How We Work
How we do our work is as important as what we do and makes our work impactful and enduring. We value outcomes for students over adherence to specific models. We choose ‘and’ instead of ‘or’ — our work gains strength and impact from the expert integration of diverse ideas, perspectives, and practices.
Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Anti-Racism
We commit to better serving students and families who have been marginalized and underserved by our nation’s education system. We commit to fight for educational equity and excellence in order to disrupt racial and economic injustice, which both contribute to and are fueled by our current state of educational inequity. We commit to disrupting systems of oppression and strive to be an anti-racist organization. We:
- Bring an equity lens to all that we do within our organization and with our partners.
- Tackle issues of race, class, and privilege thoughtfully and head-on.
- Engage in deep collective and individual learning and reflection about issues of race, class, and power.
- Foster inclusive, safe, and brave spaces where people are heard, respected, and can show up as their whole selves.
- Build a team that reflects the communities most impacted by our work.
- Proactively name and call out racist and inequitable practices, structures, and systems.
- Recognize our limitations and identify resources and supports to help partners advance their own commitments to diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism.
Our Values
We embrace the “and.”
We believe there are multiple paths to school excellence. We reject false choices, such as social emotional learning or rigorous academics. We blend rigor and empathy, planning and implementation, district and charter expertise, and aspirations of quality and scale.
We build capacity.
We intentionally develop ourselves, each other, and our partners. We leave our partners with the necessary knowledge, skills, and resources to operate enduring systems with excellence. We learn and grow from every engagement.
We keep student impact at the center.
We make decisions based on the best interests of students. We have the courage to constantly ask ourselves how we—and our partners—can best create long-term impact for students. We share ownership of student outcomes with our partners.
We think and act with rigor.
We don’t stop until we get to clarity and excellence. We ask questions, find answers, and then ask more questions. We hold our partners, each other, and ourselves accountable to pushing beyond the surface.
We are attuned.
We practice empathy with our partners, each other, and ourselves. We know what it’s like to lead schools and school systems and we bring that human and humbling experience to bear with our partners. We tailor pragmatic solutions that resonate with our partners’ distinct needs and context.
