About Us:

Beacon Education Network is a non-profit charter management organization (CMO) inspired by the belief that a network of small, high-quality, tuition-free college preparatory charter schools built in concert with existing district schools can expand opportunities for families and improve achievement for all students.

The development of new charter schools has increased the supply and diversity of public school options, particularly for students in under-served communities whose local schools have not been providing a high-quality education. We believe the creation of quality charter schools catalyze change in traditional public schools by applying competitive pressure and demonstrating how effective, aligned systems of public schools might function when built “from scratch.” Finally, charter schools provide a powerful demonstration of how flexibility – in exchange for accountability – can lead to more effective schools and improved student outcomes.”

Mission:

The Beacon Education Network (BEN) mission is to provide college readiness for historically under-served students in non-urban communities.

History:

BEN was inspired by the success of Pacific Collegiate School, a college preparatory charter in Santa Cruz, California. BEN was founded to provide more students and their families with small learning communities reflecting high expectations for student engagement, parent participation and school accountability. BEN believes that all students can learn successfully at high levels and recognizes the growing need to help prepare more students for success in college. BEN offers a highly personalized education in small school settings with an emphasis in fine arts and foreign languages.

The Future of Public Education:
We envision a world where all students are equipped with the skills and knowledge to succeed in college and beyond. A world where students feel engaged and empowered to affect change in their communities. A world where schools partner and adapt to meet the evolving needs of students and their families.

Change Levers:

• Human Capital: A new generation of extraordinary teachers and principals, accountable for results and compensated for performance, is needed to improve student achievement.
• Data & Assessment: Schools need to be more disciplined and scientific in their collection and use of data and use it to provide meaningful feedback to students, teachers and administrators.
• Culture of High Expectations: Schools need to be accountable for their results (outcomes) and transparent in delivering a high quality student experience (inputs). All adults in a school community must be unified in helping to foster a culture of high expectations where every student in  every school has a team of adults that knows them well.

Our Value Proposition:

• Apply our passion, experience and professional network to help meet demand for school choice and college-readiness in Santa Cruz County.
• Provide students and their families with personalized, high-quality, low-cost public education alternatives that focus on preparing students for success in college and an increasingly global workplace.
• Promote the development and use of key metrics to inform school improvement efforts, especially those aimed at understanding the needs of an aligned K-16 approach for college-readiness.
• Provide donors with reliable measures of accountability and return on investment.
• Build education solutions that are high impact, equitable and efficient.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a charter school?
Charter schools are independent public schools that allow decisions and innovation at the local level, while being held accountable for improved student achievement. Each charter school is required to submit an education program designed to support a specific “mission”.

What is Beacon’s mission?
The mission of Beacon schools is to dramatically raise student achievement while preparing students for college. We are particularly interested in those students who might be the first in their family to attend college, or who otherwise might not pursue higher education.

How does Beacon plan to accomplish its mission?
Beacon schools will have the flexibility required to provide a highly personalized college readiness academic program, combined with fine arts and foreign language training. The Beacon program involves these features that we believe will contribute to the success of our mission:

• Small school size (serving 560 students in grades 6-12)
• Longer school day and year (~30% more time on task)
• Rigorous and integrated curriculum
• Regular assessment and feedback to students, teachers and parents
• Parental education and networking
• BENCorps

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