Our middle school students are learning about self-direction and self-management, facing challenges head on, and finding success – both inside and outside of the classroom. Distinctive Schools teachers and leaders recognize how mentoring is beneficial for both their students and their practice, “Being a mentor has impacted my practice, it has given me a whole new insight into learning from a student lens.” says Rachael Beucher, Assistant Director of CICS Prairie, “Mentoring has changed the way I hold students accountable in my class.”

Did you know that January is National Mentoring Month? We asked Distinctive leaders to nominate mentors who have made an impact on the teaching and learning in their schools. We’re excited to celebrate the impact of these mentors, and share a few keys for implementing a mentoring program in your classroom.​

“You have to build trust and a strong relationship with students before anything else. Most of my beginning sessions don’t focus on academics as I get to know the students better. They need to know that, as their mentor, they can come to you about anything, not just schoolwork,” shared Frank Cademartori, music teacher at CICS Irving Park. Mentoring has allowed students to see a new side to Mr. Cademartori, “It’s totally different from my job as an enrichment teacher, and has allowed me to connect with students in a new and meaningful way. It allows them to see that I am more than the content that I teach.” 

Building trust is an important component to mentoring. “It takes time to set a solid foundation of trust. Authenticity, transparency, and consistency in my actions helps students to identify who I am as an educator and mentor,” shared Le’Ka’le Darden, sixth grade science teacher at CICS Bucktown. “Starting the year with questions about who they are, what's important to them, and what support they think they will need allows me to learn more about them as well.” 

When asked about her approach to mentoring, Traci McCullough, eighth grade teacher at CICS Bucktown, shared “My strategy is to help my students help themselves. I help them to build on their strengths, so they gain self-confidence to chase the challenge.” Being a mentor has impacted Traci’s classroom and the way she teaches; the relationships built through mentoring time deepens her understanding of student learning. It has changed the way Traci communicates with her students and families, and made it easier to assist students in meaningful goal setting. 

If you are considering a mentoring practice for your classroom, we have three keys to help you get started: 

1. Start small. Building relationships by taking a few intentional minutes with your students each week has incredible benefits. Students love having a specific person they can talk to and trust at school, and when they feel safe and cared for, it leads to increased attendance and academic performance. The amount you gain is exponentially more than what you put in!
   
   
   
2. Be patient and understand that mentoring is a process. It takes time to get to know your students. A great entry point in your conversation is to focus on goals that students set for themselves. Once you've identified personal goals, you can strategize with them to meet their goals, identify their strengths and areas of growth, and build a foundation of trust. With time and trust, you can start to peel back the layers and help them identify areas outside of school that might affect their performance. Once you're both ready, you can begin to dive into some social-emotional work that will not only help them academically, but in their life outside of school as well.
   
   
   
3. Focus on your students as individuals and problem solvers. Mentoring helps to satisfy so many needs that learners have today. In addition to the incredible insights you can gain as a teacher, meeting student needs for academic and social-emotional learning allows you to help students grow in immeasurable ways. Your role is not to solve problems for your students; mentors equip students with the tools they need, and remind students of the tools they already have to problem solve. By focusing on individual needs and problem solving, mentors help students to become more self-directed and successful in their education and beyond.
   
   
   

Self-direction, self-awareness, self-management – they’re qualities that so many adults struggle with, and so deeply embedded on the path to success. These complex and individualized concepts can be difficult to teach, but as a network committed to the value of student voice and self-directed learning, we recognize that students need someone in their corner to help students navigate. 

When you heard about the design challenge, what were you most excited about? ​

Which is your favorite PRIDE mascot? ​

This year, we were so proud to welcome the PRIDE Mascots into our communities. Students spent the year thinking about the PRIDE Mascots and encouraging PRIDE behavior in each other. The PRIDE Mascots look forward to next school year and continuing to celebrate each student and the PRIDE they show every day! ​

–Sarah Gaw, Distinctive Schools SEL Network Coordinator

AIM will cultivate a strong learning and working culture, and actively embed artistic, cultural, linguistic, and social emotional learning supports throughout the instructional day. Students will select a personalized arts path, receive mentoring daily and learn from theater, dance, music, digital media and visual art experts in a workshop setting. ​

The AIM Board, with support from New Life and The Lynn Group, chose Distinctive Schools as the strong charter management organization (CMO) to lead day-to-day school oversight and management. ​

AIM will accelerate student achievement with an innovative personalized learning model and reimagine the educational experience to address inequities and provide deep academic impact for students. It will serve seventh and eighth grade, growing one grade level each year to serve seventh through twelfth grade by 2023. Seventh and eighth grade applications for the 2019-2020 school year will open Thursday, April 25. ​

Scott Frauenheim has been an integral part of the development and growth of Distinctive Schools and has been part of the Distinctive Schools family from its foundation. ​

“We are exceedingly confident in Scott’s ability to bring Distinctive Schools into the next generation of innovative education. His tenure with Distinctive Schools began in the classroom, and through thoughtful leadership, incredible initiative and endless creativity, Scott advanced from Teacher to Dean, Dean to Director, Director to President, and now, President to Chief Executive Officer. He is well positioned to lead Distinctive Schools into the future.” said Dr. Joseph Wise. ​

Frauenheim’s leadership has been a driving force in creating systems, structures, and processes for Distinctive Schools. “I am honored to assume this new role, and help move Distinctive forward with a vision for the future that builds upon the amazing foundation that our co-founders, Dr. Wise and David Sundstrom, have built,” said Frauenheim. “As an organization we will continue to focus on sustainability, growth, and investing in our teachers and staff. The culture that drives Distinctive Schools is rooted in optimism and innovation, and I look forward to continuing to build a national reputation of innovation and personalized learning.” Frauenheim is committed to thriving culture, strategic vision, meticulous operations, inspirational leadership, and nimble adaptability. 
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As a network leader, Frauenheim leverages the strength of Distinctive Schools’ healthy culture to drive the organization forward.  He acknowledges the challenges of leadership and harnesses the strengths of his team to move the work. “Frauenheim is a dynamic leader, and one of his greatest gifts is his ability to set a clear and colorful vision. Even more powerful is his ability to lead people to coalesce around that vision toward tangible and successful outcomes. He is confident in his beliefs, steadfast in his values, and people are excited and motivated to follow his lead,” stated Katherine O’Connor, Chief Academic Officer for Distinctive Schools. ​

Today we are excited to launch The Distinctive Promise - a year long fundraising campaign. We ask that you consider making an investment and a connection to Distinctive Schools. The Distinctive Promise will help to take the work that we’ve done in our first decade to scale. It’s time for us to grow a little faster so we can touch the lives of more kids and more families, touch the careers of more thoughtful, smart, committed educators, and do our part to have our kids participate in a more civil, more productive, more vibrant world. 

​Distinctive Schools was founded in 2011 with a commitment to social justice and access to high-quality education in all communities. Over the past 8 years, Distinctive Schools has remained committed to the values that all children deserve a rigorous public education regardless of zip code; teachers know best what children need to thrive and grow and should have a strong voice in their school; and that communities can be transformed by the presence of an excellent school.

Click the video below to learn more about Distinctive Schools!

Our mission is to support each child in becoming an engaged and curious learner, a confident self-advocate, and a creative problem-solver by setting high expectations and nurturing a positive culture that honors diversity, collaboration, and optimism.  

​Last year, Distinctive Schools engaged in a comprehensive strategic planning process to guide our work and to position the organization for successful scaling and growth. A diverse stakeholder group contributed to the development of the plan, which frames our work and ensures that all members of our Distinctive Schools team are pointing in the same direction as we innovate and incubate creative ideas for a reimagined public school experience.

It's time for us to take the work that we've done in our first decade to scale. Read more about the Distinctive Schools Strategic Plan on our website. Follow along with us as we share stories, celebrations, and ways you can get involved to support Distinctive Schools.

​This is our Distinctive Promise – look for more in the coming weeks!

​Distinctive Schools was created to disrupt and transform public education, with a focus on innovation and choice. We're excited to share more about who we are in this #WeAreDistinctive introduction video! 

Tomorrow we are sharing our vision for the future of Distinctive Schools! Check back to learn more about where we are going, and the way our teams are pointing in the same direction! #ALLin #WeAreDistinctive #TheDistinctivePromise

At the recent 2018 Michigan Charter Schools Symposium, Distinctive Schools network leaders had the opportunity to attend and present at the annual conference, as well as connect with fellow charter educators.

During the session, “Create a Personalized Learning Plan Connected to Each of Your Students,” Jin-Soo Huh, Executive Director of Academic Innovation at Distinctive Schools,  and Stephanie Cardella, Executive Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment at Distinctive Schools, shared their knowledge of personalized learning models and replicating it into an existing school culture. Personalized learning instruction offers pedagogy, curriculum, and learning environments to meet the individual student's needs. This tailored experience to learning preferences and specific interests of different students allows for a customized approach to teaching. For schools to truly adopt a personalized method of learning there has to be a design-thinking approach incorporated throughout the culture.

Huh and Cardella also shared lessons learned from implementing personalized learning at Distinctive Schools campuses. For example, Chicago International Charter School (CICS) West Belden, managed by Distinctive Schools, served as the pilot school to make learning more personalized for students.

To begin their transformation, the CICS West Belden team used a design thinking approach to hear directly from students about their wants and needs and tried out different models to better equip students to learn in their preferred ways. This resulted in a school where students had more agency and deeper relationships with teachers. Academic learning also increased as students received more tailored instruction, including additional small group instruction with teachers, supplemented by just the right level practice from online programs. Ultimately, CICS West Belden had created a model where students were thriving.

CICS West Belden’s journey  highlights several lessons for schools that are considering adopting personalized learning. These include:

1. CULTURE - CICS West Belden’s personalized learning model is rooted in the school’s culture. The sense of camaraderie and love for learning trickles from every level at the school, from staff to students to families. CICS West Belden staff say the time they spent building culture has been their most valuable personalized learning investment.
2. BUILD IT WITH THEM - Involving teachers, staff, students, and the community during the design and rollout of personalized learning, allows the team to learn together and feel invested in the new model.
3. PARTNER - The CICS West Belden and Distinctive Schools team recognized that many organizations and schools across the country had expertise in personalized learning, and utilized the knowledge and lessons learned from these partnerships when designing PL at CICS West Belden. As CICS West Belden grew, the school pays it forward by helping other educators and schools interested in learning more about personalized learning.
   
   

To learn more about CICS West Belden, as well as receive up-to-date school news, take a look at, and “Like,”  their Facebook Page: CICS West Belden.

​This featured Trailblazer is a talented instructor, with an incredible strength for building positive relationships. She has embraced the Distinctive way, is committed to implementing new initiatives with fidelity, and her classroom feels like home for her students and visitors alike. This Trailblazer is leading the charge with the school-home-community connection at DCP - Harper woods; her students stay connected to real-world learning and experiences by maintaining their own online portfolio of work. This Trailblazer’s classroom is committed to completing their programs of study in Lexia and Benchmark ahead of schedule, and working together as a team. She holds her students to high expectations, while at the same time showering them with love.

NextGen Growth Partners LLC (NGP), a Chicago-based private equity firm that acquires and builds businesses alongside entrepreneurial operators, made a donation to support the educational efforts of Distinctive Schools, a Chicago-based non-profit operator of public charter schools focused on social justice and the elevation of access to achievement in underserved communities. The donation aims to help, in a small way, close the opportunity gap by providing Distinctive Schools students access to innovative, engaging educational opportunities.

“What an amazing organization and mission,” commented Brian O’Connor, NextGen Growth Partners Founder and Managing Partner. “I’ve never met a group of people that are so passionate about what they do and care so much about the future of the children and families they serve.” O’Connor continued, “We see so many parallels in our models. In the same way that we believe that we can achieve new heights in great companies by surrounding them with operational talent, mentorship, processes and best practices, the Distinctive Schools team surrounds the students with the best educators, programming, educational tools and systems to make meaningful impact on the lives of children. We are absolutely thrilled to support the Distinctive Schools cause and children.”

"We are honored and deeply inspired by the generosity of NextGen Growth Partners,” stated Joseph Wise, CEO and Co-Founder of Distinctive Schools. “Major gifts, such as this, help to accelerate our work for children who need it most in our schools across Chicago and metro-Detroit, providing all students a rigorous and innovative educational experience.”
NextGen Growth Partners team members gained a deeper understanding and appreciation of both the depth and breadth of the work seen at Distinctive Schools at their annual gala, and got to experience what really sets the school network apart: kindness, optimism, growth, collaboration, and commitment to relationships, innovation and high quality rigorous personalized learning.

“With supporters like NextGen Growth Partners, we are excited about the opportunities we can provide to our students and continue the great work that we do,” added Scott Frauenheim, President of Distinctive Schools.

About NextGen Growth Partners
Headquartered in the West Loop neighborhood of Chicago, NextGen Growth Partners is a private equity firm that partners with the best and brightest entrepreneurial talent to acquire, operate and grow micro-middle-market businesses across a variety of industries. The team has a strong track record of creating value through growth and operational improvement in middle-market businesses. For more information, please visit www.nextgengp.com.
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About Distinctive Schools
Distinctive Schools is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to supporting and accelerating the work of charter schools serving kids from traditionally underserved backgrounds. The team includes passionate educators and determined leaders who innovate, trailblaze and collaboratively lead a public education transformation, as well as ensure that each and every one of Distinctive Schools students thrives in college, career and life. To learn more, please visit www.distinctiveschools.org.

​Media Contact:
Brian O’Connor, NGP Managing Partner
boconnor@nextgengp.com

Chicago International Charter School (CICS) Prairie, managed by Distinctive Schools, surprised its third and sixth grade students with the reveal of brand-new Google Chromebooks, thanks to a $250,000 Wired to Learn grant provided by local software company, Relativity.

The Wired to Learn grant, which is part of the company's larger Relativity Gives community outreach program, was created to help youth — especially those with limited resources— gain access to the technology, equipment and training that they need to be successful in today's world. Wired to Learn schools receive the $250,000 grant over three years to implement the solutions they know to be right for their students, such as Chromebooks for students at CICS Prairie.

“Relativity’s significant investment in CICS Prairie’s students will propel our intentional efforts to develop 21st century learners equipped with the skills, abilities and learning dispositions needed to thrive in a 21st century world,’ said Elizabeth Shaw, CEO at CICS. “Technology literacy enhances the learning process for our students, strengthening their critical-thinking and problem-solving skills.”

The introduction of the new computers to the third and sixth grade classrooms is part of CICS Prairie's Anytime, Anywhere technology initiative. Through Anytime, Anywhere, students will be able to bring their computers home during the school year, as well as over the summer break. With technology at their fingertips, students will be able to explore, inquire, and research topics of interest beyond what they experience in school, 24-hours a day, 7-days a week.

"With a focus on self-directed learning, our goal is to provide students with the opportunity to learn anytime and anywhere through this readily accessible technology," stated Dr. Jennifer Ferrari, Chief Schools Officer at Distinctive Schools. "The introduction of these Chromebooks levels the playing field for our children and provides them with access to rich learning opportunities to explore, inquire, experiment, develop expertise, and create."

CICS Prairie's student-centered learning model utilizes blended online and supplemental learning opportunities with traditional school-based instruction to accommodate students' diverse learning styles. Easy access to technology enables students to use curriculum programs as a tool to demonstrate deeper learning and to use technology as an integral part of their class work. The technology also provides teachers and staff access to current and real-time data, allowing them to quickly analyze and assess the current curriculum so that they can provide the most relevant instructions.

"We are excited to equip our students with new technology," said Jennifer Harth, School Director at CICS Prairie. "Students will be afforded year-long opportunities, otherwise unavailable, that will contribute to their development and growth in school, college, and career."
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Relativity team members joined CICS Prairie classrooms during the reveal to educate students on internet and technology safety, and, in partnership with CICS Prairie, hope to increase the positive impact they make on students through the use of technology.

About Chicago International Charter School
Chicago International Charter School is a vibrant network of diverse Chicago Charter schools which enables students to thrive every day, puts them on a path to success in college and life, and empowers entrepreneurial educators to pursue excellence through innovation.

About Distinctive Schools
Distinctive Schools is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to supporting and accelerating the work of charter schools serving kids from traditionally underserved backgrounds. We will innovate, trailblaze and collaboratively lead a public education transformation that positively impacts the greater education community and ensure that each and every one of our Distinctive Schools students thrives in college, career and life.
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About Relativity 
At Relativity, we make software to help users organize data, discover the truth, and act on it. Our e-discovery platform is used by thousands of organizations around the world to manage large volumes of data and quickly identify key issues during litigation, internal investigations, and compliance projects. Relativity has over 180,000 users in 40+ countries from organizations including the U.S. Department of Justice, more than 70 Fortune 100 companies, and 198 of the Am Law 200. RelativityOne offers all the functionality of Relativity in a secure and comprehensive SaaS product. Relativity has been named one of Chicago's Top Workplaces by the Chicago Tribune for seven consecutive years. Please contact Relativity at sales@relativity.com or visit http://www.relativity.com for more information.

We would like to extend a special thank you to all the businesses and organizations who so generously donated an item for our silent auction at the Inaugural Distinctive Schools Gala!

Thank you to the following: