Uncommon Schools (A): A Network of Networks

By: John J-H Kim and Sarah McAra

Format:Print
| Language:English

Abstract

In 2013, Brett Peiser, CEO of the charter school management organization (CMO) Uncommon Schools, is reassessing the nonprofit’s strategy. For nearly 10 years, Uncommon had fulfilled its mission to bring high-quality education to students in low-income, urban areas using a “network of networks” structure, where regional networks of charter schools operated independently, guided by Uncommon’s shared beliefs and practices. The autonomy built into the structure had allowed teachers and school leaders to develop innovative and effective practices that could then be rolled out throughout the network. But in the 2012–2013 school year, this strategy comes into question when students take the first standardized test aligned with the more rigorous Common Core State Standards. While the test results show that, on average, Uncommon’s students still perform well compared to their district peers, they also reveal a disparity in achievement across the schools and regions. The case gives students the opportunity to assess the benefits and challenges of Uncommon’s strategy so far, determine the best way to address the inconsistency in academic achievement, and consider the best way to consistently scale excellence.