SRN LEADS/Stanford University: School Redesign Network — 
Newsletters
Contents October/November, 2006
Community leader/NBA All-Star to speak on transforming education and community
Kevin Johnson, the founder of a successful community development organization in Sacramento and former point guard for the Phoenix Suns, will present a talk on Thursday, November 9, at 5 p.m. at Stanford University. Titled, "The St. HOPE Story: Transforming an Urban Community through Education," the talk will take place in the Schwab Residential Center, East Vidilakis Room and is free and open to the public. A reception follows.
Johnson will discuss his work over the last 16 years as the head of St. HOPE, a nonprofit community development corporation. St. HOPE was established in 1989 as an after school program at Sacramento High School in the Oak Park neighborhood where Johnson grew up. St. HOPE has expanded since its inception and is the driving force behind the creation of a $1 million after-school facility; the 40 Acres Art Gallery and Cultural Center (a mixed-use community complex); and, since 2003, St. HOPE Public Schools, which provides high quality education to roughly 2,000 students through an elementary charter school and four autonomous small schools on the campus of Sacramento High School (Johnson's alma mater).
St. HOPE has flourished over the past decade, driven by Johnson's holistic vision of education and community as vitally linked. "We have grown from serving 12 students to now serving nearly 2,000 students, with a likely increase in years to come," Johnson said. "Our philosophy of combing public education with economic development will eventually empower the underserved neighborhood and improve the quality of life for its residents. I truly believe that."
Until recently, St. HOPE's focus has been local, but the organization is now partnering with the New York City Department of Education to help revitalize the Choir Academy of Harlem, a struggling 500-student K-12 public school. "We've always intended to create a replicable model so that when we are ready we can expand into other communities and help affect change. That is our vision and the Choir Academy of Harlem will be our first expansion site," Johnson explained.
Johnson is Chairman of the Board for St. HOPE and spokesman for STAND UP, a national campaign to improve education. He was a league-leading player with the Phoenix Suns from 1988-98 and for part of 2000 and a three-time NBA All-Star.
The talk is a part of the Leadership Lecture Series, and is sponsored by the School Redesign Network, the Stanford Educational Leadership Institute and the Stanford University School of Education. For more information, visit http://schoolredesign.net, call 650.723.8639, or email srnleads-info@stanford.edu.
Help design our new web site: Take our online survey
SRN is launching a web site redesign, and to get the process off on the right foot, we'd like to hear from you. We've created a brief online survey and invite our network members to speak up and let us know what works, what doesn't and what additional features would serve you better. The survey is online and will take 5 to 10 minutes to complete. The survey will be accessible only from Wednesday, October 25, until 5 p.m. (Pacific Time) on Friday, October 27. Your feedback is very important to us and we appreciate your time and energy on our behalf. Click here to get to the survey.
Principals and teachers get intensive look at successful schools
Teams of teachers and assistant principals attended SRN's Fall 2006 Small Schools Study Tour, which took place in New York City October 15-19. Teams came from Pajaro Valley High School in Watsonville, CA; Jefferson High School in Daly City, CA; Woodrow Wilson High School in Los Angeles; and Ben Lomond High School in Ogden, UT. Participants visited Manhattan & Queens International High School, the Julia Richman Educational Complex, and Landmark High School and engaged in conversations with staff, students, and principals about small school structures and strategies for personalization, collaboration, and academic rigor. The next Small Schools Study Tour will be held in Spring 2007.
SRN and the Justice Matters Institute launch new study of California high schools.
"High Schools for Equity: Policy Supports for Student Learning in Communities of Color" is a joint effort of SRN and the Justice Matters Institute, a nonprofit social justice organization. The study is designed to identify and learn from exemplary high schools serving low-income students of color. Specifically, the study focuses on schools that are providing an academically rigorous and culturally rich, relevant, and responsive learning experience for students. Because these schools are defying the conventional wisdom that links poverty and race to poor academic performance, they offer vital lessons for educators across the state and the nation.
Our goal for this study is to identify, describe, and disseminate actionable lessons from pioneering schools and districts that can be adopted and adapted by educators in similar contexts across California and the United States. This study will be published and disseminated through individual school profiles and a cross-case report. We also plan to build broad public awareness and support through community media and other public education, for the exemplary work of the schools that participate in the study.
~ New study kit spotlights four successful conversion stories
Windows on Conversions: A Multi-Media Exploration of Redesign at Four Comprehensive High Schools can be ordered through the SRN web site. This study kit costs $95 and includes four written case studies and DVD-formatted documentaries about the successful conversion process of high schools in San Mateo, CA; Chicago, IL; North Berwick, ME and Lakewood, WA. This study kit tells the stories of conversions from the frontlines, reported in the voices of teachers, administrators, parents and students who are successfully transforming schools across the country. Find out more and order online.
View latest job postings on SRN web site
More than a dozen open jobs are listed on the SRN web site. If you are looking for a job in education or are an education organization with a job opening, visit SRN's job opportunities pages.
effective policy and practice in education
Americas schools are among the most unequal in the industrialized world, according to a recently published article by SRN LEADS Co-executive Director Linda Darling-Hammond. The article, "Securing the Right to Learn: Policy and Practice for Powerful Teaching and Learning," appeared in the October issue of Educational Researcher. In it, Darling-Hammond describes the kind of preparation and policy system needed to create an educational system that is effective for all students. Read more.
© 2007 SRN LEADS
