Philosophy
Teaching and learning are complicated and complex and, in fundamental ways, shaped by context.
We believe that teaching should not be scripted, and that students’ passions and needs should, as much as possible, inform curriculum. We embody this belief in our partnerships with school leaders and teachers to create engaging and culturally relevant curriculum. And we strongly believe that the purpose of education is to create a critically thinking citizenry that will consume — and produce — information mindfully and engage in respectful discourse.
We believe that students have a natural curiosity about the world and desire to learn when they can see why it matters to them. We believe that what students encounter in the classroom should be authentically connected to their lives and that they are given opportunities to bring their learning outside of the classroom and engage in purposeful activities and with authentic audiences. It is that spirit that drives us to support the creation of curriculum and education programs that are inquiry driven and designed to inspire students to question and learn about the world around them.
We believe that teachers are professionals. We believe that they are positioned to best know their students and should be supported in every facet of their craft, which includes designing engaging curriculum that reflects who their students are and what they need as well as how to negotiate the demands of federal, state, and local education policies.
And we believe that our role as professional development partners – along with that of our coaches – is to work as deeply committed collaborators with teachers, students, and school leaders to determine together how to best support the critically important work of educating our children.
