Spring Branch ISD Featured News

Bryan Reed, director at YES Prep at Northbrook High, is not the kind of guy who tears up in public. He did so only once before during the Senior Signing Day event nine years ago at YES Prep North Central, where the founding class he had followed since 8th grade announced their college choices.

This week might just move him to tears again, he says, as 140 seniors at YES Prep at Northbrook High School make campus and district history on Saturday when they join traditional seniors in the Class of 2019 Graduation at Don Coleman Coliseum. Reed has guided his seniors all four years to this moment.

These YES Prep seniors are the first to graduate from a special public school district and charter school collaboration known as the SKY Partnership. This 7-year-old partnership joins Spring Branch ISD with YES Prep Public Schools and KIPP Houston Public Schools secondary charter programs. 

Together, the partnership operates a pair of middle school programs and shared high school program at Northbrook High operated by YES Prep.

Reed, who will see this first graduation before moving to a new career position with Teach for America, described his own heartfelt emotions in recent letter to parents and students.

“To see our first ever graduating class, the Class of 2019, walk across the stage at both Senior Signing Day and Commencement will be a dream four years in the making,” he said. “During my 14 years at YES Prep, I am incredibly proud to witness countless students fulfill our mission by matriculating to colleges and universities across the nation. I cannot wait to witness each and every YES Prep Northbrook High School student continue that tradition and receive a college degree to open doors for their future.”

Director Reed can easily brag on his first SKY Partnership senior class. A few highlights:

• The program is now celebrating its first full year with all four high school grade levels.
• YES Prep at Northbrook High’s graduating class is one of the largest in YES Prep history.
• Seniors have been awarded more than $1.5 million in potential scholarships.
• Seniors have now earned 536 possible college acceptances, and more are still arriving!

Saturday’s Commencement celebration took years of planning, collaboration and hard work. It began under former SBISD Superintendent Duncan Klussmann, Ed.D., now retired, and has continued under Superintendent Scott R. Muri, Ed.D. The SBISD Board of Trustees has supported the SKY Partnership throughout its history, from start-up planning to first graduating class.

“After seven years,” SBISD Superintendent Muri says, “the combined graduation of a Northbrook High School and first YES Prep at Northbrook High Class of 2019 speaks louder than words ever could to the continual, planned drive and collaboration across three highly motivated organizations – SBISD, KIPP and YES Prep --  to create high quality educational opportunities for students. We continue to believe that this partnership is changing the trajectory for the better for our students, both today and for years to come.”

In 2012, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation helped SBISD and the well-known public charter school organizations get started with a $2.1 million supporting grant to the SKY Partnership. The same year, first-year programs began for students at SBISD’s Landrum (KIPP) and Northbrook (YES Prep) middle schools. 

Under the SKY Partnership, charter program students benefited from access to SBISD fine arts, athletics and other extracurricular opportunities, while the school district gained access to the successes of KIPP and YES Prep, ranging from data analysis and professional development to a focus on college prep and planning efforts.

Northbrook High Principal Randolph Adami said calls Reed a good man and school leader. “Our organizations were different in many ways, but we always knew we could come to common ground by concentrating on doing what is best for our students. We had many educational and procedural discussions, but they always came back to the students.  Bryan’s sense of humor also helped during challenging times in the partnership.  We always did our best to find humor when appropriate.” 

YES Prep Northbrook students have signed up at colleges and universities at every level – from local community colleges to flagship state universities and some out-of-state colleges and universities.  

“As a younger person, I was rather set in my goals. YES Prep Northbrook showed me all opportunities, and the options that I really had. The travel and trips that I did showed me that there is far more than just this city out there,” says Julian Erazo. He joined YES Prep at Northbrook Middle School as a sixth-grader.

Erazo, a strong pitcher, plans to play baseball at the University of Houston-Downtown and also study computer science. He loves computer coding, and already has an image of himself working at Apple’s new Austin headquarters in a few years. Baseball fan meets tech nerd.

Shane Lau joined YES Prep’s program at Northbrook Middle. He’s headed this fall to Lycoming College in Williamsport, Pa., where he intends to begin studying to be a teacher. 

His YES Prep experiences, and his close relationship with his teachers, have inspired him. “My time here has opened me up to really want to be an educator,” he says. “Teaching is hard and it is fun.”

Bessy Banegas, a Landrum Middle grad who is Houston Baptist University bound, joined the high school program in 9th grade. “I wanted to be more prepared for college after high school, and I believe that the program here has helped prepare me for the future,” she said. “YES Prep opened so many doors for me that would not have opened. It prepared me academically, and it gave me a sense of family I am grateful for.”

That sense of family – including family lost – is on the mind of YES Prep’s Advanced Placement Statistics teacher Elizabeth Walthall and Social Studies teacher Clorena Myles. Walthall, who was Reed’s first hire, began working with YES Prep 8th-graders five years ago at the middle school.

“I’m almost feeling like I will be starting all over next year. I’ve had the students for so many years, and I know them so well now. Some of these kids now feel like they are my own,” Walthall said. “I really don’t believe that I’ll ever feel as close to a group of families and students again.”

Myles notes that with the first class of seniors graduating and Reed’s exit as director, a new school year will be “drastically different.” However, the four-year economics and government teacher who was set to leave teaching altogether in HISD years ago has found true meaning at YES Prep at Northbrook High.

“When you focus on students and people like we do here, then even the bad days that we all have are not so hard,” she said. “The kids here see teachers as really human. Where else would I hear a student say to me, ‘Miss Myles, can I give you a hug?’” 

If YES Prep’s first SBISD Commencement brings out the tissues and handkerchiefs, we know those tears will be shared in incredible family-style joy. 

Congratulations, YES Prep at Northbrook High!