Case Study: Jean Childs Young Middle School achieves improved instruction and a feedback-driven culture with SchoolMint's Whetstone

Jean Childs Young Middle School - Customer Case Study

Jean Childs Young Middle School in Atlanta, led by Principal Kara Stimpson, had been underperforming for years with ongoing behavior and discipline challenges and a pressing need to build instructional capacity among teachers and better manage frequent observations and feedback. After seeing demos and visiting a peer school, Stimpson chose Whetstone, the instructional coaching platform from SchoolMint, to support their teacher observation and feedback work.

SchoolMint’s Whetstone was rolled out in September 2019 with a deliberate approach—positive feedback first month, then bite-sized feedback and action steps—while also being used for meeting planning and PLC minutes. The platform helped normalize a non‑threatening feedback culture and drove measurable gains: over 1,996 coaching touchpoints to date and 64% of action steps marked as mastered since 2020, with school leaders reporting stronger instructional practice and increased teacher capacity.

Jean Childs Young Middle School

Kara Stimpson

Principal