SKY Partnership Welcomes District Visitors

It is written in the SKY Partnership Compact that "through modeling what a functional and productive compact can look like, our collaboration will be a model for other Texas and national school districts and charters." Throughout this inaugural school year, the partnership has been fortunate to welcome visitors from across the city, state and nation to learn about our work.

Individuals from Spokane ISD and the Bill & Melinda Gates
Foundation meet with the WAIS Leadership Team.

Two weeks ago, the SKY team hosted a group of individuals from Spokane ISD in Washington state and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Over the course of three days, the group visited both a KIPP and YES Prep fully grown-out campus, the SKY partnership site at YES Prep Northbrook and Northbrook Middle School, and Westchester Academy for International Studies. The visit also included conversations with the SKY Superintendents, district and school leadership, as well as Spring Branch ISD board members.

In November, Washington state passed legislation allowing charter schools to operate in the state for the first time. The Gates Foundation choose the SKY Partnership to spotlight as a model of what is possible when district and charter schools work together.

City and district leaders from San Antonio and El Paso
spend the day with the SKY Partnership team.

Last week, the partnership welcomed a group of district and city leaders from San Antonio and El Paso, Texas. The visitors, who also came to learn about the unique way in which SBISD and KIPP and YES Prep are learning from one another while providing opportunities for students, toured KIPP Courage at Landrum Middle School and met with district and school leaders as well as board members from both SBISD and YES Prep.

While it is an honor to showcase the work of the SKY Partnership and share our initial learnings, there is much work to be done. The partnership has been preparing to double the program size at both KIPP Courage at Landrum and YES Prep Northbrook as they welcome incoming students for the 2013-2014 school year. Additionally, planning for the YES Prep at Northbrook High School program began in February of this year. The high school program will open in the fall of 2015 as the inaugural YES Prep Northbrook middle schoolers advance to 9th grade.