The inspiration for this website began several years ago after a friend suggested that I read Malcolm Gladwell’s Tipping Point Two ideas from that book resonated with me.  The first was the role that “connectors,” “mavens” and “salesmen” play in “tipping” concepts.  The second was the magic of 150.  Both concepts are relevant to the goals of this website—to create a digital forum for “connectors,” “mavens” and “salesmen” and to support inquiry-based learning communities of 150 (or less) in schools around the world.

As an architect and educational facility planner I have been fortunate to work with a number of visionary educational planners including Dr. Frank Locker, who may be the quintessential “connector”—constantly linking one visionary teacher, principal, superintendent, parent, community leader, board member, to their counterparts in other schools.  In fact, the idea for this website emerged from two people connected by Frank’s work during the CEFPI 2008 conference in San Diego.  Robert Hendriks of Hamlin Design Group and I (Nick Salmon) of CTA felt the need to connect people trying to do visionary work in educational delivery and design.  We hold out as a long term goal that an organization such as CEFPI will send qualified teams to review the work of visionary schools and recognize and celebrate the contributions of those schools on an annual basis.  The network allow those schools to build on their success and share their insights with their peers throughout the world.

Launching the Visionary School Network is the first step.

Our goal is to connect people who may feel they are experimenting/exploring/leading visionary approaches to teaching, learning and facilities in isolation.

We will share resources we have uncovered along our journey and hope that you will share your stories, challenges, resources, experiences & events.

What will you find here?

A working definition of a Visionary School:

• Emerges from a community based planning process
• Supports inquiry-based education, project based learning and acquisition of critical thinking skills
• Supports individual learning, small group learning and large group celebrations in intentionally-sized small learning communities
• Creates agile learning environments that support passive and active learning, integrated with technology
• Celebrates learning and making learning visible
• Supports teacher collaboration on educational delivery through the use of teacher teams and advisor/advisee programs
• Disperses administrative leadership and related support
• Connects the community to teaching and learning through early childhood development centers, family resource centers, edible schoolyards, parent and grandparent volunteers, business partnerships and internships
• Designed in a manner that minimizes the impact of the construction and operation of the facility on the environment
• Grows through the authentic assessment of each teacher and learner
• Demonstrates 5-years (or more) of success

For more information, please see- A Working Definition of a Visionary School