 |
|
Home > CES Small Schools Project > Press Releases
For Immediate Release May 17, 2005
Contact: Brett Bradshaw
Phone: 501-433-1926
Coalition of Essential Schools Grows
Nationwide Network of Small High Schools
Small Schools Project to open second group of new small schools in 2006 and 2007
The national office of the Coalition of Essential Schools (CES) announced today the second cohort of new small schools and large school conversions in the "CES Small Schools Project." This five-year initiative, made possible by an $18.7 million grant awarded in September of 2003 by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, will result in a nationwide network of more than 10 brand new small high schools and 5 large high schools that are undergoing a conversion process to break up into small autonomous schools.
The second cohort of new small schools includes:
- Bayview Essential School of Music, Art and Social Justice (San Francisco, CA),
- Capitol City Upper Charter School (Washington, DC),
- CES/Mills Experiential Learning Academy (Oakland, CA),
- Connections Public Charter High School (Hilo, HI), and
- Memphis/Bridges Small School (Memphis, TN).
The second large school conversion is:
- Olympic High School (Charlotte, NC)
Letters of interest were submitted by 40 groups from across the nation, and CES chose the school teams based on several factors. The teams demonstrated tremendous capacity to create excellent, equitable, and autonomous small CES schools that feature highly personalized learning environments that nurture each student's intellectual passions. These schools will serve large percentages of students who, in other circumstances, would be considered "at risk."
"We are very excited about the new school teams we will be supporting and know that through this project, CES will continue to provide shining examples of schools that work for all kids," said Lewis Cohen, Executive Director of CES National. "There is no better way to honor our 20 year history of creating personalized, intellectually vibrant, and equitable educational experiences for students."
###
About CES
The Coalition of Essential Schools, founded in 1984 by Theodore Sizer, is an education reform organization dedicated to transforming American public education so that every child in every neighborhood, regardless of race or class, attends a small, intellectually challenging, personalized school. The CES national office is in Oakland, CA, and there are currently seventeen CES regional centers across the country.
CES schools share a common set of beliefs about the purpose and practice of schooling, known as the CES Common Principles. Based on decades of research and practice, the principles call for all schools to offer:
- Personalized instruction to address individual needs and interests
- Small schools and classrooms, where teachers and student know each other well and work in an atmosphere of trust and high expectations
- Multiple assessments based on performance of authentic tasks
- Democratic and equitable school policies and practice
- Close partnerships with the school's community
On the Internet: Coalition of Essential Schools, www.essentialschools.org
About the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is building upon the unprecedented opportunities of the 21st century to improve equity in global health and learning. Led by Bill Gates' father, William H. Gates Sr., and Patty Stonesifer, the Seattle-based foundation has an endowment of approximately $24 billion.
On the Internet: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, www.gatesfoundation.org
Page last updated: March 14, 2006
|
|
printer version
