Straight from the Students: Finding Supportive Communities in Public Charter Schools

In 2009, through the Intensive Partnerships for Effective Teaching initiative, we invested in three school districts: Hillsborough County Public Schools, Florida; Memphis City Schools, Tennessee; and Pittsburgh Public Schools, Pennsylvania, and a group of charter management organizations (CMOs).

With its emphasis on diversity, personalized learning, and preparing all students to succeed in college and beyond, Blackstone Valley Prep (BVP) Mayoral Academy in Rhode Island has emerged as a standout network of public charter schools.

Once a month, Anna Leonhard gets together with nine of her fellow teachers. They work in close collaboration on a variety of activities to strengthen their teaching practice—planning common units, observing each other teach, and analyzing student data.