People often ask what it's like to attend education conferences. The answer is usually the same. You come home with pages of notes, a suitcase full of ideas, and enough inspiration to carry you into the next school year. This year was different. I came home with something even more valuable. Validation. Over the past two weeks, Dr. Stephanie Nardi and I have traveled thousands of miles, beginning at the Innovative Schools Summit in Las Vegas, where we had the privilege of pre

Accountability scores matter, but they are never the whole story. Long before the state recognized our growth, students were beginning to feel like they belonged. Teachers were believing in one another again. Hallways felt different. Classrooms felt different. Hope had returned before our score appeared on a spreadsheet.