Boston Public Schools to Partner with Boston Big Picture School to Reimagine 7-12 Learning

Boston Public Schools to Partner with Boston Big Picture School to Reimagine 7-12 Learning

Funding and management assistance from NewSchools Venture Fund will fuel efforts to launch new, innovative school models

Boston - Friday, May 5, 2017 - Boston Public Schools Superintendent Tommy Chang is proud to announce a partnership with Boston Big Picture School to launch the development of a new, innovative school model that will incorporate personalized student learning plans that build off the student's passions and the integration of real-world problem solving through internships. Boston Big Picture School is a part of the Big Picture Learning Network, a Rhode Island-based educational nonprofit that provides a framework for school design and support to schools that are seeking to rethink the way they educate students. The initiative was selected as one of 29 organizations to receive financial grants this year from NewSchools Venture Fund. In addition to the funding, NewSchools will provide management assistance and create a forum for sharing best practices among the grant recipients. As part of its commitment, Big Picture Learning will work closely with the Boston Public Schools (BPS) to design an innovative school model that creates an academic setting that meets all students where they are, helps them succeed, and inspires them to create a brighter future. The initiative will be integrated with other BPS planning processes, such as BuildBPS, the district's 10-year educational and facilities master plan, and the district's work to redesign the high-school learning experience to better prepare BPS students for college, career and lifelong success. "Boston is a city of innovation across many sectors. In teaming up with BPS, Boston Big Picture School will help bring new innovation to the education of our children and provide them with 21st century skills to flourish in our city," said Mayor Martin J. Walsh. "Its concepts will help inform decisions around school-building investments as we continue to implement BuildBPS." Boston Big Picture School will focus on designing a school that will serve BPS students in grades 7-12. In its model, students will pursue a personalized academic program rooted in his or her unique curiosity, passion and goals. Through a range of project based learning, internships and blended learning experiences they will acquire the necessary knowledge and skills to gain access to competitive colleges and careers. "Last year, Big Picture Learning had an opportunity to present to the Boston School Committee its visions for an innovative school that would transform how children are taught," said School Committee Chairperson Michael O'Neill. "We are interested to see this project further develop into a new school archetype that could dramatically improve the educational outcomes of our children." Superintendent Chang said he looks forward to collaborating with Boston Big Picture School to develop a new school design that could help reimagine how children learn. "The instructional model that it is developing could reinvent education as we know it," Dr. Chang said. "It will foster relationship building between students, advisors and families; promote individualized learning by identifying student's passions, goals and needs; and promote 21st century skills by providing work-based learning." Boston Big Picture School will also establish and nurture a culture of trust, respect, equality, and empowerment so that all members of the community are learning and valued as we build a community rooted in democratic values. The design team for the Boston Big Picture School is being lead by Kevin Brill, the associate headmaster of Fenway High School who has worked as a teacher and administrator in the Boston Public Schools for over 20 years. "Boston Big Picture School is excited to be selected as a member of the 2017 'invent cohort' by NewSchools Venture Fund and to partner with the Boston Public Schools and Big Picture Learning in developing a school model that will provide a unique choice for students within the city of Boston," Brill said. NewSchools Venture Fund is funding projects like Boston Big Picture School as part of a movement to rethink education in the 21st century. "Too many of today's schools were built for a different time and purpose," said Scott Benson, managing partner at NewSchools Venture Fund. "We believe schools can be reimagined to better prepare young people for the future. That's why NewSchools is proud to invest in these teams of educators who are thinking boldly and creating new opportunities to set students up for success, regardless of where they're from." "We at Big Picture Learning are thrilled to bring our experience to bear in support of Boston Big Picture School's innovative new school design," added Andrew Frishman, Co-Executive Director of Big Picture Learning. "This school model, like those all across our national and international network, will have at its core the local needs of the vibrant community it serves. We're excited for what's next."