Did you know that April is National Library Month? April 19-25 is National Library Week, and we're celebrating! It’s hard to believe that this month means not celebrating that milestone by visiting your local library or even the treasure-trove that is your very own classroom library. While we are all still staying home and safe this month, we can honor this special month by celebrating what libraries mean to cultures, humanity and even our school community!

Books are special and our very-own personalized learning tools!  We choose the story, take a deep dive with the characters to take an adventure or learn something completely new.  Books can transform a boring afternoon into a magical adventure. And it all started with the thought that a library can be the place where adventures begin.

Speaking of getting lost in a good book … want to read one? We are lucky to have Bluestem Award Nominees in Illinois or the Mitten Awards in Michigan as sources of great suggestions from librarians for young readers! Both award lists serve as a referral for works written specifically for our kids hungry for a story to spark their imagination or even to learn of real-life events. 

Here are some fun facts you can share with your kids this month:

• Where was the first known library?  Egypt, of course, with records going back to 3rd millennium BC.
• Which Founding Father helped to bring the concept of library to the colonies?  Thank Benjamin Franklin, who helped to organize membership-based libraries.  No such thing as a free borrow then…books were very expensive and hard to come by.  Here’s a little bit more.
• Who funded the first public library in America?  That was Andrew Carnegie in 1833.  In fact, he built more than 1,700 libraries between 1881 and 1919.
• Wouldn’t you LOVE to see what some of the world’s most famous libraries look like?  Now you can when you visit this page!  Get inspired to seek out some of the world’s best-loved reads in some really inspiring destinations!  It’s almost as fun to daydream about seeing some of these amazing libraries as it is to get lost in the pages of a great book!

Help us celebrate this month by letting us know what book you’re currently reading! Post a photo of your favorite book on your favorite social media platform and tag it #DistinctiveReads!  We will share photos at the end of April to wrap up our celebration of #DistinctiveReads!​

Dear Distinctive Schools Network Families,

This is an update to our last message from February 29th, 2020  regarding the COVID-19 (coronavirus) and the network's response and procedures. Because the status of COVID-19 is rapidly changing both here in the U.S. and abroad, we are continually monitoring the situation and will regularly update you with information as it becomes pertinent to what is happening at your school.

We are in close contact with our local school districts and authorizers and have actively engaged with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to ensure that we are following the direction of experts when it comes to safety and preventative measures for our students and staff. We do - and will continue to - follow their guidance. As an update, Chicago Public Schools has announced a confirmed case of COVID-19 and they are working with families and students to ensure tight protocols are in place. If you have a student or family member at Vaughn Occupational High School, we ask that you inform us and follow all IPDH, CDC and CPS guidelines.  As stated before, there have been no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Michigan, but as the number of cases in the U.S. grows, we are taking this very seriously. As testing of COVID-19 becomes more widely available, we may begin to see new cases in the coming days and weeks. Local health departments along with state and federal authorities and local school districts will  issue new guidance in the coming days and weeks, and we will keep you updated on changes and its impact on your school. At this time, the local district is not considering closing schools based on the recommendation of local health authorities. We will likely follow local district and authorizer decision making throughout the next few days and weeks. 

There are several proactive measures we are taking right now  as preventative measures in our schools and beyond, and there are things that you - as families and members of the school community - can do that are critically important as well.

What Distinctive Schools is doing: 

• Reminding students and encouraging frequent hand washing with soap and warm water, as this is the number one way to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the flu and many other viruses. Also reminding students not to share food or drink.
• Ensuring that we have hand sanitizing stations at all schools and in all classrooms.
• Refocusing and increasing cleaning duties in all of our schools.  Currently, all touch points (light switches, doorknobs, water fountains, etc.) are cleaned daily with an antimicrobial disinfectant on the EPA list of COVID-19 fighting products (VIRAL II/256.). Plans for additional focused deep cleaning of high traffic areas and buildings are in place and being deployed this week.  Shared technology devices will also be cleaned frequently. 
• Suspending any student awards or incentives for “Perfect Attendance.” It is critical that you do not send sick children to school. 
• Suspending doctors notes from students for absences due to illnesses.
• Maintaining visitor logs and protocols as well as sign in procedures at each campus. 
• Discouraging unnecessary physical contact, including shaking hands, hugging, etc. to limit the spreading of potential viruses. Please do not be offended if your child's teacher does not shake hands and do not feel obligated to offer a hand.
• Closely watching attendance and daily illness reports at each of our schools. This is common practice during flu season for Distinctive Schools.
• We are also actively monitoring any school-sponsored field trips  to determine whether those should be postponed or cancelled. No decisions have been made at this time, but we are following alerts from the State Department, World Health Organization, local districts and CDC and will cancel, if necessary, to ensure the safety of our students and staff. 
• Cancelling all international business related travel for any DS employees. 
• Recommending DS staff to postpone, limit or cancel domestic business related travel for any DS employees. 
• Updating all of our emergency-response plans and procedures. If the situation worsens significantly, please know that we do have an Emergency Operations Plan in place. It is far too early to speculate about any school closures, but know that we are exploring various options and planning is ongoing to ensure that student learning will continue. We are ready to put these plans into action if we need to take additional steps in response to the coronavirus and local district decisions. 

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

• Keep your children home when they are sick: This simple guide gives good information about when to send students to school and when to keep them home, but if your child has any of the following symptoms, they should not come to school: fever (without medication), vomiting, diarrhea, undiagnosed rash, green or yellow discharge from nose, an inflamed throat, persistent cough, redness or discharge from the eyes, or an elevated temperature. Preventing the spread of any illness is all of our responsibility, and keeping sick children home will keep all kids safer and stop transmission within schools.
  Have a plan in place to pick your children quickly should they become ill at school.
• Encourage and help your children wash their hands often with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water is not available, use hand sanitizer. Remind them to avoid touching their eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands and to cover their mouth and nose with a tissue or upper sleeve when coughing or sneezing.
• Avoid contact with people who are sick and do not bring your children to visit with people who are ill. 
• If you travel outside the US, adhere to the CDEC Guidelines: This includes self-quarantines, avoiding non-essential travel & processes for re-entry to our schools: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/faqs.html
• If your students travel to a level 2 or 3 CDC COVID-19 warning area, please notify your School Director before returning: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/index.html)
• If anyone in your household has traveled to level 2 or 3 CDC COVID-10 warning areas, please let us know and please follow all CDC guidelines. 
• If any of our school families are expecting to host students from other countries, as part of exchange programs, with recent international travel, we ask you to let us know. In addition, if anyone in your household has traveled to any level 2 & 3 travel notice locations, we ask you to monitor symptoms and follow all CDC guidelines for communication protocols. 

Here are some helpful links if you would like more information on COVID-19:

• Centers for Disease Control: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
• Chicago Government:  www.chicago.gov/coronavirus
• Wayne County Health Division (including easy to read fact sheets): https://www.waynecounty.com/departments/hhvs/wellness/novel-coronavirus-information.aspx
• Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (latest data statewide): https://www.michigan.gov/mdhhs/0,5885,7-339-71550_5104_97675---,00.html 

If you have any additional questions or are showing any signs of a respiratory illness (similar symptoms to the flu: fever, cough, shortness of breath) please consult your health care professional. We will also update you again as the situation changes and more information becomes available.  Finally, COVID-19 does not distinguish between race, nationality, or geographic borders. Stigma and discrimination against the afflicted discourages early reporting of symptoms and further perpetuates community spread.
If there is a concern related to student discrimination, please reach out to your School Director.

We are grateful for your partnership in keeping your children - and all Distinctive Schools students and staff - safe as we navigate through this situation.
Sincerely,

Scott Frauenheim                Mike McCarthy                       
Chief Executive Officer       Executive Director of Student Services     
Distinctive Schools              Distinctive Schools

Estimadas familias de Distinctive Schools:

Esta es una actualización de nuestro último mensaje del 29 de febrero de 2020 sobre el COVID-19 (coronavirus) y la respuesta y los procedimientos de la red. Debido a que el estado de COVID-19 está cambiando rápidamente tanto en los EE. UU como en el extranjero, estamos monitoreando continuamente la situación y lo actualizaremos regularmente con información a medida que sea pertinente a lo que está sucediendo en su escuela.

Estamos en estrecho contacto con nuestros distritos escolares y autorizadores locales y nos hemos comprometido activamente con los Centros para el Control de Enfermedades (CDC) para garantizar que seguimos la dirección de los expertos en lo que respecta a medidas de seguridad y prevención para nuestros estudiantes y el personal. Seguimos, y seguiremos, siguiendo su guía. Como actualización, las Escuelas Públicas de Chicago anunciaron un caso confirmado de COVID-19 y están trabajando con familias y estudiantes para garantizar la existencia de protocolos estrictos. Si tiene un estudiante o miembro de la familia en Vaughn Occupational High School, le pedimos que nos informe y siga todas las pautas de IPDH, CDC y CPS. Como se indicó anteriormente, no ha habido casos confirmados de COVID-19 en Michigan, pero a medida que aumenta el número de casos en los EE. UU., nos estamos tomando esto muy en serio. A medida que las pruebas de COVID-19 estén más disponibles, podemos comenzar a ver nuevos casos en los próximos días y semanas. Los departamentos de salud locales junto con las autoridades estatales y federales y los distritos escolares locales emitirán una nueva guía en los próximos días y semanas, y lo mantendremos informado sobre los cambios y su impacto en su escuela. En este momento, el distrito local no está considerando cerrar las escuelas según la recomendación de las autoridades sanitarias locales. Probablemente seguiremos la toma de decisiones del distrito local y del autorizador durante los próximos días y semanas. 

Hay varias medidas proactivas que estamos tomando en este momento como medidas preventivas en nuestras escuelas y más allá, y hay cosas que ustedes, como familias y miembros de la comunidad escolar, pueden hacer que también son críticamente importantes.

Qué hace Distinctive Schools: 

• Recordar a los estudiantes y alentar el lavado frecuente de manos con agua tibia y jabón, ya que esta es la forma número uno de prevenir la propagación de COVID-19, la gripe y muchos otros virus. También recordando a los estudiantes que no compartan comida o bebida.
• Asegurarnos de tener estaciones de desinfección de manos en todas las escuelas y en todas las aulas.
• Reenfocando y aumentando las tareas de limpieza en todas nuestras escuelas. Actualmente, todos los puntos de contacto (interruptores de luz, pomos de las puertas, fuentes de agua, etc.) se limpian diariamente con un desinfectante antimicrobiano en la lista de la EPA de productos de lucha contra COVID-19 (VIRAL II / 256). Los planes para una limpieza profunda focalizada adicional de áreas y edificios de alto tráfico están en su lugar y se implementarán esta semana. Los dispositivos de tecnología compartida también se limpiarán con frecuencia. 
• Suspender cualquier premio o incentivo estudiantil por "Asistencia perfecta". Es fundamental que no envíe niños enfermos a la escuela. 
• Suspender las notas de los médicos de los estudiantes por ausencias debido a enfermedades.
• Mantener registros y protocolos de visitantes, así como procedimientos de inicio de sesión en cada campus. 
• Desalentar el contacto físico innecesario, como darse la mano, abrazarse, etc. para limitar la propagación de posibles virus. No se ofenda si el maestro de su hijo no se da la mano y no se siente obligado a ofrecer una mano.
• Observando atentamente los informes de asistencia y enfermedades diarias en cada una de nuestras escuelas. Esta es una práctica común durante la temporada de gripe para Distinctive Schools.
• También estamos monitoreando activamente cualquier excursión patrocinada por la escuela para determinar si se deben posponer o cancelar. No se han tomado decisiones en este momento, pero estamos siguiendo las alertas del Departamento de Estado, la Organización Mundial de la Salud, los distritos locales y los CDC y cancelaremos si es necesario, para garantizar la seguridad de nuestros estudiantes y personal. 
• Cancelar todos los viajes internacionales relacionados con negocios para cualquier empleado de DS. 
• Recomendar al personal de DS que posponga, límite o cancele los viajes domésticos relacionados con negocios para cualquier empleado de DS. 
• Actualización de todos nuestros planes y procedimientos de respuesta a emergencias. Si la situación empeora significativamente, sepa que tenemos un plan de operaciones de emergencia. Es demasiado pronto para especular sobre el cierre de cualquier escuela, pero sepa que estamos explorando varias opciones y que la planificación continúa para garantizar que el aprendizaje de los estudiantes continuará. Estamos listos para poner en práctica estos planes si necesitamos tomar medidas adicionales en respuesta a las decisiones del coronavirus y del distrito local. 

QUÉ PUEDE HACER:

• Mantenga a sus hijos en casa cuando estén enfermos: esta guía simple brinda buena información sobre cuándo enviar a los estudiantes a la escuela y cuándo mantenerlos en casa, pero si su hijo tiene alguno de los siguientes síntomas, no debe asistir a la escuela: fiebre (sin medicación), vómitos, diarrea, erupción cutánea no diagnosticada, secreción verde o amarilla de la nariz, garganta inflamada, tos persistente, enrojecimiento o secreción de los ojos, o temperatura elevada. Prevenir la propagación de cualquier enfermedad es nuestra responsabilidad y mantener a los niños enfermos en casa los mantendrá más seguros y detendrá la transmisión dentro de las escuelas.
  Tenga un plan para recoger a sus hijos rápidamente si se enferman en la escuela.
• Anime y ayude a sus hijos a lavarse las manos con frecuencia con jabón y agua tibia durante al menos 20 segundos. Si no hay agua y jabón disponibles, use desinfectante para manos. Recuérdeles que eviten tocarse los ojos, la nariz o la boca con las manos sin lavar y que se cubran la boca y la nariz con un pañuelo o una manga superior al toser o estornudar.
• Evite el contacto con personas enfermas y no traiga a sus hijos a visitar a personas enfermas. 
• Si viaja fuera de los EE. UU., Adhiérase a las Pautas del CDEC: esto incluye las cuarentenas, evitando los viajes y procesos no esenciales para el reingreso a nuestras escuelas: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/faqs.html
• Si sus estudiantes viajan a un área de advertencia de CDC COVID-19 de nivel 2 o 3, notifiquen al Director de su escuela antes de regresar: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/index.html)
• Si alguien en su hogar ha viajado a las áreas de advertencia de CDC COVID-10 de nivel 2 o 3, infórmenos y siga todos los CDC pautas 
• Si alguna de nuestras familias escolares espera recibir estudiantes de otros países, como parte de programas de intercambio, con viajes internacionales recientes, le pedimos que nos lo haga saber. Además, si alguien en su hogar ha viajado a cualquier lugar de notificación de viaje de nivel 2 y 3, le pedimos que controle los síntomas y siga todas las pautas de los CDC para los protocolos de comunicación. 

Aquí hay algunos enlaces útiles si desea obtener más información sobre COVID-19:

• Centros para el Control de Enfermedades: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
• Gobierno de Chicago:  www.chicago.gov/coronavirus
• Wayne County Health Division (incluidas hojas informativas fáciles de leer): https://www.waynecounty.com/departments/hhvs/wellness/novel-coronavirus-information.aspx
• Departamento de Salud y Servicios Humanos de Michigan (datos más recientes en todo el estado): https://www.michigan.gov/mdhhs/0,5885,7-339-71550_5104_97675---,00.html 

Si tiene alguna pregunta adicional o muestra signos de una enfermedad respiratoria (síntomas similares a la gripe: fiebre, tos, falta de aliento), consulte a su profesional de la salud. También lo actualizaremos nuevamente a medida que la situación cambie y haya más información disponible. Finalmente, COVID-19 no distingue entre raza, nacionalidad o fronteras geográficas. El estigma y la discriminación contra los afectados desalientan la notificación temprana de los síntomas y perpetúa aún más la propagación de la comunidad.
Si hay una preocupación relacionada con la discriminación estudiantil, comuníquese con el Director de su escuela.

Agradecemos su colaboración para mantener seguros a sus hijos y a todos los estudiantes y el personal de Distinctive Schools, mientras navegamos por esta situación.
Sinceramente,

Scott Frauenheim                  Mike McCarthy                       
Director Ejecutivo                  Director Ejecutivo de Servicios Estudiantiles     
Distinctive Schools                Distinctive Schools

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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. 
​

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