A core team that takes on the task of implementing a new school design or redesign will need to be agile and resourceful enough to move quickly and address challenges creatively, while also coordinating the efforts of others. The work ahead includes planning deep learning and development experiences for students—and crafting the finance, technology, operations, and human resources systems that make those experiences tangible. There’s a lot to accomplish, and it’s important to keep up momentum.
\nIdeally, the core group can count on the support of a wider team of people who expand the circle of expertise, viewpoints, backgrounds, and community connections. Many members of the original design team may stay involved, but additional advisors and allies can be important, too. Having a wide range of skills and life experiences at the table enriches the process and produces stronger overall results.
\nIt’s often useful to include a few trusted people who value your school design and have experience with change-making in other schools or nonprofit organizations. Friends like this can help facilitate the processes and navigate bumps in the road from design to implementation. At certain moments, you may find yourself needing to reach out to people with specialized expertise—for example, a lawyer to think through governance, an architect to help envision the facility, a communications professional to rally the community, and other experts with unique talents specific to the school’s vision.
\nIf you’re creating or redesigning a school that will be part of a district or charter network, this is the time to strengthen your relationships with key people there. Allies within the larger system can help you navigate the process, avoid mistakes and blind spots, and bring additional resources to the table. This may also be the right time to involve additional local partners, as you build out a full complement of services, supports, and opportunities for your students.
\nIn short, as you turn the corner from the design process to school implementation, think about how to strengthen and diversify your team so you’re ready to go fast and go far.
\n","bgColor":"white","showShape":null,"showButton":null,"buttonLabel":null,"buttonPDF":null},{"fieldGroupName":"DesignPage_Designpagesmodules_ContentBlocks_ReadMoreLinks","eyebrow":null,"headline":"Dive Deep","bgColor":"white","addIcon":null,"items":[{"image":{"alt":"two students smiling","localFile":{"childImageSharp":{"gatsbyImageData":{"layout":"fullWidth","images":{"fallback":{"src":"/inabox/static/d94d96960f64db753cd546e932b3d066/db189/SchoolMissionCulture_Fact3_DiveDeep__02.png","srcSet":"/inabox/static/d94d96960f64db753cd546e932b3d066/f054e/SchoolMissionCulture_Fact3_DiveDeep__02.png 750w,\n/inabox/static/d94d96960f64db753cd546e932b3d066/db189/SchoolMissionCulture_Fact3_DiveDeep__02.png 900w","sizes":"100vw"},"sources":[{"srcSet":"/inabox/static/d94d96960f64db753cd546e932b3d066/4f03f/SchoolMissionCulture_Fact3_DiveDeep__02.webp 750w,\n/inabox/static/d94d96960f64db753cd546e932b3d066/3987a/SchoolMissionCulture_Fact3_DiveDeep__02.webp 900w","type":"image/webp","sizes":"100vw"}]},"width":1,"height":1}}}},"buttonText":"Read More","text":"Google is good at finding patterns. What their researchers found when they started looking for patterns to explain their own most effective teams may surprise you.","title":"Diversity and the Perfect Team","link":"https://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/28/magazine/what-google-learned-from-its-quest-to-build-the-perfect-team.html","excludefromresources":null},{"image":{"alt":"a student drawing","localFile":{"childImageSharp":{"gatsbyImageData":{"layout":"fullWidth","images":{"fallback":{"src":"/inabox/static/c722164974361eca47acb2f014f924a5/db189/Networks_Fact2_DiveDeep__02.png","srcSet":"/inabox/static/c722164974361eca47acb2f014f924a5/f054e/Networks_Fact2_DiveDeep__02.png 750w,\n/inabox/static/c722164974361eca47acb2f014f924a5/db189/Networks_Fact2_DiveDeep__02.png 900w","sizes":"100vw"},"sources":[{"srcSet":"/inabox/static/c722164974361eca47acb2f014f924a5/4f03f/Networks_Fact2_DiveDeep__02.webp 750w,\n/inabox/static/c722164974361eca47acb2f014f924a5/3987a/Networks_Fact2_DiveDeep__02.webp 900w","type":"image/webp","sizes":"100vw"}]},"width":1,"height":1}}}},"buttonText":"Read","text":"MIT’s Justin Reich and Peter Senge developed Launching Innovation in Schools, an online course available on edX. Reich provides an overview in this blog post. ","title":"Launching Innovation in Schools","link":"https://www.edweek.org/education/opinion-launching-innovation-through-teacher-to-teacher-learning/2016/11","excludefromresources":null},{"image":{"alt":"student using VR goggles","localFile":{"childImageSharp":{"gatsbyImageData":{"layout":"fullWidth","images":{"fallback":{"src":"/inabox/static/54422508d49456f0fa38cadcb6bac85f/db189/TeachingLearning_Synthesize_DiveDeep__07.png","srcSet":"/inabox/static/54422508d49456f0fa38cadcb6bac85f/f054e/TeachingLearning_Synthesize_DiveDeep__07.png 750w,\n/inabox/static/54422508d49456f0fa38cadcb6bac85f/db189/TeachingLearning_Synthesize_DiveDeep__07.png 900w","sizes":"100vw"},"sources":[{"srcSet":"/inabox/static/54422508d49456f0fa38cadcb6bac85f/4f03f/TeachingLearning_Synthesize_DiveDeep__07.webp 750w,\n/inabox/static/54422508d49456f0fa38cadcb6bac85f/3987a/TeachingLearning_Synthesize_DiveDeep__07.webp 900w","type":"image/webp","sizes":"100vw"}]},"width":1,"height":1}}}},"buttonText":"Read","text":"In this popular Ted Talk, Tom Wujac describes the “marshmallow challenge” and points to some important lessons for team building.","title":"Build a Tower, Build a Team","link":"https://www.ted.com/talks/tom_wujec_build_a_tower_build_a_team#t-60326","excludefromresources":null},{"image":{"alt":"a student holding a drone","localFile":{"childImageSharp":{"gatsbyImageData":{"layout":"fullWidth","images":{"fallback":{"src":"/inabox/static/2cc9a349dcf1108bc12965a5c120a6fa/db189/TeachingLearning_Fact3_DiveDeep__04.png","srcSet":"/inabox/static/2cc9a349dcf1108bc12965a5c120a6fa/f054e/TeachingLearning_Fact3_DiveDeep__04.png 750w,\n/inabox/static/2cc9a349dcf1108bc12965a5c120a6fa/db189/TeachingLearning_Fact3_DiveDeep__04.png 900w","sizes":"100vw"},"sources":[{"srcSet":"/inabox/static/2cc9a349dcf1108bc12965a5c120a6fa/4f03f/TeachingLearning_Fact3_DiveDeep__04.webp 750w,\n/inabox/static/2cc9a349dcf1108bc12965a5c120a6fa/3987a/TeachingLearning_Fact3_DiveDeep__04.webp 900w","type":"image/webp","sizes":"100vw"}]},"width":1,"height":1}}}},"buttonText":"Read","text":"Can a network of local supports help schools come back stronger and more equitably from the pandemic? Check out these resources from the Everyone Graduates Center for ideas on how to build one. ","title":"Corps for Student Success","link":"http://www.pathwaystoadultsuccess.org/studentsuccesscorps/","excludefromresources":null}]},{"fieldGroupName":"DesignPage_Designpagesmodules_ContentBlocks_ActivityBlock","text":"Building a strong network of allies and advocates starts with recognizing what skill sets you need to access.
\nThink about who’s on your team now and who intends to stay involved. What additional, specialized expertise will be needed as you move toward implementation? Are there new partners who could be brought to the table now, as you think through innovative strategies to get your school model underway and provide your students with the best possible learning experiences?
\nShare findings with your team and discuss these questions:
\n