This spring and summer, Common Ground is trying to do something we’ve never done before. Well, two things actually. We’re trying to build a new, integrated 9th grade experience. Imagine four big units of study, each lasting a quarter of the school year, tackling really big questions like, “How do we feed ourselves, and what does our food tell us about ourselves?” Imagine these units bring...
Voices & Stories
Brendan Haggerty July 13, 2017
The Greene School (TGS) is as Statewide Public Charter School in Rhode Island. We serve students from twenty-two districts across the state of Rhode Island including urban, suburban, and rural communities. We are a unique schooling option for students in grades 9-12 because of our commitment to engaging a diverse student population in environmental education and social justice. The...
Chamberlain Segrest (Past) June 13, 2017
The flier at the start of this post -- for the 11th grade Green Action Expo at Boston Green Academy -- gives you a glimpse into our school as the year comes to a close. Currently all 6th-11th graders at Boston Green Academy are learning about and preparing for their end-of-year cross curricular exhibitions. Each grade level digs deeply into a sustainability...
Michele Saulis June 9, 2017
Michele Saulis, Magnet School Theme Coach from Connecticut River Academy, shares an update on her school's Teaching Our Cities efforts. Pictured above: Teachers from CT River Academy and other Teaching Our Cities schools share feedback on units of study -- helping incorporate the school's commitment to sustainability and social justice into these units. The Challenge When it comes to...
Joel Tolman February 9, 2017
What happens when students sit at the center of conversations about improving their schools? Last Friday at Connecticut River Academy in Hartford, we found out. Twenty students from five urban public high schools sat down for a conversation about their schools. Two dozen teachers and school leaders perched and stood around the circle, leaning in to hear. Kerry Lord -- a Teaching Our Cities...
Joel Tolman December 7, 2016
Last week, Keilly Solano -- a Common Ground High School senior -- took the mic at the front of a room full of classroom teachers, young people, and school leaders from across the Northeast United States. She described her journey from a shy and inward-looking freshman to a senior who’s organizing peers, leading workshops that help other young people find their voice, and pushing to make Common...