News

January 23, 2012

LPS-Hayward Selected for National “Learning Lab Network”

Hayward, California – January 23, 2012:  Leadership Public Schools (www.leadps.org) announced today that a California-based national education philanthropy leader, the Stupski Foundation, has invited LPS-Hayward to join a select group of high schools nationwide in the “Learning Lab Network” that was launched in October 2011 (www.stupski.org/context_of_our_work.htm).

The Stupski Foundation is working with students, teachers and administrators at the Learning Labs to develop new models of learning that empower students and boost their achievement. Through this new initiative, LPS-Hayward students, educators, and administrators will be connected to their peers nationwide, sharing breakthroughs and lessons and building a body of evidence demonstrating the effectiveness of the student-centered approach. “I am excited to know that the Stupski Foundation will partner with students, teachers, and administrators in recognizing the need for educational revitalization, to empower and inspire all. Our goal is to completely revolutionize the old standard of education, and to embark upon a new model that will set the standard for the rest of the nation,” said Holly Grisham, a freshman at LPS-Hayward.

At the six Learning Lab sites, which are pioneering a student-centered approach, design teams composed of students, teachers and administrators will be working to identify the specific tools and practices that inspire and enable students to direct their own learning and achieve at higher levels. “Through this initiative, LPS can be part of something that will not only have an impact on our school and community but will also help shape the new landscape of education for schools and communities across the entire nation. By intentionally putting students at the center of this reform effort, we ensure that we are focused on what matters most. I am excited that our school community has the opportunity to be a part of this collaborative, and look forward to shaping school reform from the ground up,” said Lauren Klaffky, the principal at LPS-Hayward.

Over the next three years, the Labs will be exploring and testing different tools, techniques, and strategies. They will share their learning with a growing national network of students and teachers. By connecting students and educators in a vital network, the Stupski Foundation plans to demonstrate the power and potential of these strategies to both practitioners and policymakers, ultimately achieving national impact.

“Our intent is to spark a learning revolution led by students and educators, with youth of color and poverty in the vanguard,” said Stupski Foundation CEO Susan Colby. “Innovative students, teachers, and leaders in schools like LPS-Hayward are the kind of pioneering partners we need to help us ignite change.”

For more information on the Learning Lab Network, visit www.stupski.org.

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