Commitment to one another, determination to prove stereotypes wrong, and a strong belief in the power of education are the core values at San Ysidro High School in San Diego, California. The school serves 2,364 students in one of the poorest communities in the country. The community celebrates its predominately Mexican-American heritage and…

At Hoover High School in San Diego, California, the hard work of learning and refining teaching practices began and continues through professional learning communities (PLCs). The teachers and administrators see PLCs not simply as another reason to attend meetings, but as a means of engaging with their colleagues about the implementation of a…

When the author became the principal of Citrus Middle School in 1998, it was the lowest performing school in the district. Students from Citrus were viewed as largely under-prepared, often read below grade level, had high drop-out rates, and were responsible for a significant amount of the gang activity on the school campus. She was also told that…