"I love the professional development days we do at FirstLine, I am always looking for ways to be better for my students. FirstLine is always looking for ways to help you advance to the next level and is truly committed to making you a better teacher. "

"I have access to leaders who know what they want to see in the classrooms and know how to coach teachers to succeed when changes are needed."

"I have been at FirstLine from the beginning, the work we do here is what makes me stay. I utilize my historical context to help. I have grown with the organization but there is still a foundation of why we do this work that should never change."

"There is always someone, whether it be one of the people at the network or the teacher across the hall that can give you advice and make you do better. I think FirstLine is one of the few networks in the city where you are always going to have someone with an idea of what you can do, someone there to give you feedback."

"The Edible Schoolyard is a huge part of FirstLine's mission, which is to teach the whole child -- mind, body, and spirit. FirstLine has gardens at all four schools and kitchens at two schools, with a very robust program where the garden and kitchen work together. Cooking with ESY is all exploration – we want kids touching things, stirring things, chopping things, cooking things, and tasting everything they cook."