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A School Founder’s History: Linda Brown, Building Excellent Schools

Linda BrownThe 74 Million Oral History MA
The founder and CEO of BES talks about the thrill of launching and leading new schools — and rewriting the rules.

Courtesy of The 74 Million
https://www.the74million.org/

Transcript

Linda Brown reflects on the significance of founding and building excellent schools, emphasizing the creation of something new and impactful. They discuss the early days of charter schools in Massachusetts, starting from 1993 to 1995, and the evolution of high expectations and demanding standards. The speaker highlights the importance of structured processes, such as immediate parental communication when students fail to submit homework. They mention the organization’s mission to change young lives, particularly those in poverty, by providing educational opportunities and demanding rigorous academic achievement. The speaker also notes the organization’s growth, with 22 fellows this year, and their goal to significantly outperform the district academically.

Action Items

  • [ ] Publish a report card of the schools’ academic performance, showing they are significantly outperforming the district.
  • [ ] Bring in 22 fellows for the “Building Excellent Schools” program this coming year.

Outline

Founding and Building Excellent Schools

  • Linda Brownreflects on the significance of founding and building excellent schools, emphasizing the creation of something new and essential.
  • The concept of charter schools in the United States is discussed, with Massachusetts leading the way in 1995, following initial efforts from 1993 to 1995.
  • Linda Brown describes the collaborative effort of a small group of dedicated individuals who learned and implemented best practices in education.
  • The importance of high expectations, demanding standards, and immediate parental communication is highlighted as key strategies for success.

Challenges and Achievements in Charter School Development

  • Linda Brown recounts the initial challenges of starting charter schools, including the informal processes and the varying quality of schools.
  • The decision in Massachusetts to raise the standards for charter school authorization is discussed, emphasizing the mission to change young lives.
  • The organization’s focus on continuous learning and communication is highlighted, along with the need to raise funds annually to support their fellows.
  • The impact of poverty on literacy and the high capacity required of students in the program is discussed, including the demands of working long hours and on weekends.

Program Expansion and Organizational Growth

  • Linda Brown mentions the expansion of the program to include 22 fellows, reflecting the organization’s commitment to not being boutique.
  • The organization’s approach to academic achievement is discussed, with a focus on outperforming the district and setting high standards.
  • The importance of long-term success, such as achieving excellent test scores in third grade, is emphasized as a key measure of success.
  • Linda Brown expresses the organization’s goal to be academically superior and to publish report cards that show significant improvements compared to the district.

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