Opinion
School & District Management Letter to the Editor

Cross-Sector Collaboration Can Unite All Types of Schools

October 27, 2014 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

To the Editor:

The article “Some Districts, Charters Forge New Partnerships” on state-led charter-district collaboration in Florida was encouraging, but if charter schools truly are to become education innovation labs, robust cross-sector collaboration is the key, and it won’t be just charters doing the teaching.

This is the core belief at Schools That Can, where we work. Within our network of more than 130 high-performing schools serving high-poverty populations in 15 cities, we unite leaders across district, charter, independent, and faith-based schools to expand high-quality urban education. We see innovation in all corners, despite—or perhaps because of—the diverse governance and financial backgrounds of our schools, and they are eager to learn alongside each other.

When district, charter, and independent schools collaborate, school leaders and teachers all bring their knowledge to the room. When these groups gather for meaningful cross-sector practice sharing, they break down the silos that separate us from one another, while improving outcomes for all students.

With so much discord about educational “reform," we must create opportunities for schools to unite across sectors on behalf of students. Instead of fighting about our differences, we should focus on the power that is unleashed when we unite around common goals and build lasting solutions on the ground so every school can thrive.

Because we already know that students can.

Casey Lamb

National Director of Growth

Schools That Can

New York, N.Y.

Jennifer Husbands

Executive Director, Chicago

Schools That Can

Chicago, Ill.

A version of this article appeared in the October 29, 2014 edition of Education Week as Cross-Sector Collaboration Can Unite All Types of Schools

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Assessment Webinar
Unlocking the Full Power of Fall MAP Growth Data
Maximize NWEA MAP Growth data this fall! Join our webinar to discover strategies for driving student growth and improving instruction.
Content provided by Otus
Classroom Technology K-12 Essentials Forum How to Teach Digital & Media Literacy in the Age of AI
Join this free event to dig into crucial questions about how to help students build a foundation of digital literacy.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Special Education Webinar
Taking Action: Three Keys to an Effective Multitiered System to Supports
Join renowned intervention experts, Dr. Luis Cruz and Mike Mattos for a webinar on the 3 essential steps to MTSS success.
Content provided by Solution Tree

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

School & District Management Video How School Leaders Can Learn to 'Disagree Better'
Leaders can’t avoid conflict. But they can learn to manage it more effectively.
3 min read
School & District Management Opinion 3 Ways School Leaders Can Build Collective Understanding
Initiatives will fail without school staff being included in these key conversations.
5 min read
Screenshot 2024 09 07 at 11.41.23 AM
Canva
School & District Management Has Superintendent Turnover Gotten Any Better? What New Data Show
See three key findings from an analysis of the 500 largest school districts.
4 min read
Photo of man using revolving door.
OJO Images
School & District Management 3 Ways Principals Can Respond to Polarization and Division
The role of a school leader is inherently difficult and conflict-ridden. Here's what they can do to manage tense situations.
6 min read
A diverse group of people tug of war on the balance bar balanced on the planet earth. Negotiations, balancing conversations.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week + iStock/Getty