Aspire is one of my very favorite networks of public schools.  You can walk into any of their 34 schools (serving 12,000 kids) and viscerally feel that these are great schools for kids.  The kids are happy, the educators are amongst the most inspiring, hard-working and modest that I know — and the student performance results shine as a result.  The overall learning system is thriving.   Yet, never complacent, Aspire wanted to do more for their kids.  Liz Arney, a teacher and curriculum specialist by training, envisioned how technology could enhance learning and help Aspire students better prepare for life in a wired world.  Liz led the introduction of blended learning into two of their schools in 2011. 

I wanted to share this video with you because I think it captures the spirit of innovation imbued in great schools that are able to evolve along with the changing world around them.  And in doing so, they help their students adapt and become better prepared. Rocketship and Summit Prep embody this ethos of innovation as well.