A New Conversation

We partner with individuals, classrooms, schools, and organizations to foster new conversations and a new vision for schooling at the local and national levels.

Here we share the stories from students, educators, parents, leaders, and community members across the country. Each story is an expression of an individual's hopes, fears, joys, and aspirations. Each story is unique and powerful on its own. Together they are the collective dreams of a nation.

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Posts tagged Costanoa

Kalela, High School Student, CA

Kalela, High School Student, CA

All throughout my life I have dealt with a lot. I switched schools a lot and I've seen and know when teachers are just working for a check or actually trying to make a difference in students’ lives. I've seen teachers put down students for the way they speak or learn or think and it's not right. I feel like we should open more alternative schools like ours - not as continuation schools, but as just a regular school option for kids to have a safe place to learn and grow into mature adults.

SchoolPartnershipREENVISIONEDMay 22, 2018Student, CostanoaComment

Cynthia, Counselor @ High School, CA

Cynthia, Counselor @ High School, CA

I think school should give all of you students a foundation of respect and responsibility. Respect from your teachers, and responsibility because you have to show up and really be here. Schools should give you that. It should also help you develop the habits of heart you need to be empathetic toward others.

SchoolPartnershipREENVISIONEDMay 17, 2018Costanoa, CounselorComment

Luke, High School Student, CA

Luke, High School Student, CA

I think we have school as a society so that everyone can have a education and not just be lazy staying home doing nothing playing video games.

SchoolPartnershipREENVISIONEDMay 17, 2018Student, CostanoaComment

Lysa, Co-Principal, CA

Lysa, Co-Principal, CA

The way we do school is really old fashioned and out of date and that's why often students find it irrelevant and boring. If we did it really differently, and maybe listened to what you guys want more, it might work better and be more fun. Fun is a good thing - slow learning and having learning be fun is positive. Somehow it seems like people want it to be torture and not fun - I don't think life is too short for that.

SchoolPartnershipREENVISIONEDMay 17, 2018Principal, CostanoaComment

Melanie, High School Student, CA

Melanie, High School Student, CA

A good life would include a steady job, connections with my family and a place to stay.

SchoolPartnershipREENVISIONEDMay 17, 2018Student, CostanoaComment

Monse, High School Student, CA

Monse, High School Student, CA

I think we are basically forced to go to school. If we don't go to school we can get in trouble - as well as my parents. And, we come to school for a better future.

SchoolPartnershipREENVISIONEDMay 17, 2018Student, CostanoaComment

Stacy, High School Student, CA

Stacy, High School Student, CA

I think we have schools as a society to makes us learn something because without school we don't have a career and without a career we don't have a job and without a job we don't have money to pay bills.

SchoolPartnershipREENVISIONEDMay 16, 2018Student, CostanoaComment

Tyler, High School Student, CA

Tyler, High School Student, CA

What you think is the most important thing you're learning in school?

“Probably the values that you take from everything.”

SchoolPartnershipREENVISIONEDMay 16, 2018Student, CostanoaComment

James, High School Student, CA

James, High School Student, CA

In order to have a functioning community the people within it will have to be able to work together so that they have a good life and job.

SchoolPartnershipREENVISIONEDMay 16, 2018Student, CostanoaComment

Maria, High School Student, CA

Maria, High School Student, CA

A good life is money, a steady job and health.

SchoolPartnershipREENVISIONEDMay 16, 2018Student, CostanoaComment

Jaune, High School Student, CA

Jaune, High School Student, CA

Three central things would basically be: 1) being able to be with someone that I care about and love; 2) having a stable financial situation; and, 3) doing something that I like to do.

SchoolPartnershipREENVISIONEDMay 16, 2018Student, CostanoaComment

Sebastian, High School Student, CA

Sebastian, High School Student, CA

[I think we have schools] to correctly function in society and to learn to become a better citizen.

SchoolPartnershipREENVISIONEDMay 16, 2018Student, CostanoaComment

Emily, High School Student, CA

Emily, High School Student, CA

I think the most important thing I'm learning [in school] right now is that what you want to do in your life could be hard, but if you really put your mind to it, if you just try and put a lot of effort into it, you can probably do it one day.

SchoolPartnershipREENVISIONEDMay 16, 2018Student, CostanoaComment

Tiffany, UCSC College Student, CA

Tiffany, UCSC College Student, CA

I think schools should teach critical thought and a conscious awareness of what's going on in society... it should teach how to think politically and to assess information in an unbiased way.

SchoolPartnershipREENVISIONEDMay 16, 2018Undergraduate, CostanoaComment

Annie, High School Student, CA

Annie, High School Student, CA

School is to prepare us for our dream careers, I guess. Maybe not our dreams careers but just careers in general - whether it's math and you want to go and engineering. Or if you want to become a history teacher or historian. It doesn't help everybody but it helps most of us.

SchoolPartnershipREENVISIONEDMay 16, 2018Student, CostanoaComment

Angel, High School Student, CA

Angel, High School Student, CA

A good life is: 1) to have a house with a good amount of bedrooms; 2) to finish high school and go to college and study construction or to study about cars; 3) to have a good job that can help me afford what I want.

SchoolPartnershipREENVISIONEDMay 16, 2018Student, CostanoaComment

Carlos, High School Student, CA

Carlos, High School Student, CA

A good life would be calm and relaxed - not having to stress about anything, just have it be a good easy life. Then, a good family, and a good job, and an easy death.

SchoolPartnershipREENVISIONEDMay 16, 2018Costanoa, StudentComment

Isaiah, High School Student, CA

Isaiah, High School Student, CA

Part of a good life is a sense of accomplishment when you are older. Having the feeling and knowing that you've really gone somewhere - you've really contributed to society. That you've left your lasting mark on the world and you've just really done something special.

SchoolPartnershipREENVISIONEDMay 12, 2018Student, CostanoaComment

Gerri, High School Instructional Aide, CA

Gerri, High School Instructional Aide, CA

I was doing a lot of writing and poetry and Mrs. McGovern just encouraged me. She was like "you're a really good writer" and she just kept encouraging me to write. Nobody had ever said that to me before - and nobody said that to me after that either - when I was in school. I felt like for the first time a teacher saw me for who I was rather than just a kid in a in a chair.

SchoolPartnershipREENVISIONEDMay 11, 2018Instructional Aide, CostanoaComment

Jackie, High School Student, CA

Jackie, High School Student, CA

A good life would probably be to be settled and happy with where I am, and happy with what I'm doing.

SchoolPartnershipREENVISIONEDMay 11, 2018Student, CostanoaComment