Coalition of Essential Schools
PreK-8th Grade National Initiative

A number of progressive educators working in PreK-8th grade education have begun a CES initiative to highlight progressive practices in preK-8th schools and to advocate for a national climate conducive to this work. Harmony Education Center has agreed to coordinate this new CES national initiative.

For more information on this new CES initiative please contact Scott Hutchinson at Harmony Education Center hutchinson@harmonyschool.org or (812) 334-8379.

Though many of these folks involved with this initiative are already associated with CES or admire CES, they also perceive CES to be primarily focused on high school reform. While many of the CES centers work with K-8 schools, CES’s own membership shares this perception.

This new CES learning community will replicate some of the most powerful aspects of the CES Small Schools Project.

This initiative will create a common vision for what the strong implementation of the Ten Common Principles looks like at the preK-8th grade levels. In addition there will be an effort to document and disseminate effective preK-8 practices. The new network will develop a common agenda and language for research in CES preK-8 schools, create partnerships, advocate for progressive practices and promote sustainability of existing schools. In addition, this initiative will be responsible for developing an advocacy agenda and common message for CES preK-8 educators.

At this year’s upcoming CES Fall Forum, to be held in Denver, November 8-10, 2007 there will be an elementary school strand. Please consider attending. More Information on the CES Fall Forum

Below is a description of the pre-conference meeting held at last year’s Fall Forum in Seattle that kicked-off the CES PreK-8th Grade Project.

Fall Forum (Nov. 2006) Pre-Conference Description
Raising the Awareness – CES Principles at Work (or not) in our Elementary Schools: The time is now and we are they – the ones that must bear witness and create a climate of advocacy for our developing learners. In this day long session, participants will be guided through a set of experiences by Facilitators from the Harmony National School Reform Faculty and other CES Centers to examine deeply what evidence exists for relevant common principles appearing in the work we do and the work we ask of children. The first part of our day will focus on “looking at student work” to find evidence of the common principles in our work. Based on what we find, we will engage in facilitated discussions around what kind of work we should be doing in the service of student achievement and what political climate we must advocate for in order to do our work. The session will close with a call to action by Deborah Meier, Co-Chair Emeritus of the Coalition of Essential Schools. There will be a series of workshops at the Fall Forum that will follow-up on this session.