How One Superintendent Built a Shared Identity from the Ground Up

When Dave Parker began his tenure as superintendent of Forest Grove School District, he didn’t have a blueprint. He had curiosity—and a desire to understand the community he’d just stepped into. At a chance…

Sharing Student Stories to Bring Your School Identity to Life

Your students’ stories are already unfolding in classrooms, sports fields, extracurricular activities, and the community. How can you collect and celebrate these stories to bring your school’s mission to life?…

Three Strategies to Empower Students

What’s the secret to empowering students? How can we unleash their hidden potential? While I’m not sure I’m qualified to answer this question fully, I have gleaned a few important strategies from working at…

Mountainside High School: Building a Culture From the Ground Up

Opening a new high school in an established district is a challenge that can be daunting in many respects. Mountainside High School in the Beaverton School District (Beaverton, Oregon) is no exception. A team…

Valley High School: Redefining a School’s Culture Through an Awareness Campaign

Over the past 2014-2015 school year, the leadership, students, and community at Valley High School in Santa Ana, California, worked with us to clarify their vision and to create strategies to make them even…