Changes can be frightening on any level. Without doubt, the pandemic caused devastation and sent some schools scrambling. Having a strong leadership team and organizational foundation has helped Noble Academy, a state designated high-quality charter school in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota continue its momentum and adapt to most effective ways of serving its students. Noble Academy believes in fostering a culture focused on continuous improvement. Staff and students are taught the value of seeing roadblocks as opportunities.

“When the going gets tough, the tough gets going.” This is the famous expression Mr. Neal Thao, CEO of Noble Academy follows. Dr. Mai Yia Chang, Superintendent of the school district similarly lives by Wilson Kanadi’s philosophy, “To be the best you must be able to handle the worst.” It is during challenging times as the COVID-19 pandemic that senior school administrators’ response to the crisis demonstrates effective leadership and a true commitment to serving the community. During challenging times, leaders must be able to think on their feet and connect all of the dots for every situation. Logistics and expectations are made based on current information, but sometimes there is a need to alter plans because of daily changes and orders. Though faced with uncertainty, leaders must cultivate confidence and keep up productivity and morale amongst our staff.

Noble is all about attracting and retaining great teachers – those who remain intellectually open to change and growth. An ideal teacher continuously reflects on their teaching, assesses their strength and areas of improvement and finds ways to enhance their skills. Superintendent Dr. Chang describes, “Teachers lead by example, and they are at the heart of the child’s learning system. They are accountable for motivating each child in the classroom. We provide training on best practices, but an effective teacher is one who is willing to go beyond, do their own research to develop him/herself as an educator. There are researched based techniques to help every student.” The school is very data-driven, and teachers are expected to use data to guide and differentiate their instruction daily. She also stresses, “A great teacher must be able to manage their group of students or else they are teaching to desks and tables. When you walk into the classroom of an effective teacher, you will notice a shared understanding of expectations and few behavior problems.” Teachers are held accountable to very high teaching and professional standards and with distance learning, this did not change expectations.

Noble Academy is a powerhouse school that has kept moving forward with its innovative ways. The school recently sold its second site, Nompeng Academy and merged the two locations to better serve families with students that were previously attending both sites. Big plans are still in the store for the district. As a high-quality charter school, Noble is endorsed by the Minnesota Department of Education to replicate and expand. In the fall of 2021, the school will be adding high school – starting with the addition of 9th grade and will add a grade each subsequent year that follows. To top things off, the school is actively searching for a site in the St. Paul area to replicate.

Providing a world-class education and becoming a high-quality school takes years of hard work and overcoming different challenges. Dealing with the pandemic requires the same resiliency. Reflections on education one plus years into the pandemic proves that as with any other successful school system, effective leadership plays a key role. Leaders drive the success of this school on a deeper level. They set the tone for the school and instill the cultural values and educational philosophy of what the school represent. Too often great leaders go unrecognized in the community. For this reason, lets meet the leaders who are the backbone of this organization.

Dr. Mai Yia Chang, Superintendent (INSERT PHOTO)

Dr. Chang has led Noble Academy for more than a decade, essentially building the school from the ground up. She arrived to this role with extensive classroom and leadership experience and has spent her 30-year career in education – first as elementary school teacher, then ELL Coordinator, Elementary and Middle School Principal. For the past 14 years she served as Executive Director of Teaching & Learning and Deputy Superintendent of Academics. Currently she leads the District as Superintendent of Schools and is responsible for District/State Programs, Faculty Support & Supervision, Student academic outcomes, and School and district accountability.

Mai Yia holds several academic degrees, including a bachelor from Crown College. She also earned a Masters, Education Specialist and Doctorate of Education from Hamline University. Her licenses include K-12 Superintendent, K-12 Principal, K-12 ESL, and 1-6 Elementary Education.

Dr. Chang has a proven track record of transforming schools to be recognized nationally for excellence and outperforming other districts. She believes, “As educators, whatever role we may hold, we have the power to influence!” She is a professional of exceptional integrity. She leads with a strong sense of direction and a spirit of excellence. She believes much of her success is because of the value she places on getting input from the stakeholders in her organization when making critical decisions. She is a firm believer that effective leaders are not only visionaries but are also lifelong learners. Her leadership style is characterized as collective, with a growth mindset, and democratic.

Neal Thao, CEO (INSERT PHOTO)

CEO Neal Thao is an education pioneer. As an immigrant starting high school in a small town, he went through some very tough times during his learning experience. He began to think about education from a different perspective, which led him to start Excellence in Education, LLC, EMO for Noble Academy. CEO Thao believes every child should have the opportunity to maximize their learning potential. Students deserve to receive a high-quality, world-class education that is tailored to their unique needs and recognizes culture and language as a significant role in student learning. Most significantly, parents should be given schooling options, and students should be taught that they can accomplish anything. His hope is to send the first Noble scholar to the moon. His belief continues to drive Noble’s mission forward today. Thao is known for his perseverance. As a leader in education, he believes, “If you can stay positive in a negative situation, you win.” Thao currently oversees district policies and procedures, recruitment and community relations, family and community engagement strategy and school district finances.

CEO Neal Thao graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Stout with a Bachelor of Science Degree. In 1993, he received a Master Degree in Management of Technology. Due to the need of Bilingual Teachers, he was recruited to teach in Minneapolis Public School while enrolled full time at Hamline University for an ESL teaching degree. In 2004, he enrolled in the Ed. S. Degree Program at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota. Thao received his K-12 Principal Certificate in 2006 and Superintendent Certificate in 2013.

CEO Thao is dedicated to teaching and learning as his profession, as he believes that, “No one should stop learning, because life never stops teaching.” His emphasis is on academics, culture, and leadership while also highlighting the importance of a high-quality staff, succession planning, and financial responsibility.

Just as teachers get what they expect from scholars, the senior administrators follow the same philosophy for their teachers. This starts off with hiring a staff with the right mindset and putting the right people in the right positions.  Next comes communicating high standards and setting the stage for excellence.  Professional development plays a huge role in this. CEO Thao relays, “It is critical that we provide ongoing research-based, job-related staff development program that is designed to maintain and define required competencies of our teachers.” Dr. Chang adds, “We pour a ton of energy and resource into developing our staff like nobody’s business, focusing on topics such as curricular alignment, data-driven decision making, and a strong emphasis on coaching our teachers on strategies for all areas of math, science and reading.”

Meeting the requirements of the comprehensive framework to be named a “High-Quality” charter school by the state does not come easy.  From implementation of innovative learning-based technologies and academic programs to vigorous training for staff, all decisions are made with students in mind. Ultimately it takes a strategic approach and dedicated leaders who are effective to get the school to where it’s currently standing.

Noble Academy is currently enrolling grades K-9 for the 2021-2022 School Year. Please call (763) 592-7706 or visit www.nobleacademy.us for more information.