Implementing the Schoolhouse
We must begin working now to ensure that every child receives a world-class education to prepare him or her for college, work, and life. The Schoolhouse framework will work. We need to come together to give life to this framework at schools throughout the district. Our efforts must have an intense sense of urgency by everyone in our community
The following are the steps we will take to ensure that the Pillars of School Excellence strategies are implemented at all schools in LAUSD:
Create “Commitment to School Excellence” - a compact between all members of the LAUSD community to provide every child with a quality public education
Let’s bring together parents, students, teachers, administrators, community groups, faith-based organizations, businesses, labor unions, elected officials, municipalities and the entire LAUSD community to sign “The Commitment to School Excellence”, a pledge to use The Schoolhouse framework as the foundation to improve all schools. By signing this commitment, individuals and organizations will be agreeing to actively participate in our community’s effort to provide every child with an excellent education. Town halls, community meetings, education roundtables and online gatherings will be held weekly throughout the community to gather input from parents, teachers and community members on the Schoolhouse framework and to get people to sign “The Commitment to School Excellence”. Feedback from all of these sessions will be used to further refine the Pillars of School Excellence initiatives and actions. We will continue organizing and building support until the Schoolhouse framework has been successfully implemented in all of our schools.
Conduct Comprehensive Audit of LAUSD to identify all sources of inefficiency and efficiency so funds and resources and can be redirected to schools
The district bureaucracy must become more efficient. While there are thousands of talented, able people working within the district’s central office, the system itself is broken, built upon multiple layers of bureaucracy to support a centralized, outmoded structure. We must get the best organizational and business minds together to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the district’s massive central office. The goal is to identify specific inefficiencies and efficiencies within the system and determine how much money can be pushed from the central bureaucracy to our schools. This assessment should begin immediately.
Develop Comprehensive Plan based on The Schoolhouse framework that can be rolled out throughout LAUSD
The Schoolhouse framework should be implemented at each of the 768 schools in LAUSD. The framework is both aspirational and substantive. It initially should be implemented in several clusters of our lowest performing schools. These school clusters could serve as demonstration projects where ideas can be tried, evaluated, and strengthened to show the promise of the many building blocks that form the Pillars of School Excellence. The work from the demonstration project will also provide us with significant knowledge about how to roll out the Pillars of School Excellence initiatives quickly and wisely. As we learn, we must develop a comprehensive plan for implementing the framework at all schools – with their partnership and participation – in the Los Angeles Unified School District.
Visit School Sites to and Develop Customized Implementation Plans
Any plan developed from the Schoolhouse framework must include a process for customizing that plan to meet the unique needs of each school and student population. Time must be spent with teachers, administrators and parents and caregivers around each school to listen, learn and identify what is working and where additional support, direction and resources are needed to successfully implement the plan. Initiatives already working for students on each campus should be honored and embraced. The Schoolhouse is not a one-size-fits all, prescriptive plan but rather a constellation of initiatives that can be customized and refined for each school community.
LET’S GET TO WORK
Not another day, month or year can pass while our children wait for their schools to function successfully. We must all come together quickly and begin the work of implementing The Schoolhouse framework. The district, educators, community members, local governments, faith-based organizations, higher education; civic, business, and labor organizations, along with students, parents and families must commit to dramatically improve LAUSD’s schools as fast as humanly possible. We hope to partner closely with the school district to carry out these reforms.
Research and practice show that it is possible for public schools to become places of excellence and achievement. Giving more autonomy to teachers works! Providing students with more time in the school day for intervention and enrichment works! Setting high standards with a college preparatory curriculum inspires students to rise to the occasion! Providing parents and families with meaningful ways to participate in their schools creates involvement and connection. The Pillars of School Excellence within The Schoolhouse work. Together, the pillars hold up our dreams, hopes and expectations for a school system of excellence for all our children.
If we know The Schoolhouse works, it is time for us to move forward and stop making excuses. Let’s not spend more time discussing why we can’t roll out practices that are good for kids in our schools and let’s focus our energy and passion on bringing them to life and scale. It is every child’s civil right to have an excellent public education, and we will not stop until every student in Los Angeles can attend a great public school.
Let’s build this Schoolhouse together, in partnership, pillar by pillar!
The following are the steps we will take to ensure that the Pillars of School Excellence strategies are implemented at all schools in LAUSD:
Create “Commitment to School Excellence” - a compact between all members of the LAUSD community to provide every child with a quality public education
Let’s bring together parents, students, teachers, administrators, community groups, faith-based organizations, businesses, labor unions, elected officials, municipalities and the entire LAUSD community to sign “The Commitment to School Excellence”, a pledge to use The Schoolhouse framework as the foundation to improve all schools. By signing this commitment, individuals and organizations will be agreeing to actively participate in our community’s effort to provide every child with an excellent education. Town halls, community meetings, education roundtables and online gatherings will be held weekly throughout the community to gather input from parents, teachers and community members on the Schoolhouse framework and to get people to sign “The Commitment to School Excellence”. Feedback from all of these sessions will be used to further refine the Pillars of School Excellence initiatives and actions. We will continue organizing and building support until the Schoolhouse framework has been successfully implemented in all of our schools.
Conduct Comprehensive Audit of LAUSD to identify all sources of inefficiency and efficiency so funds and resources and can be redirected to schools
The district bureaucracy must become more efficient. While there are thousands of talented, able people working within the district’s central office, the system itself is broken, built upon multiple layers of bureaucracy to support a centralized, outmoded structure. We must get the best organizational and business minds together to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the district’s massive central office. The goal is to identify specific inefficiencies and efficiencies within the system and determine how much money can be pushed from the central bureaucracy to our schools. This assessment should begin immediately.
Develop Comprehensive Plan based on The Schoolhouse framework that can be rolled out throughout LAUSD
The Schoolhouse framework should be implemented at each of the 768 schools in LAUSD. The framework is both aspirational and substantive. It initially should be implemented in several clusters of our lowest performing schools. These school clusters could serve as demonstration projects where ideas can be tried, evaluated, and strengthened to show the promise of the many building blocks that form the Pillars of School Excellence. The work from the demonstration project will also provide us with significant knowledge about how to roll out the Pillars of School Excellence initiatives quickly and wisely. As we learn, we must develop a comprehensive plan for implementing the framework at all schools – with their partnership and participation – in the Los Angeles Unified School District.
Visit School Sites to and Develop Customized Implementation Plans
Any plan developed from the Schoolhouse framework must include a process for customizing that plan to meet the unique needs of each school and student population. Time must be spent with teachers, administrators and parents and caregivers around each school to listen, learn and identify what is working and where additional support, direction and resources are needed to successfully implement the plan. Initiatives already working for students on each campus should be honored and embraced. The Schoolhouse is not a one-size-fits all, prescriptive plan but rather a constellation of initiatives that can be customized and refined for each school community.
LET’S GET TO WORK
Not another day, month or year can pass while our children wait for their schools to function successfully. We must all come together quickly and begin the work of implementing The Schoolhouse framework. The district, educators, community members, local governments, faith-based organizations, higher education; civic, business, and labor organizations, along with students, parents and families must commit to dramatically improve LAUSD’s schools as fast as humanly possible. We hope to partner closely with the school district to carry out these reforms.
Research and practice show that it is possible for public schools to become places of excellence and achievement. Giving more autonomy to teachers works! Providing students with more time in the school day for intervention and enrichment works! Setting high standards with a college preparatory curriculum inspires students to rise to the occasion! Providing parents and families with meaningful ways to participate in their schools creates involvement and connection. The Pillars of School Excellence within The Schoolhouse work. Together, the pillars hold up our dreams, hopes and expectations for a school system of excellence for all our children.
If we know The Schoolhouse works, it is time for us to move forward and stop making excuses. Let’s not spend more time discussing why we can’t roll out practices that are good for kids in our schools and let’s focus our energy and passion on bringing them to life and scale. It is every child’s civil right to have an excellent public education, and we will not stop until every student in Los Angeles can attend a great public school.
Let’s build this Schoolhouse together, in partnership, pillar by pillar!
