Meet Jack Johnson Pannell of Trinity Arch Preparatory School for Boys
Jack is a social impact entrepreneur and has organized and founded several educational opportunities. Prior to his work in education, he had a career in three sectors: business, government, and politics.
The Future of Education & KaiPod Catalyst
Jack’s first education venture was opening a charter school in Baltimore called “Collegiate School for Boys”. In state achievement tests, Collegiate boys outperformed their peers, with proficiency rates in English and Math doubling those of Black male student peers in the public schools. Baltimore Collegiate was 97% African American. Over 85% of Collegiate boys have finished high school on time and are pursuing higher education and careers of meaning and significance.
Jack also has a pending application for a charter school in Philadelphia, Philadelphia Collegiate School for Boys. Jack’s vision for his charter schools is to change the status quo in urban education by opening a charter school focused on better outcomes and life choices for Black and Brown boys.
With KaiPod Catalyst, Jack plans to launch a new social and economic enterprise dedicated to building a network of all-male K-8, modest tuition academies based on the microschooling model.
Jack’s Mission & Vision for Trinity Arch Preparatory School for Boys
The mission of his first microschool that is opening in Paradise Valley, AZ in fall 2023, Trinity Arch Preparatory School for Boys is to help families develop their boys into young men of character based on Christian principles. Through Trinity Arch Prep’s personalized learning model, we promise that each boy will thrive and become empowered to love learning through a flexible hybrid school week that expands beyond the four walls of a classroom. There is no better time than now to focus on the needs of boys with emerging evidence that boys and young men are falling behind academically (when compared on average to girls.) We will strive, working with families, to meet boys where they are and develop them in mind, body, and spirit with dedicated teachers and tutors who understand boys.”
Why Jack Joined The KaiPod Catalyst Program
Jack joined the Catalyst Cohort with a lot of prior experience in education entrepreneurship and a large network to support his new vision. Recently, we asked Jack about his vision and experience while establishing Trinity Arch Preparatory School for Boys, and here is what he had to say.
KaiPod Catalyst: Do you get asked why you’re opening a school for boys and not girls?
Jack: Yes, and I respond by saying that I've been engaged in boys' education for over 10 years, and I believe through my experience that typically boys learn differently. They experience the issues I mentioned differently, and on average, they have fallen behind girls academically. So, at our school, we’re meeting boys who they are keeping the pace of our learning lessons quickly and varied. We'll have two recesses every day, particularly for our younger boys who are 10 and 11. I couldn't always do that in other environments, but here, because of our scale, we can do that.
KaiPod Catalyst: What do you see as the biggest educational challenges of the day facing the boys enrolling at Trinity Arch Preparatory School for Boys?
Jack: We ask all parents, does your son love learning but struggle with school? And, I see answers on two ends of a spectrum there. There’s the child who is not being challenged enough. Then, there are boys who are underperforming. Often, they are slow to become strong readers. If you're not reading effectively in fourth grade or fifth grade, you are not really engaging effectively with any kind of curriculum.
And then, there is a third category I think. There are boys who are struggling with neural challenges, like ADHD, and they are just not settling in at a traditional school. It’s like putting a round peg into a square hole.
KaiPod Catalyst: How do you address those challenges?
Jack: I hope that we as a school can address these issues at a micro level, with a small group of people who take a holistic approach. We provide the challenges that fit the individual student's needs. But, we also care a lot about preparing boys to become good young men. Some people would call it character education, but because we're a Christian school, we put it in the context of the moral and spiritual formation of boys into good men. We’re creating a school where we serve others. We serve our families, our community, the nation, and the world. Through service projects at our school, you feel that you belong to a community of people who care for you and love you and want the very best for you.
KaiPod Catalyst: What differs when launching a micro-school versus a more traditional school like a charter?
Jack: Well, I've started a charter school, and money, scale, and dealing with an authorizer are at the top of the list. Opening a microschool has given me the freedom to design the school through a different lens. A micro-school offers us an opportunity to truly innovate in education. I think that some students really thrive in a traditional school environment, but I think that most large-scale schools are really focused on the middle group students. High achievers’ and underachievers' needs are often not being met. But, at microschool we can definitely focus on what I call self-paced mastery-based education, where we meet every kid exactly where they are.
KaiPod Catalyst: What advice would you give to other entrepreneurs who are considering opening a microschool?
Jack: We are in an emerging marketplace in education where parents are empowered to make choices, and because they are, they'll vote with their feet. I actually love that. It keeps you on your toes to produce the absolute best education possible. At a public school, where there’s no tuition, and never any exchange of value, so to speak. Remember that parents are paying for your school, and they come to you only when you are keeping your promises.
