Inspiration

What can jazz teach us about democracy…and our classrooms?

But what can jazz possibly teach us about democracy? One fundamental concept is the importance of process and our place within it. Both jazz and democracy are an approach, one toward music, the other toward governing. Any outcome of that approach--be it the quality of music, or our lived experience in this nation--stems from our integrity of process: how do I balance my individual freedom within what is best for the group?
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How to Extend and Deepen Learning after Professional Development

Amidst a rapidly changing world, educators are charged with not only keeping abreast with the trends in their subject areas, but also remaining curious and growing in the areas of social and emotional learning, equity literacy, and leadership development. And at the school level, leaders know the research—teachers’ job satisfaction is directly linked to access…
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Expeditions: Self-Directed Professional Development at Sonoma Academy

Sonoma Academy calls its students to be creative, ethical, and committed to learning. The school nurtures inspiring teachers and engages with the surrounding community, and its students communicate across cultures as they prepare to become leaders in a dynamic world. With nurturing faculty central to our mission statement, we know that it is critically important…
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Camping and The Pleasure of Small Things at Peninsula School

At Peninsula School, our values include authentic interactions, community, equity, freedom and responsibility, meaningful academics, and play. Keeping these core values in our hearts allows our minds to stay focused on our shared goal, our most important goal: creating a better opportunity for our children and collective future. Peninsula School aims to “create space where…
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Connecting Education to Community Impact

I am going to begin with a true and uncomfortable statement. The schools where we teach are very expensive. Crazy expensive. In fact, tuition for California independent high schools is often higher than the median income in the cities where the schools are based. Gasp. Sigh. Yet, our schools remain committed to principles of responsible…
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The Use of Being Useful

One October a few short years ago, a Midland student named Cruz was visiting a college on his application list and found himself eating alone in the dining hall. Being alone did not bother him, but he was troubled when he saw a group of students leave a significant mess for someone else to clean…
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