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Home > Programs > CES-NJ > About Us | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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About CES-NJAbout CES National“The Coalition of Essential Schools (CES) is a national network of schools, regional centers, and a national office, working to create schools where intellectual excitement animates every child's face, where teachers work together to get better at their craft, and where all children flourish, regardless of their gender, race, or class” CES was founded by Theodore Sizer at Brown University in 1984, firmly established on his classic book, Horace's Compromise, and subsequent books, Horace's School and Horace's Hope. Given the dismal historical record of major "top-down" reform initiatives over the past 50 years, Sizer chose to approach reform not with a new and improved "model" to be imposed, but rather with a general set of ideas or Common Principles which a school could fashion in ways that made sense to their community. In 1984, a group of twelve schools in seven states agreed to redesign themselves on the basis of Sizer's ideas and to form the Coalition. A team led by Sizer, based at Brown University, was then formed to support these "essential" schools in their efforts. CES has evolved from a centrally run organization to a decentralized network of 19 regional centers that provide technical assistance and personalized support to schools. About CES-New JerseyThe Coalition of Essential Schools - New Jersey (CES-NJ) was established in 1994 at Rutgers University with initial funding from both the Prudential and Dodge Foundations. Rebecca Lubetkin was the founding director. Claudia Burzichelli is the current Executive Director. In 1990, the landmark Abbott vs. Burke New Jersey State Supreme Court ruling specified that the state of New Jersey was obligated to address inequities in the provision of educational funding to the state's poorest schools (those schools from the 30 Abbott districts) through reallocating resources such that a "thorough and efficient" education would be available to ALL children in New Jersey. In 1998, the court decided that Whole School Reform would support the equity imperative through encouraging rethinking and restructuring teaching, learning, leadership and community involvement. Schools were directed to choose a Whole School Reform model and 59 schools chose the Coalition of Essential Schools. Through annual summer TREKS (intensive retreats for school wide action planning), targeted workshops in key areas of need (such as data based decision making, Critical Friends Groups and innovative instructional methods) and the ongoing guidance and support of CES coaches, this CES-NJ/school partnership has affected profound changes in instruction, teacher collaboration, school design and parental involvement in CES Abbott schools as well as other CES Abbott and non-Abbott schools throughout the state. As CES-NJ expands into new areas in response to school needs and as educators, parents and the public become more aware of the power and potential of CES principles and practices the network of CES-NJ partners continues to grow. Executive BoardThe CES-NJ Executive Board is composed of school, district and community representatives from both founding and more recent CES-NJ schools. Each member has a deep commitment to the work of CES and an interest in contributing to educators' awareness of and adoption of CES principles and practices. The Executive Board guides the Executive Director in areas such as advocacy at the district, state and national levels, spreading awareness of CES, guiding CES implementation and designing criteria for exploring, associate and full membership in CES-NJ.
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