CEI-PEA SCHOOL NETWORKS
Since the mid-1990s, school networks have become increasingly popular and effective tools utilized by both school systems and outside support agencies such as education nonprofits and funders to implement and advance education reforms. In a network, school leaders come together to share ideas, experiences, and strategies in order to address common concerns, issues, needs and goals. By coming together as a network, school leaders are able to provide tangible forms of peer level support, including the pooling of resources, collaborative programming, collective organizing and advocacy, as well as peer reviews and mentoring.
In New York City, Buffalo (NY), Boston and across the country, CEI-PEA facilitates the formation of School Networks that provide both district and charter public schools with a number of critical resources and opportunities:
Educational Continuity
Schools do not educate children in isolation. Students move through sets of schools—elementary, middle and high school—as they progress through educational systems. Bringing the schools together through a School Network makes it possible to establish educational continuity for students as they move through the various schools. The school leaders are able to identify and correct problems in matriculation schedules and other structures that influence the “flow” of students among schools. In addition, they share information about students to help ensure that their needs are met as they transition among schools.
Leaders Helping Leaders
Most school leaders work in isolation because of the nature of the job. A School Network brings school leaders together to discuss common issues, challenges, needs and goals. This fosters peer-level sharing of knowledge, which is crucial to helping leaders grow and strengthen their practices. In addition, through the School Network, school leaders conduct peer reviews for one another as well as provide mentoring and modeling of best practices in a fully supportive, non-bureaucratic manner.
Access to Extra Resources
School Networks serve as major vehicles for channeling resources to schools in a cost-effective and high-quality manner. On average, School Networks facilitated by CEI-PEA bring to participating schools more than $2 million in grant-based and private-funded services and resources. CEI-PEA’s School Networks also bring more than $300,000 a year in funds for after-school programming, as well as more than $1 million a year of in-kind after-school programs leveraged through Network affiliations.
Collaborative Professional Development
Schools often face challenges that can be overcome with focused professional development, but lack the resources to provide such professional development. Through a School Network, schools identify common needs for professional development, such as training in new literacy approaches, integration of technology in classroom instruction, and meeting the needs of specific student populations. A Network can then sponsor workshops, retreats and other collective professional development opportunities.
Collective Organizing and Advocacy
Working in isolation, it is difficult for an individual school to influence and shape local and state educational policies. However, as a Network, schools bring together their human, intellectual and community resources to organize and advocate for policies supportive of their educational communities.
some of cei-pea’s school networks are:
PICCS – Partnership for Innovation in Compensation for Charter Schools: This Network-based project includes 23 public charter schools located in New York City and Buffalo (NY). The Network has come together to develop and implement performance-based compensation systems within all of the schools, as well as establish a shared support system for helping educators achieve the goals in their performance-based compensation plans. Learn more >>
PSO – Partnership Support Organization: In New York City, CEI-PEA is contracted with 147 district-based public schools to provide them with a range of support services, including bringing them together in a series of five networks of 20-30 schools. Learn more >>
Network of Independent Charter Schools: The Network of Independent Charter Schools is designed to support teachers, administrators and trustees develop best practices and collaborate with one another and to help independent “mom and pop” charter schools succeed. Funded by the U.S. Department of Education, it delivers a comprehensive and integrated array of services and resources—free of charge—to help improve the capacity of teachers, administrators and trustees at independent charter schools. Learn more >>
More Information
If you would like more information about CEI-PEA’s School Networks or would like to join one of our Networks, please contact Walter O’Brien.