So, on Wednesday, I flew out to Illinois to speak at the Illinois Math and Science Academy to speak to their board about what we’re doing with SLA. For those who have never heard of IMSA, they are a state-wide magnet boarding school with a focus on inquiry-based science and math learning.

These folks are the gold-standard. The school is twenty years old, founded by Nobel Laureate Dr. Leon Lederman and Dr. Stephanie Pace Marshall, two brilliant scientists and educators. (Did I mention that Dr. Lederman has a Nobel Prize?) And they really have pioneered some amazing programs over the past twenty years.

I was able to spend a few hours at the school before the conference, most of it in Granger Lab talking to an IMSA senior named Davina and her Biotechnology teachers. They opened up their curriculum for me, showing me notes, plans, projects… but more importantly, they really talked powerfully about what IMSA means to them. And that’s when the power of IMSA really came through. I think there are a lot of schools across the country where kids can tell you about the content they’ve learned. There are a lot of smart kids and smart teachers in this country… but this conversation revealed much more about what IMSA means to the students there.

These kids get it — they understand what it means to think… to dream… to analyze… and to reflect. They understand that it’s about content becoming meaning. They understand its about what we do with what we learn. And they see how the kind of learning they do in their science classes spreads across all their other courses. And they understand the power of being involved in a community that believes in the power of student learning.

Now let’s return to the idea that I was speaking to the board of trustees of this institution that I so admire. Let’s return to the idea that there was some thought that our process at SLA would somehow be illuminating to these folks. Let’s return to the fact that Dr. Leon Lederman is one of the leading voices in the "Physics First" movement (so much so that I brought some of his writing to SLA’s first curriculum conference) and that SLA has chosen not to do physics first. Let’s throw in the whole "English teacher as founding principal of a science and technology high school."

Let’s say I was nervous.

I’m proud to say that I think that our vision of SLA stood up to some pretty tough questions, and while I think there are areas where IMSA’s theory and SLA’s theory deviates, I also think there were a lot of places where what we believe about education and what they believe dovetail. And I even think that, in some places, there are some places where the ideas we’re bringing to the table about what a 21st century school should be can be helpful to IMSA as they continue to reinvent themselves. (And, as an aside, it’s clear that this is a school that is continuously tweaking, reflecting, growing and changing as a school… and they are a better school for that.) It’s my hope that, coming away from this meeting, we’ve found another school for SLA to work with and share with and learn from as we move forward.

In the end, I think there are a few things I take away from the visit. One, there are some amazing models for us out there as we continue to create ourselves — and IMSA is clearly one of the best models in the country for inquiry-based learning. Two, I still love getting out there and seeing amazing schools… and exposure to places like IMSA will make us a better school. Three, we really do have something to contribute to the national discussion about education reform, and I can’t wait for our teachers to get out to conferences and start telling our story. Four, I am starting to get tired about what we’re going to… I’m just ready for us to start doing it.

(And thanks again to all the IMSA folks for giving us the opportunity to see an amazing school and share our vision with theirs. I hope to return soon. It really is a wonderful place.)