Things are moving ahead swiftly here at Ashby Evergreen Charter School!
Next Monday, we have our first meeting with the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), an important milestone in the charter application process. This week, our focus will be on preparing thoughtful questions and learning as much as we can about what lies ahead. We are eager to hear DESE’s feedback and guidance as we continue developing our vision for the school.
At the same time, we are organizing small-group meetings for each of the six teams working on different sections of the charter application. To help guide these discussions, we have assembled sets of questions designed to get us thinking about the information we need to gather and the decisions we will need to make as we begin drafting each section.
In true librarian fashion, I also purchased a book called Charter School Blueprint. The book is packed with checklists, worksheets, planning tools, and practical advice. I have not made it all the way through yet, but it already appears to be a valuable resource and a useful roadmap for navigating the charter application process.
I also recently discovered a documentary called The Finland Phenomenon, which explores some of the reasons Finland has been so successful in education. As we continue to build a school inspired by Finnish educational principles, it has provided some helpful context and food for thought.
There is still a tremendous amount of work ahead of us, but every week brings us one step closer to making this vision a reality. Thank you to everyone who continues to volunteer their time, expertise, and enthusiasm to this project. The support from our community has been incredible.
I look forward to sharing an update after our meeting with DESE next week and letting everyone know what we learn.
With gratitude and sisu,
Heather