Vision Statement

We at CESP believe that schools work best for all stakeholders, including educators, parents, community, and students, when they follow several common principles:

• students are challenged to use their minds well,

• the school's goals apply to all students,

• each student receives instruction and support that meets his/her unique needs,

• each student is known well by a team of adults, and at least one adult can advocate for that student,

• students are expected to master a few essential concepts and skills vs. merely to be exposed to a broad range of concepts and skills,

• students move from grade to grade or course to course only after demonstrating mastery of essential knowledge,

• teachers consider themselves generalists first and specialists in a particular area second,

• all stakeholders participate in important decisions about the school.

• all stakeholders are committed to equity, democracy and diversity in all practices,

In order to better achieve those ideals, we believe all schools, and most especially secondary level schools, need to be small enough to provide the kind of personalized instruction and guidance crucial to master a challenging curriculum.

Our long range vision is of middle or high schools composed of no more than 400 students each. We also envision each smaller school to be as autonomous as possible in determining its budget, staffing, curricular offerings, daily class schedule, discipline code and other policies within broader state and district guidelines.

Objectives

The Small Schools Resource Center will:

• assist schools through the various stages of small school development (e.g. research, planning, funding, stakeholder support, communications, facilities, design and construction, educational program, staffing, scheduling, budget, training, assessment, and reflection);

• provide technical assistance (grant writing, facilities & physical design, and support through all the phases of small school conversion listed above).

• develop stakeholder partnerships to will work collaboratively in creating and maintaining the school;

• create and sustain a rich local, regional, and national network of schools that will share best practices through sponsored workshops and site visits, and provide a resource for critical friends and reflection;

• update schools on legislation, including small schools policies, state, and national legislation affecting small schools;
• create a voice for small schools through advocacy training;

• update schools on funding sources and how to access them;

• provide links to relevant educational research and other important resources for small schools, including a web site;