Distinctive Schools manages selected charter schools to accelerate the performance of students and educators.
Operating as usual
Did you know that January is National Thank You Month? Who would you like to thank this month? We’ll go first- thank YOU! Our Distinctive community is truly unmatched. To our staff, students, families, and community members, thank you for lifting each other up and growing with us. We appreciate you! We can’t wait to see all our students back on campus next week!
Happy New Year! We’re excited for ALL that is ahead of us in the New Year – we’re working on five key pillars, rooted in the holistic educational experience, to drive the development of our organization and serve as a framework for our actions through the plan and beyond – follow along with us in the New Year!
We hope you’re having a wonderful winter break and taking some time to rest and recharge with friends and family!
The countdown is on – Donate by December 31 to help all learners be engaged, curious and to achieve their full potential! Your support ensures student success – help Distinctive Schools to ensure *all students have what they need to thrive* – bit.ly/Distinctive_2022_Giving
Happy Holidays from all of us at Distinctive Schools, we hope you have a wonderful break! See you in 2023!
This CEO Staff Shout out celebrates our incredible Illinois Managing Director of Curriculum, Instruction & Assessment for Literacy, Amanda Pryce! Amanda joined the Distinctive Schools academic team in August of this year and has already made a HUGE impact. She brings a deep knowledge of the science of reading that she uses to implement strong early literacy practices. Partnering with leaders, coaches and teammates across the Illinois region, Amanda is a strong leader who always finds joy in everything she does. She consistently puts the needs of the students first and is fostering a lifelong love of literacy in each one of our Distinctive learners. We are so grateful for Amanda’s leadership across our Illinois campuses, as she seamlessly balances individual student needs with greater campus and network goals. Amanda is an incredible asset to our team, and an exemplary collaborator with years of school leadership experience. She is deeply committed to building strong teams to support our students. Amanda – we thank you for all the hard work, heart and passion you bring to this work and our communities every single day. We appreciate you! This month, Amanda, the spotlight is on YOU!
As we approach the close of the year and reflect on 2022, we have so much to be thankful for – and even more to look forward to in the New Year! We are embarking on our most ambitious plan to date, and we would love your support in our End-of-Year Giving Campaign! bit.ly/Distinctive_2022_Giving
Trinity, an 11th grade student and her mom LaTanya were able to tour the expansion at Art In Motion! Check out the space and see all that is in progress! We are on track to occupy the building this school year. We continue to make significant progress, and feel VERY excited about all that is to come for this space and our students. Learn more here! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBBSpezNP-4
This week our entire Distinctive Schools leadership team gathered for an amazing day-long session – deepening our DEI focus and aligning our team further. We’re grateful to be able to partner with Thaly Germain, and for her expertise. We are grateful for the opportunity to continue to grow and better serve our students and communities, and look forward to our continued partnership with Onward!
On October 25th, Distinctive Schools presented at the Aurora Institute 2022 Symposium! You can now watch our presentation- "Pivoting Post-Pandemic: Designing for the Future, for the Community" online here: https://aurora-institute.org/symposium2022/pivoting-post-pandemic-designing-for-the-future-for-the-community/. Thank you to everyone who tuned in!
Thank you, The 74 for this insightful article about student mental health. Social Emotional Learning is a core element of our model, "Our students are more educated and getting better at putting words to what was already there,” Distinctive School’s Director of Clinical Services, Michele Lansing shared, “They know that their friends deserve help and support." Read the full article: bit.ly/the74million
Depression and anxiety continue to plague an overwhelming number of America’s middle and high school students, particularly LGBTQ and students of color, hampering efforts to boost learning from pandemic losses. Secondary students at every grade level maintain depression, stress, and anxiety is...
We’re excited to share that Lindy Mandel, an incredibly dedicated and committed teacher and instructional coach, was awarded the Illinois Network of Charter Schools Elementary Teacher of the Year Award! Congrats, Lindy! We’re grateful for ALL that you have done and continue to do for the students and families of CICS Irving Park and for Chicago International Charter School & Distinctive Schools – we so appreciate your leadership!
Today is National Special Education Day! Thank you so much to all our wonderful Special Education Teachers for all your hard work and care, you do so much to support our students every day. We appreciate you!
This CEO Staff Shout Out celebrates an incredible team player and an important part of our finance team, Rosa Delgado, our Senior Accountant! Since joining Distinctive Schools last year, Rosa has become an indispensable part of our team. Her work in leading through our most recent audit season has been impressive, as she continues to plan for ongoing systems and process enhancement across our finance team. She has a passion for education and ensuring that each of our Distinctive students have access to an equitable educational experience, and we are extremely grateful to Rosa for all the hours, love, energy and leadership she continues to pour into our DS organization overall! Rosa – we are grateful for ALL you do for the Distinctive Schools community. This month, the spotlight is on YOU!
There are only a few hours remaining to – support Distinctive Schools bit.ly/DS22_GivingTuesday! Help us to rethink, reframe, and refresh the work we do to create a better world – a world where everyone has what they need!
We’d love your support this as we rethink, reframe, and refresh the work we do to create a better world – a world where *everyone has what they need* – make a donation now at bit.ly/DS22_GivingTuesday!
Distinctive Schools campuses are working to provide more than 4,000 students and their families with *everything* they need this ! Help us to reach our goals – to provide meals during the holidays, winter items for coat drives, and bring people together during the holiday season – with us at bit.ly/DS22_GivingTuesday!
Today is ! Distinctive Schools needs your support to provide students and families with everything they need – with us! Your donations will provide meals during the holidays, winter items for coat drives, and bring people together during the holiday season. Donate now: bit.ly/DS22_GivingTuesday
Exciting news from our Art in Motion campus- We are proud to announce a partnership with City Colleges of Chicago! This program allows for AIM students to receive free college tuition and books while attending one or taking courses at one of the City Colleges of Chicago. Learn more about how to get involved: https://www.aimchicago.org/o/aim/article/913828
Today we are feeling extra thankful for our Distinctive Schools Family – thank you for being part of our amazing community! Enjoy this time with family and friends. We can't wait to see you on Monday! Happy Thanksgiving!
Did you know that next week is ? To make a donation, visit bit.ly/DS22_GivingTuesday
This year, Distinctive Schools campuses launched a series of initiatives to provide our students and families with *everything* they need. Your generosity will help Distinctive Schools to prove that we truly are – by providing families with meals during the holidays, purchasing items for coat drives, supporting community celebrations, and bringing people together during this season.
We’re reinvigorating the middle school program at Plymouth Educational Center Charter Academy. Thinking about making a shift in your career? Now is the time – certified middle school teachers can earn a starting salary of $65k! Every day we lead the charge in creating a collaborative, innovative, and welcoming public education experience. Learn more at bit.ly/PEC_MiddleSchoolApp and join a Distinctive team.
Today we held our Distinctive Schools Michigan High School Fair! Eighth Graders from Plymouth Educational Center Charter Academy and Distinctive College Prep - Harper Woods had the chance to talk with representatives from high schools around Detroit, and hear from alumni about their high school experience. Thank you to everyone who attended and made this an amazing day!
Today we’re excited to officially launch the Distinctive Schools Strategic Plan! With guidance from partners, the voice of our students and staff, and the approval of our National Board, we are confident that this trailblazing plan will guide our path in the coming years with equity, excellence, and culture at the forefront of our organization. Learn more here: bit.ly/DS_StrategicPlan.
Today wraps up School Psychology Week! Thank you to our wonderful Distinctive School Psychologists who support our students every day. Mental Health and Wellness is at the core of everything we do and our psychologists are a major part of that mission.
Our incredible partners at Alford Group have been working with us to help construct our 2022-23 Strategic Plan! Stay tuned to learn more about how we're focusing our energy this year to continue serving our students and families!
Commit. Create. Collaborate
Very exciting things happening at our Art in Motion campus! Check it out!
It was so fun to see our students dressed up and enjoying Halloween yesterday! We hope everyone had a great day!
Earlier this month week we launched our very first Distinctive Schools Learner Advisory – elevating and promoting the voices of over 40 learners from all 9 Distinctive campuses in Chicago and Metro Detroit. We discussed the importance of Belonging, and how it impacts our learning. Relationships & culture are at the heart of all that we do at DS, and it was great to hear from our most important stakeholders – our kids! Special thanks to Dr. Tammy Campbell and The Scholar First for the inspiration to launch!
This CEO Staff Spotlight recognizes an amazing team player, who supports our network in so many ways – Yolanda Harris! Yolanda's leadership as our Executive Coordinator is truly excellent. She keeps the entire team moving in strong ways with terrific coordination, exceptional organization and strong logistical planning. From running our Distinctive Schools offices to supporting our leaders each day, Yolanda keeps everything on track and focused. Yolanda's positive energy, smile and whatever it takes attitude is something that inspires our entire team. She is always willing to jump in and lead a project, always thinking about what each team member needs. This month, the spotlight is on you, Yolanda! Thanks for being our rock and foundation. We couldn't do this important work without you!
Congrats, to JW Kuebler for this feature from the Accelerate Institute! October is National Principals Month – and while we always celebrate our amazing Principal leaders, this month especially we're excited to honor the work they do and their passion for education.
JW Kuebler, a member of the 2021 School Growth Accelerator cohort, is one of the many CICS school leaders we’ve been lucky enough to work with who are always inspiring us with their dedication to advancing student outcomes.
As director of Chicago International Charter School - Irving Park, JW and his team saw the number of Black students meeting their MAP growth goal for math increase to 64% at the end of last school year, up from just 35% mid-year.
Keep up this amazing progress, CICS Irving Park!
Eighth Graders from all Distinctive Schools CICS campuses attended our High School fair today! Students had the chance to talk with representatives from high schools around Chicago, hear from alumni about their high school experience and participate in workshops to prepare them for the application process. Thank you to everyone who attended and made this an amazing day!
Registration for the 2022 Aurora Institute Symposium is now open! On October 24-26, Distinctive Schools representatives Stephanie Cardella, Karey Henderson, Sarah O'Connell, Molly Quinn and Jane Szot will be presenting at this amazing event on personalized, competency-based K-12 education! Register here: https://bit.ly/AttendSymposium
Yesterday our Distinctive Schools Academic Team hosted their first Lead from Within Coaching Academy! This event was co-facilitated with our assistant principals. In this session, participants worked on defining and documenting team coaching. Great job everyone!
We are so excited to partner with to gather family feedback. We value the voices of our families and community so much- you all help us become the best that we can be! Check your email for the survey link!
Today is Custodian Appreciation Day! Our custodians are incredible- thank you for all you do to keep our schools beautiful, clean and running smoothly!
October is National Principals Month! To all our Distinctive Principals- we are so grateful for your incredible leadership and dedication. Thank you for all you do to ensure our schools are amazing places to learn and grow. This month we celebrate YOU!
This CEO Staff Shout out celebrates an impressive, committed leader: Erika Dietz, Principal of DCP Harper Woods! Erika was a founding member of the DCP Harper Woods community in 2017 as a kindergarten teacher, and has served in various roles as a Mentor Teacher, Instructional Coach, Assistant Principal. Now, having stepped into the role of Principal this year – we are extremely impressed with her leadership! Erika has maintained a strong focus on communication, collaboration, culture, and high expectations for all students and staff. She believes that JOY and culture need to be balanced with strong accountability for the success of our DCP Harper Woods community. Erika has built an incredible team, and continues to tackle everything she can in delivering on the Distinctive Schools model and our overall promise to our community. Thank you, Erika! Today the spotlight is on YOU!
What an amazing gesture from LaCroix Water! Just like we said in the Education Week article we shared yesterday- our staff LOVES their LaCroix! Thank you so much!
CICS West Belden first graders traced their shadows today! So much learning and fun!
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Our Distinctive College Prep - Harper Woods Principal, Mrs. Dietz did an amazing interview with Praise Detroit about all the ways Distinctive Schools supports our students and families! Listen to the whole interview here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qqdo05tDNmA
Congratulations graduates! @cicsbucktown 8th grade choir performed this amazing rendition of We Are The World at today’s ceremony. Thank you to everyone who celebrated with us!
Make a donation to the Distinctive Schools Innovate to Educate Giving Campaign! Distinctive Schools is fundraising for EQUITY and ACCESS – raising funds to do the essential work for students, staff, families, and communities. We need additional funds to start a hub of on-demand learning resources for each of our regions, support our community care model, and ensure that Distinctive Schools continue to operate at the highest level. In securing additional funds, we are confident that we can continue to keep our CULTURE strong and at the core of everything we do. Visit: https://bit.ly/DS_InnovatetoEducate
Scott Frauenheim, CEO of Distinctive Schools shares an overview of our Community Care Plan. The Community Care Plan aims to address the needs of both families and staff, offering choice and options for families, while prioritizing the safety and health of students and staff. #WeAreDistinctive #ALLin For more information, please visit our website: https://www.distinctiveschools.org/communitycareplan.html
The 2019 Distinctive Champions: The John Buck Company, Charles Johnson, & Jerry Taylor have all had a tremendous impact on the lives of Distinctive students. They are #ALLin for kids, and we are excited to celebrate their commitment, generosity, and positive influence. Congratulations to our Equity, Access, and Culture Champions!
Join us at the 2019 arts schools network Conference on October 23rd for our break out session "Trends in the Workforce for Students." Our own Amanda Rychel will be presenting along with Art in Motion - Creative Arts School's Kara May. Learn more here: http://ow.ly/KcMP50wzQwY
DIstinctive College Prep Redford teachers worked together today during a fun Community building brain break! Getting to know each other is a top priority as we prepare to welcome our students and families and continue to build our community ☺️ #Allin
Things are heating up here with a Chicago campus wide Rock Paper Scissors tournament! #WeAreDistinctive #Allin
We are partnering with #TEACH to host a job fair in Michigan! If you're looking for alternative certification in Detroit and Metro-Detroit, join us on August 12 from 3:00-7:00pm to learn more about working for Distinctive College Prep - Harper Woods, Distinctive College Prep - Redford, or @Plymouth Educational Center Charter Academy! We hope to see you there! RSVP: http://bit.ly/MI2019TEACH
The Distinctive Promise | Culture At CICS West Belden, Bulldogs Belong! Bulldogs Belong is a program that allows students across all grade levels to collaborate each week – learn more on our website: https://www.distinctiveschools.org/promise.html Music: https://www.purple-planet.com
CICS Bucktown celebrates positive behavior and PRIDE with Kindergarten Superheroes! Drumroll please... congratulations to Christopher who was the superhero of the day! #TheDistinctivePromise
The Distinctive Promise | Follow along with The Distinctive Promise as we celebrate the Culture of Distinctive Schools. We will share stories, reflections, and celebrations from across the Distinctive Schools network. Our first feature celebrates the student agency deeply felt by the young leaders at CICS Irving Park, as they work to beautify the bathrooms on their campus! Learn more about our first Distinctive Promise – Culture – on our website http://bit.ly/DistinctivePromise #TheDistinctivePromise #ALLin
Distinctive Schools was created to disrupt and transform public education, with a focus on innovation and choice. Learn more in the #WeAreDistinctive introduction video! Check in tomorrow as we share our vision for the future! #ALLin #WeAreDistinctive #TheDistinctivePromise
Last night was an incredible evening for our network, as we celebrated the Inaugural Distinctive Schools Gala! Check out the performance from the Chicago Children's Choir – featuring students from CICS Irving Park! #WeAreDistinctive #ALLin
Happy Marathon Day, Chicago! Congratulations and best of luck to everyone running and supporting! A few weeks back, Nike imagined an incredible commercial for the Chicago runners. There are a few Distinctive faces in the video, check out some of our CICS Bucktown students running through! #RiseChicago #WeAreDistinctive #ChicagoMarathon
Distinctive Schools is Celebrating International Women's Day! We are honored to support the work of innovative, dedicated, incredible women every single day. A special thank you today to the women in our Distinctive Schools family, and all women everywhere! #DistinctiveWomen #BeBoldForChange
We have a guest post on our #PersonalizedLearning blog this week! Check out the way CICS Irving Park's music teacher, Mr. Cademartori is personalizing learning for his middle school students! Read the entire post here: http://bit.ly/21stCenturyMusicPL
"Teamwork makes the Dreamwork" @2revolutions #PDtransformation #welovewhatwedo
This CICS Irving Park student is ready for the 2014-15 school year! Are you? #commit #create #collaborate
CICS Bucktown students participating in the Chicago Children’s Choir after school program performed downtown at the Illinois Policy Institute’s holiday party! The students did an amazing job and we are so lucky to have this partnership with the Chicago Children’s Choir this year!
The mission of Distinctive Schools, an educational practice leader committed to social justice and the elevation of access and achievement in historically marginalized communities, is to support each child in becoming an engaged and curious learner, a confident self-advocate, and a creative problem-solver by setting high expectations and nurturing a positive culture that honors diversity, collaboration, and optimism.
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