Better Together

Imagine a school where learning becomes an exploration, not a chore, and where students are guided not just to pass tests, but to embrace a future of endless possibilities.

1. Building Communities of Educators Boosts Student Learning

Creating networks among educators has the power to transform schools and uplift student outcomes. By facilitating the exchange of ideas and resources, these networks enrich the teaching experience and give teachers ongoing support.

Educator networks allow schools to share innovative models, classroom tools, and professional development resources. These collaborations ease the burden on individual teachers and foster fresh ways to approach common challenges. Teachers benefit from a broader base of communal knowledge, and the connection fosters creativity and mutual improvement.

In the U.S., over 7,000 charter schools exist, and many belong to wider networks like the New Tech Network or Big Picture Learning. Research by Stanford University shows that schools within such networks often outperform standalone schools largely because of the stability these communities provide. The non-reliance on a single leader ensures consistent goals and methodologies despite leadership changes.

Examples

• Teachers share best practices for supporting special needs students.
• A shared tool library allows educators to refine, adapt, and improve learning resources.
• Networking expands a teacher's community from their local staffroom to hundreds of educators nationally.

2. Online Learning Platforms Aren’t Sufficient on Their Own

While technology has the ability to personalize learning experiences, school-based online education often lags years behind innovations in other industries. It cannot always replace the human connection vital to effective education.

Platforms for online learning still work within old education structures where grades matter more than growth, leaving many struggling children behind. For example, Jose, a student attending online classes, found himself further behind despite programs allowing him to work at his own pace. He missed the support and motivation found in a teacher-student relationship.

Blended learning – combining online tools with classroom teaching – works best. While learning platforms provide data-driven feedback and continuous progress tracking, which replaces static tests, their costs make them difficult for individual schools to adopt. Networks that develop and share these platforms with their member schools help bridge the gap.

Examples

• Jose thrived in tailored math lessons but struggled without teacher presence in other areas.
• Learning platforms that gather daily data help track growth without frequent testing.
• Higher upfront costs can be overcome with network collaboration and shared tools.

3. Project-Based Learning Unlocks Student Engagement

Providing students with learning that aligns with their life and interests through project-based and personalized approaches breaks the cycle of disinterest and underachievement.

At Katherine Smith Elementary in San Jose—a previously low-performing school—teachers embraced the New Tech Network teaching model, placing an emphasis on personalized learning paths and project-based activities. This change revamped the curriculum to connect education with real life, leading students to become more engaged and responsible for their learning.

Project-based learning builds necessary skills like collaboration, communication, problem-solving, and managing time effectively—qualities essential for success today. It transforms classrooms into hubs for innovation, where students are encouraged to communicate ideas through presentations and team projects.

Examples

• Test scores at Katherine Smith Elementary were replaced with assessments of critical thinking and growth mindset.
• Students learned real-world skills like project management and creative collaboration.
• Test preparation-focused teachers were inspired by the supportive network model.

4. Design Thinking Encourages Flexible Problem-Solving

Focusing on learning experiences rather than fixed results fosters innovation and curiosity. The use of design thinking provides a versatile framework for tackling real-world problems.

One Stone, a school in Idaho, embraced design thinking in its curriculum, encouraging students like Jared to explore fearlessly and develop problem-solving tenacity. The method involves empathizing, defining problems, brainstorming solutions, and testing ideas in real-world scenarios, fostering a flexible growth attitude.

Schools adopting a design-thinking approach empower both students and teachers to reframe failure as part of progress. This promotes fearless innovation and equips learners with leadership frameworks they can take beyond classrooms into workplaces.

Examples

• Jared developed coding skills while working on projects in student-driven makerspaces.
• Teachers at Design39 Campus used student feedback to improve lesson planning.
• Design-based learning encouraged trying 50 solutions before achieving success.

5. Real-World Learning Makes Education Relevant

Connecting students’ education to their communities and the broader real world renews their enthusiasm and makes learning meaningful.

For example, Teton Science Schools use place-based education, where students take responsibility for authentic projects such as neighborhood water-quality testing. Similar approaches at High Tech High in San Diego merge art and biology in community-focused projects, creating purpose around learning.

Field lessons, internships, and collaborative projects make abstract ideas tangible, demonstrating to students the real-life applicability of classroom concepts. These opportunities connect education to life.

Examples

• Community-centered biology-art collaborations highlighted ecological issues at High Tech High.
• Samueli Academy students undertook 45-hour career-driven internships in their senior year.
• Local field trips allowed students to implement their knowledge practically.

6. Collective Responsibility for Learning Strengthens Schools

When teachers work together and share ownership of their students' development, the impact is transformative.

In New Tech Network schools, classrooms are intentionally larger to accommodate co-teaching teams from different subjects. This structure allows teachers to integrate cross-curricular lessons, providing students with a holistic view of how subjects connect in real life. These collaborations also show students the value of teamwork and role modeling.

Shared teaching responsibility results in better differentiation for learner needs, smoother lesson delivery, and stronger support for individual students. Teachers also benefit from collaborative problem-solving and professional camaraderie, fostering sustained enthusiasm for their work.

Examples

• Co-teaching combined English and History creating lessons with deeper context.
• Real-time feedback between teachers improved lesson delivery.
• Online teacher communities, like Teacher2Teacher, enabled national collaborations.

7. Your Vision Determines the Right School Network

Every learning network comes with specific approaches and resources, and selecting the best fit starts with having clear goals for your school.

Managed networks provide ready-to-use curricular models and structured guidance but may limit individual school-level flexibility. In contrast, principle-based models encourage teacher creativity and tend to promote career-oriented themes, such as those offered by the National Academy Foundation.

Ultimately, school leaders must reflect carefully on their goals: whether it is consistency and tried systems or creative autonomy and innovation that matter most in their school’s context.

Examples

• Over 50 managed networks in the U.S. support charter schools.
• Principle networks like NAF integrate career readiness across schools.
• Time investments upfront save planning efforts later.

8. Changing Culture Changes Students’ Lives

To create lasting change, educators need to transform their school’s culture. Simply adopting new teaching methods isn’t enough without tackling existing attitudes.

At Katherine Smith Elementary, a cultural shift accompanied their new learning model. Teachers encouraged trust and shared responsibility, parents were included in the transition, and leaders fostered vulnerability and cooperation. Culture, not just curriculum, determines success.

Engaging every stakeholder and building a trusting environment smooths the way to more ambitious educational goals. Culture creates the foundation within which new models flourish.

Examples

• Leaders showed vulnerability and inspired teams to embrace changes.
• Parents were guided to understand and support the school’s vision.
• Committees ensured structured feedback and shared accountability.

9. Generosity Elevates Teacher Networks

Sharing knowledge, ideas, and resources within a network inspires teachers and allows them to multiply their impact.

When educators blog about ideas, share personal experiences, or contribute to tools banks, they enrich their networks and spark creativity in others. This creates collective momentum, spreading good practices across individual classrooms, schools, and even states.

Generosity uplifts educators and helps tackle challenges collaboratively, making teaching more sustainable.

Examples

• Collaborative online spaces foster rich sharing among educators.
• Teacher blogs offer diverse subject-specific teaching solutions.
• Sharing successes creates ripple effects far beyond one classroom.

Takeaways

1. Build or join a school network to access shared resources and collaborative opportunities that ease teacher workloads and inspire innovation.
2. Prioritize project-based and real-world learning approaches to help students develop skills for life beyond tests.
3. Become an active contributor online, like blogging your teaching ideas, to help fellow educators and grow a vibrant community of knowledge-sharing.