SEL – Learning From the Field

This blog was also cross-posted on Medium.  Earlier this month, I moderated a panel at LearnLaunch’s Across Boundaries conference with an inspiring group of educators. We were discussing one of my favorite topics: integrating social emotional learning (SEL) into classroom instruction. This is an emerging area of study and many of us are learning while […]

Creating an Intentionally Diverse School: Lessons Learned

Most people have probably never heard of “intentionally diverse” schools – those designed to create and maintain a diverse student population in terms of race, income and culture.  They are a relatively new concept, based on the idea that students will learn more – and better – in environments where they are able to work […]

Guest Post: What Does it Mean to Redesign a School?

Guest post by Yetta Lewis, CEO and co-founder of Gestalt Community Schools A little more than a year ago, I started out on a journey to reimagine schools. I joined nine other teams of educators from across the country for a 10-month program, the New Schools + Transcend Collaborative. Most of us had never met, […]

What’s the Future of Innovation in Education? 

For as long as there have been people, there have been folks predicting what the future might hold. And, recently at NewSchools, our team spent a whole day considering that very question, with respect to innovation in education. For part of the day we had a special guest, renowned author Steven Johnson, to help fuel our imaginations. It was great to engage in a wide-ranging conversation about Johnson’s research on the history of innovation, its implications for […]

A New School Year, Another Chance to Reimagine the Student Experience

When I started third grade, my mom enrolled me in a new school. Her decision to change my school, I believe, fundamentally changed how I viewed myself as a student and set me on a path to envision my life beyond the underserved community where I grew up. The school opened up a whole new […]

Guest Post: Turning the Tassel – The Student Who Changed My Life

Guest Post by Oliver Sicat, CEO of Ednovate Graduation is always a special time for me as a school leader. At Ednovate, our mission is to educate high school students who will use their college degrees and careers to enact Positive Multigenerational Change in their communities, nation and world. There are currently three schools in […]

Live From Summit 2017: Why Can’t We Be Friends?

The closing plenary of NewSchools Summit 2017 began with inspirational words from Paige Pence, a student from North Idaho STEM Prep. And, it closed with a spirited exchange of idea and philosophies from panelists who represent different political ideologies, but a share commitment to making sure every student has access to a high-quality education that […]