to Plan an Effective Legislative Visit
      • Communicating With Your Legislator
      • The Language of School Choice
      • Combatting Charter School Myths
      • GA House & Senate Page Program
      • National Charter Schools Week
  • Training & Services
      • Academic Services
      • Charter Renewal
      • Communications
      • Facility Resource Center
      • Financial Certification Training & Services
      • GCSA Charter Incubator
      •   » Apply for the GCSA Charter Incubator
      • Governance Training & Support
      • Operational Services
      • Professional Development
  • Membership
    • My Account
      • My Profile
      • My Orders
      • My Addresses
      • Payment methods
      • Lost password
    • Members
      • Membership Overview
      • Members Area
      • Blog
      • Specialty Benefits Plan
      • Associate Membership
      • Join AAE
      • Staples Partnership
      • GCSA Affinity Groups
  • Job Board
  • Find a School
      • School Locator
      • Approved GA Charters »
  • About
      • Who We Are
      • Mission & Vision
      • Staff
      • Board of Directors
      • Partner Organizations
      • GCSA Jobs
      • Press Inquiries
      • Directions & Parking
  • Blog
  • Get the Facts
    • Charter School Enrollment Numbers in GA
    • FAQs About Charter Schools
    • Approved GA Charters »
  • Advocacy
    • Take Part
      • Market Data Analysis
      • Advocacy Training
      • Become an Advocate
      • Serve on a Charter Board
    • Tools You Can Use
      • How to Plan an Effective Legislative Visit
      • Communicating With Your Legislator
      • The Language of School Choice
      • Combatting Charter School Myths
      • GA House & Senate Page Program
      • National Charter Schools Week
  • Training & Services
    • Overview
    • Academic Services
    • Charter Renewal
    • Communications
    • Facility Resource Center
    • Financial Certification Training & Services
    • GCSA Charter Incubator
    •   » Apply for the GCSA Charter Incubator
    • Governance Training & Support
    • Operational Services
    • Professional Development
  • Membership
    • Overview
    • Members Area
    • Become a Member
    • Specialty Benefits Plan
    • Associate Membership
    • Join AAE
    • GCSA Affinity Groups
  • My Account
    • My Profile
    • My Orders
    • My Addresses
    • Payment methods
    • Lost password
  • Job Board
  • Find a School
    • School Locator
    • GCSA Quality Initiative
  • About
    • Who We Are
    • Mission & Vision
    • Staff
    • Board of Directors
    • Partner Organizations
    • GCSA Jobs
    • Press Inquiries
    • Directions & Parking
  • Teacher Certification
  • Vendor Directory
  • Events
  • Contact
  • $0.00

School Profile: Georgia Charter Schools of the Year Winner KIPP WAYS Academy

by Michelle Wirth

KIPP WAYS Academy experienced a smooth start to the 2017-2018 school year. School Leader Dwight Ho Sang says the time that he and fellow administrators spent at Relay in Colorado paid off. Relay provides training, coaching and education for teachers and leaders. Ho Sang spent two weeks in Colorado and his assistant principals each spent one week there as part of a year-long certificate course (School Leader Dwight Ho Sang is pictured below with Ra’Chel Ford, Director of Campus Operations, KIPP WAYS Campus). 

Ho Sang says prior to the start of the school year, KIPP WAYS Academy spent a great deal of time practicing school wide routines like dismissal and arrival, particularly with new teachers. The role-play exercises included the addition of distracted students so educators could gain skills to assist throughout the school day. It’s just one of the strategies school administrators brought back from their training at Relay.

“The school is definitely calm,” says Ho Sang. “You practice perfect first and then you add in small levels of difficulty so teachers can see how it feels and then practice moves so teachers can get kids back on track.”

The school also added a large number of new Chromebooks to the classroom this year. Thanks to a grant the school as part of its selection as Georgia Charter School of the Year, KIPP WAYS Academy was able to purchase more than 90 Chromebooks and computer software. The school won the title and the grant at the 2017 Georgia Charter Schools Conference. The grant, which was sponsored by the Coca-Cola Company, enabled the school to launch its 1:1 technology program and blended learning curriculum. 

“Our 1:1 technology program means that every scholar in the middle school has a Chromebook in each of their classrooms,” says Ho Sang. “In conjunction with each teacher’s instruction, the Chromebooks and software allow KIPP WAYS Academy to create a personalized, college-preparatory learning environment that helps scholars close any gaps they may have in key content areas. Furthermore, it enables scholars to increase their familiarity with technology by providing access to Chromebooks on a consistent basis for classwork.”

Ho Sang has a large list of goals for the school year, but one of the large ones is to maintain a strong and consistent school culture. He also says the school plans to constantly monitor and react to student data, so they can give students assistance in the areas where they need them most.

“We want to make sure students are ready to take on any challenge when they leave here,” says Ho Sang. “That’s why character and academics are so important.”

Ho Sang is the first four-year college graduate in his family and an alumnus of Teach For America. He started his Atlanta teaching career at Dunbar Elementary. In 2005, he became an educator at KIPP WAYS Academy. While working with KIPP, Ho Sang completed the Teacher Leader and Leadership Team training programs and served as both the Lower School Dean and the Dean of Instruction at KIPP WAYS Academy. He briefly left to take a job as a KIPP principal in Memphis and then returned to KIPP WAYS Academy, where he’s spent the majority of his career in education.

As a child, Ho Sang says he always excelled in school. However, he says he realized he was not prepared academically after he was accepted into a competitive program in New York to prepare seventh grade students for boarding school. That’s what gives Ho Sang the heart and passion to work with students on a daily basis.

“I know it’s important for me to teach black students. There are too many factors from what’s in the curriculum, to environment, to institutionalized racism that puts them at a disadvantage,” says Ho Sang. I’m here to fight that…A lot of our students want to make change in society. We want them to see themselves as part of a greater good in creating an environment where everyone has equal opportunities and are on an equal playing field. I wouldn’t do anything else.”

Ho Sang says he’s fully invested in KIPP WAYS Academy and the Atlanta community.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
    2
  • LinkedIn

Michelle Wirth

Michelle, GCSA's Director of Communications, is an award-winning journalist with a background in strategic communications. She has a Master’s degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Journalism and a Bachelor’s in Communications from the University of Denver.

Michelle Wirth Facebook Twitter

Published : August 30, 2017   |   Category : Blog, Newsletter


Leave a comment

Cancel comment

Blog Authors

  • GCSA
  • Michelle Wirth
  • Guest Blogger
  • Guest Author
  • Tony Roberts
  • Shabaaka Smalls
  • Kylie Holley

All Monthly Archives

  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022

Tag Cloud

Alexandria Sweeny Alisha Morgan Amana Academy Atlanta Neighborhood Charter School Bhumi Sukha Board Boost Board Member Brookhaven Innovation Academy Byron Thornton Charter Conservatory for Liberal Arts Charter School Governance Charter School Incubator Charter School Leadership Charter Schools Cherokee Charter Cirrus Academy Digital Governance Drew Charter School Education Reform Fayette County Fernbank Elementary School Georgia Georgia Cyber Academy Georgia PTO Jason Lin Lake Oconee Academy Latin Academy Macon Madison Davenport Matthew Mitchell Mountain Ed Charter High School Museum School of Avondale Estates Myah Crowell New Schools Opportunity School Districts Pataula Charter Academy School Choice Senior Recognition 2022 Shizue Sommer Student Engagement Teacher Appreciation Day Teacher Appreciation Week Teacher Appreciation Week 2022 Training Weekly Charter News

FB Pixel

Stay connected

Join our GCSA Weekly Newsletter to receive the latest news and updates from our team. We send out weekly updates about charter schools and legislation. We don’t like spam either, so we’ll never share your email with others.

Subscribe

Georgia Charter Schools Association
Facebook Twitter RSS
© Copyright 2023. All Rights Reserved.
Privacy Policy  &  Terms of Use
+1 470 236 0671
back to top
About Us
  • Who We Are
  • Mission & Vision
  • Press Inquiries
  • Directions & Parking
  • Contact
Quick Links
  • Advocacy Training
  • Market Data Analysis
  • Training & Services
News
  • Charters in the News
  • Press Releases
  • Subscribe
  • Blog
  • Calendar
Careers
  • Job Board
  • GCSA Jobs

Subscribe to the GCSA Weekly Newsletter

Join our mailing list to receive the latest news and updates from our team.

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Subscribe to the GCSA Weekly Newsletter

Join our mailing list to receive the latest news and updates from our team.

You have Successfully Subscribed!