The document proposes establishing a network of 10 pre-K to 12 professional development schools (PDS) across the country, modeled after teaching hospitals, dedicated to promoting democracy. Each PDS would: - Educate around 900 students using a research-based design integrating social/democratic competencies into all subjects. - Train over 100 resident teachers, principals, and staff annually who would disseminate practices to other schools. - Partner with local schools and districts to provide professional development and research collaborations. The goal is to establish charter PDSs with autonomy to fully implement the educational model and train the next generation of educators to establish 21st century "common schools" available to all students. Start

1. 1
The Education for Democracy
Professional Development Schools Network
Proposal
A Network of Pre-K to 12 Professional Development Schools
(Like Teaching Hospitals)
Dedicated to Education that Promotes the Growth of Democracy
Especially in the Poorest Neighborhoods and Cities
Draft: June 16, 2015

2. 2
Table of Contents
Overview.................................................................................................................................... 3
Education for Democracy Professional Development Schools: Mission and Pedagogy............ 5
Education for Democracy Competencies................................................................................... 6
Education for Democracy School Design Elements .................................................................. 7
The Education for Democracy School Theory of Change.......................................................... 8
Education for Democracy Professional Development School Design Elements........................ 9
Creating Twenty-First Century Common Schools for All Students .......................................... 10
The Education for Democracy Partner Schools Project........................................................... 11
Charter Schools Dedicated to the Public Schools ................................................................... 12
Charter Schools Dedicated to Working With The Teacher Unions .......................................... 12
The Professional Development School Theory of Change ...................................................... 13
Education for Democracy Professional Development Schools: Potential Districts .................. 14
The Boston Education for Democracy School Proposal .......................................................... 15
Education for Democracy PDS Network.................................................................................. 16
Education for Democracy National Advisory Board ................................................................. 16
Education for Democracy Academic Advisory Board .............................................................. 16
Education for Democracy Charter Management Organization ................................................ 18
EFD Professional Development Schools Network Fundraising Framework ............................ 18

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OVERVIEW
We are proposing to establish a network of pre-K to 12 professional development schools
across the country that are dedicated to education that promotes the growth of democracy.
We seek to help students overcome the effects of poverty, discrimination, violence, low levels
of social trust, and other social obstacles in their lives.
The mission of these teaching academies will be to help students to overcome these
obstacles, to realize their full personal and academic potential, and to contribute to creating a
more just and democratic society. Education for democracy.
These schools will be based on a school design that integrates the teaching of core social and
democratic competencies into the best research-proven teaching practices in all subject areas
and throughout the school.
These schools will begin with early childhood education and extend through high school. Each
school will have approximately 900 students by the beginning of the fourth year.
As pre-service professional development schools, they will provide year long, full-time, paid
placements for over 100 teachers, social workers, counselors, nurses, and principals per year.
They will have partnership relationships with certification programs in major universities across
the country. Our first proposal is to establish the Boston Education for Democracy School
which will place students from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and the University of
Massachusetts/Boston in these residency positions.
As in-service professional development schools, these schools will work with school districts
and teacher unions to provide ongoing professional development support to schools and
teachers who are interested in the Education for Democracy School Design and its
components.
As research and development sites, these schools will partner with school districts, colleges
and universities, non-profit organizations, and corporations to research, develop, and assess
best teaching practices that integrate the teaching of core social and democratic
competencies.
We are proposing to establish these professional development schools as charter schools so
that they have the autonomy needed to fully implement the EFD School Design and the EFD
Professional Development School Design.
As charter schools, they will be chartered by local founding groups that will then contract with
the Education for Democracy Charter Management Organization to manage and supervise
these schools.
We are seeking start-up funding to support establishing Education for Democracy professional
development schools in ten districts across the country.
We are seeking funds to support the development of these professional development school
proposals in each district, to get their charters approved, and to negotiate management
agreements with the Education for Democracy Charter Management Organization.

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We are looking for one or more national foundations that will provide a $100,000 matching
grant to local foundations in each of these ten districts. Altogether, this would require national
foundation funding of $1 million and local foundation funding of $1 million.
This proposed network of ten professional development schools would:
 Directly educate 9,000 students per year in some of the poorest neighborhoods in our
country and indirectly support thousands more through in-service support across these
districts.
 Train and help certify 1,000 resident principals, teachers and staff per year who can help
disseminate these practices to schools around the country.
 Provide a set of institutions (ten charter schools) partnered with progressive educators
from across the country that will research, develop, and test best practices for integrating
the teaching of core social and democratic competencies into all subject areas and thereby
provide a strong foundation of support for the growth of democracy for generations to
come.

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EDUCATION FOR DEMOCRACY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
SCHOOLS: MISSION AND PEDAGOGY
Our Mission: Promoting the Growth of Democratic Character
The mission of Education for Democracy Professional Development Schools is to empower
students to overcome the social obstacles in their lives, to realize their full personal and
academic potential, and to contribute to creating a more just and democratic society.
Our Method: Transformative Education for Democracy Competencies
To support students in attaining their social, academic, and democratic goals, we propose to
integrate the teaching and modeling of core social and democratic competencies into all
subject areas and throughout the school. See next page.
By helping students to master core social competencies, we can help them overcome the
negative effects of the risk factors in their personal lives. By helping them to develop
democratic competencies, we can also provide them with the skills and values they need to be
able to work together to improve our society.
Overcoming Poverty and Discrimination
In order to help students to realize their full-potential and to contribute to the growth of our
democratic society, we need to empower students to overcome the social obstacles in their
lives such as poverty, discrimination, violence, low levels of literacy, and low levels of social
trust.
A Bottom Up Pedagogy
In order for students to overcome these social obstacles, they have to be the agents of their
own and their communities’ transformation. It can’t be done for them by others–no matter how
well intended. However, teachers can play a critical role in helping their students to master the
competencies they need to achieve these personal and social goals.
Begins with Voice
We begin by coaching students to use their voices to articulate
and to achieve important personal and social goals.
Builds Strengths
We then help students build on their strengths and to master the
new competencies that they will need to achieve these goals.
“Education then, beyond
all other devices of human
origin, is the great
equalizer of the conditions
of men, the balance-wheel
of the social machinery.”
--Horace Mann
“Twelfth Annual Report
(1848)

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EDUCATION FOR DEMOCRACY SOCIAL AND DEMOCRATIC
COMPETENCIES
Social Development Competencies
 Attachment
 Self-determination
 Perspective taking
 Love and freedom related values
 Identity awareness
 Health awareness
 Emotional awareness
 Social problem solving
 Goal attainment
Democratic Competencies
Strategies and Skills Values Knowledge
 Social awareness
 Social advocacy (voice)
 Deliberative discussion
and debate
 Democratic decision-
making
 Developing “Democracy
Plans”
 Working together
cooperatively
 Liberty
 Justice
 Equality
 Respect
 Compassion
 Hope
 Freedom
 Declaration of
Independence
 The Constitution
 The Bill of Rights
 The Amendments
 Checks and Balances
 U.S. History
 Local History
 World History
 Democratic role models
 Civil rights and other social
movements

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EDUCATION FOR DEMOCRACY: SCHOOL DESIGN ELEMENTS
To support students, families, teachers, and staff in mastering the Education for Democracy
Social and Democratic Competencies, we have developed the Education for Democracy
School Design which has eleven major design elements:
1. Comprehensive Health and Wellness Services. All students will receive nutritious meals
throughout the day along with comprehensive physical and mental health services.
2. Safe and Caring Classrooms and School. Integration of EFD competencies into classroom
management and school wide culture.
3. Humanities: Critical Language, Literacy, Social Studies, Arts, and Global Languages:
Students learn to master critical literacy, language, social studies, artistic, and global
language competencies that will help them to understand, analyze, and evaluate important
personal important issues and problems. Integration of EFD competencies into research-
proven best practices in humanities related subjects.
4. STEM: Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Computer Science. Students
will use connected computation to develop voice in representing, expressing, and
manipulating ideas in the sciences, mathematics, and computation on engaging problems
of personal, social and democratic interest. Integration of EFD competencies into research-
proven best practices in all STEM related subjects.
5. Competency Mastery of Social, Democratic, and Academic Competencies. Students self-
pace through all subject areas based on their mastery of core competencies.
6. 21st Century Educational Technology and Blended Learning. All curriculum, instruction,
assessment, communication, and professional development will utilize state of the art
educational technology. All students will have personal computers for use in school and at
home. All instruction, assessment, and communication will be web based.
7. Personalized Learning: As a professional development school, with one master teacher
and two resident teachers in each classroom, we will provide a 6/1 student to teacher ratio
along with two year looping in all subject areas. In regular schools, the goal is to have an
18/1 student to teacher ratio.
8. Increased Instructional Time. We will provide a 200 day school year (required 20 day
summer school/camp) and a 7.5 hour school day (30% increase in instructional time in
most districts).
9. Comprehensive Support for English Language Learners. All students for whom English is
their second language will receive native language instruction and support in all grade
levels whenever feasible (based on the hiring of linguistically competent staff).
10.Universal Access for Students with Disabilities. All curriculum and instruction will comply
with Universal Design for Learning Guidelines, including multiple means of representation,
multiple means of action and expression, and multiple means of engagement.
11.Extensive Support for Family and Community Members. EFD teachers and staff will visit
with student families once a month both in school and on home visits, with an awareness of
the needs for parents who are culturally and linguistically diverse. The school will provide
support for family and community advocacy and students will participate in ongoing
community service projects through the school year which address important community
needs.

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THE EDUCATION FOR DEMOCRACY SCHOOL THEORY OF CHANGE
School Design
Elements:
• Comprehensive health and
wellness sevices
• Safe and caring classrooms and
school
• Integrate social and democratic
competencies into all subject
areas
• Support for competency mastery
• 21st century educational
techology and blended learning
• Personalized learning (6:1 teacher:
student ratio)
• Increased instructional time (7.5
hours per day: 200 days per year)
• Universal access for students with
diabilities
• Comprehensive support for
English Language Learners
• Family and community support
and advocacy
Student Mastery
of Competencies:
• Social and Democratic
Competencies:
attachment, self-
determination,
perspective taking, love
and freedom related
values, identity awareness,
emotional awareness,
social problem solving,
goal attainment, social
awareness, and
democratic advocacy
• Humanties Competencies:
langauge, literacy, social
studies, arts, and global
langauges
• STEM Competencies:
science, technology,
engineering, mathematics,
and computer science
Student
Achievement of
Goals:
• Personal Goals
• Academic Goals
• Social and Democratic
Goals

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EDUCATION FOR DEMOCRACY: PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
SCHOOL DESIGN ELEMENTS
In addition to providing a transformative education for pre-K to 12 students, these schools will
also be professional development schools (like a “teaching hospital”) that will train and support
the certification of teachers, counselors, social workers, nurses, and administrators at early
childhood, primary, and secondary levels. The professional development school major design
elements include:
 Pre-Service Training for Future Educational Leaders: When they reach their full
capacity in the fourth year, these schools will provide pre-service training for over 100
resident principals, teachers and staff each year from participating schools of education.
The basic organizational feature of this pre-service component is that all master teachers
and staff, including the principal, will be partnered with two residents for the year, full-time.
This means, for example, that each classroom of 18 students will have one master teacher
and two resident teachers for a six to one teacher to student ratio. Each resident teacher
will be assigned to six students for the year.
 Collaborate with Partner Schools: The Education for Democracy Professional
Development Schools will also partner with public, charter, pilot, autonomous, religious,
and private schools that are interested in collaborating on ways to integrate the Education
for Democracy School Design components into their schools. These will be long term
agreements focused on collaborative approaches to addressing problems and providing
solutions that integrate the EFD School Design and its components. See p. 10.
 In-Service Professional Development Support: The Education for Democracy
Professional Development Schools will also provide demonstration sites for teachers and
staff from anywhere to come, observe, co-teach, and discuss best teaching practices,
including ongoing support after they return to their own schools.
 Collaborate on Research and Development: The Education for Democracy Professional
Development Schools will also provide research and development sites for state, district,
university, nonprofit, and corporate partners to work together to test best instructional
practices (CCSS aligned), develop new curriculum, and to assess best teacher training and
professional development practices, particularly with regard to practices that also integrate
the teaching of democratic skills and values.
 Professional Development School Partnerships: We are in the process of designing
ways to place resident teachers and staff from local schools of education in the Boston
Education for Democracy School, including certification programs sponsored by the
Harvard Graduate School of Education and the UM/B Graduate College of Education and
Human Development. We hope to develop similar relationships with other schools of
education in the ten targeted districts.

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CREATING TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY COMMON SCHOOLS
FOR ALL STUDENTS
In 1852, Horace Mann, the secretary of the Massachusetts Board of Education, proposed and
the Massachusetts legislature enacted legislation to provide public funding to establish
“common schools” for all residents of Massachusetts. These were to be schools that embrace
children from all backgrounds; that provide a common curriculum for all students; that are
taught in the spirit, methods, and discipline of a free society; and that are provided by well-
trained, professional teachers.
One hundred and seventy-three years later, while much progress has been made in achieving
social equality and democratic rights, we still have an educational system that is still vastly
unequal—divided by economic class, race, and ethnicity.
We still do not have common schools for all students in
Massachusetts or across the United States.
There is no common high quality curriculum and instruction for
all students.
Schools and students are being expected to achieve high
standards with dramatically unequal resources.
The Education for Democracy Professional Development Schools Network is dedicated to
developing, providing, modeling, disseminating, and evaluating twenty-first century, state-of-
the-art curriculum and instruction that is taught in the spirit of a free society.
We hope to provide a model school and a model teacher training demonstration site (pre-
service and in-service) that can prepare and empower schools and teachers to provide a
twenty-first century common school education that enables all students to realize their full
potential and to contribute to creating a more just and democratic society.
“No matter what happens in
a child’s home, no matter
what other social and
economic factors may
impede a child, there’s no
question in my mind that a
first-rate school can
transform almost everything.”
--Jonathan Kozol

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THE EDUCATION FOR DEMOCRACY PARTNER SCHOOLS
PROJECT
--Working Together With Schools in the Poorest Neighborhoods--
As a way to assure that best teaching and professional development practices from the
Education for Democracy Professional Development Schools are shared with and accessible
to those schools in the poorest neighborhoods, we are proposing the “The Education for
Democracy Partner Schools Project”. The purpose of this project will be for the EFD PD
Schools to work together collaboratively with school and district staff in the partner schools to
identify problems and goals that they want assistance with and then to work together to
provide the technical assistance and professional development needed to achieve those goals.
In general, for example, an EFD PD School could work together with five partner schools over
several years: one high school, one middle school, two elementary schools, and one early
learning center. These partner schools would be located in the poorest neighborhoods in each
district.
Education for
Democracy
Professional
Development
School
Partner
High School
Partner
Elementary
School
Partner
Elementary
School
Partner
Early
Childhood
Center
Partner
Middle
School

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CHARTER SCHOOLS DEDICATED TO THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
We propose to establish Education for Democracy Professional Development Schools as
charter schools which are dedicated to supporting public schools and teachers in the following
ways:
 Provide a transformative education to over 900 students
 Train and supports the certification of 100 new teachers and staff per year (pre-service)
 Provide demonstration sites and professional development support for teachers throughout
their careers (in-service)
 Provide support to schools and students in the poorest neighborhoods through Education
for Democracy Partner Schools Project
 Promotes collaborative research and development projects on selected best instructional
practices that integrate support for the development of democratic skills and values,
particularly with ELL and students with disabilities
CHARTER SCHOOLS DEDICATED TO WORKING WITH THE
TEACHER UNIONS
As an integral part of supporting the training of teachers, Education for Democracy
Professional Development Schools are committed to working with the AFT and NEA national
and local teacher unions to recruit, train, support, and collaborate with teachers throughout
their teaching careers. This will include:
 Union members. All EFD PD School teachers and staff will be members of the local union
and will paid according to the union pay scale and will receive an additional stipend for
extra hours.
 Pre-service recruitment and training. The EFD PD Schools will work with local unions,
districts, and schools of education to recruit and train future teachers and staff.
 In-service career support. The EFD PD Schools will work with local teacher unions:
o to provide in-service support for all resident teachers and staff who are hired by the
local districts,
o to support any interested schools and teachers in the district who want to observe or
co-teach selected teacher competencies;
o and to provide mid-career opportunities to provide professional development that is
supported by the EFD PD School, including being selected as master teachers and
staff.
o EFD PD Schools will make every effort to hire master teachers and staff within the
local districts.

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THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SCHOOL THEORY OF CHANGE
Professional Development
School Design Elements
• Provides training and
certfication placement for
principals, teachers,
counselors, social workers,
and nurses
• Mentored by master teachers
and staff (2 resident
teachers/staff per master
teacher/staff)
• Resident teachers responsible
for supporting six students
and their families throughout
the year
• Portfolio assessment of
mastery of teaching and
educational competencies
• Ongoing suppport for resident
teachers and staff throughout
their careers
Teacher Mastery of Teaching
Competencies
• Mastery of teaching social and
democratic competencies
• Mastery of teaching
humanities competencies
• Mastery of STEM teaching
related competencies
• Mastery of classroom
management related
competencies
• Mastery of certificate specific
competencies
Professional Development
School Goals
• Improve student academic
achievement, particularly in
schools in the highest poverty
neighborhoods
• Expand the supply of high
quality teachers and staff
throughout the school district
• Dissemination of research-
tested best practices
throughout the district

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EDUCATION FOR DEMOCRACY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
SCHOOLS: POTENTIAL DISTRICTS
We propose to establish EFD PD Schools in ten districts across the country. We have tentatively
identified six districts to approach in which we have worked with in the past (implementation of the
Voices curriculum). These sites have also been selected based on geography so that they can
provide demonstration sites that are accessible to schools across the country.
Proposed Districts Projected Cohort Start Date
1. Boston  August 2016
2. NYC  August 2017
3. District of
Columbia
 August 2017
4. Chicago 
5. Memphis 
6. San Francisco 
7. 
8. 
9. 
10. 

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THE BOSTON EDUCATION FOR DEMOCRACY SCHOOL PROPOSAL
A School Dedicated to the Future of Democracy in Boston and Around the World
We are beginning the Education for Democracy Professional Development School Network by
submitting a Horace Mann charter school proposal to establish the Boston Education for Democracy
School as a pre-K to 12 professional development school.
Every generation must learn anew the lessons of the past and the needs of the future. By establishing
a pre-K to 12 professional development school that is dedicated to teacher and student
empowerment, we have the opportunity to create an institution that can keep alive and pass along the
lessons of democracy in Boston from the last four centuries and more broadly from around the world.
We are proud to announce that three of the most progressive former elected officials in Boston are
working with us to create this kind of institution for promoting the growth of democracy and
democratic character.
Melvin H. King
Former State Representative
Honorary Chairperson
Boston Education for Democracy
School Founding Group
Rosaria Salerno
Former Boston City Counselor
Former Boston City Clerk
Felix Arroyo
Former Boston City Counselor
Register of Suffolk County Probate
and Family Court
Click here to view the “Boston Education for Democracy School Overview”.

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EDUCATION FOR DEMOCRACY PDS NETWORK
Our goal is to establish a network of professional development schools around the country that are
committed to collaborating on research, development, and assessment of instructional practices and
professional development that focus on how core social and democratic competencies can be
integrated into all the content areas and throughout the culture of the school.
The Voices curricula will only be one of the curriculum used in these schools. We will also adopt
and/or create other curriculum that promote the mission of these schools. For example, we look
forward to collaborating with Facing History and Ourselves on creative ways to integrate their work on
the Holocaust within a broader U.S. and world history curriculum.
Hopefully, these schools will provide research and demonstration sites for school staff and academic
researchers to work together to improve existing curriculum and to create new ways of fostering
academic and social development in an integrated fashion.
EDUCATION FOR DEMOCRACY NATIONAL ADVISORY BOARD
We are in the process of establishing an Education for Democracy National Advisory Board which will
help us choose sites, establish PD schools around the country, and more generally promote the
Education for Democracy Campaign.
EDUCATION FOR DEMOCRACY ACADEMIC ADVISORY BOARD
We are also in the process of establishing the Education for Democracy Academic Advisory Board
which will advise the Education for Democracy PD Network Schools and the Education for
Democracy curriculum projects. See the next page for the preliminary list of academic advisers. Our
hope is that we can build a very broad network of experts from around the country who will work with
us to develop transformative curriculum, create powerful school designs, and recruit and train
generations of motivated and talented teachers and staff who are committed to public education that
promotes the growth of democracy.

17. 17
The Education for Democracy Academic Advisory Board is in the process of
formation. Prof. Ernest Morrell, the Director of Urban and Minority Education, at
Teachers College, Columbia University, President of the National Council of
Teachers of English, and one of the Voices authors, is the chairperson of this
advisory board.
 Social and Democratic Competencies
 Prof. Robert Selman (HGSE) (perspective taking, conflict resolution) (Voices
author)
 Prof. William Cross (DU) (identity awareness, social awareness) (Voices
author)
 Prof. Marvin Berkowitz (U of M St. Louis) (character education)
 Pat Walker, Ph.D., President, Education for Democracy Institute (Voices
author and founder)
 Language and Literacy
 Prof. Ernest Morrell (Columbia U/Teachers College) (pedagogy, critical
writing) (Voices author)
 Prof. Catherine Snow (HGSE) (language and deep comprehension) (Voices
author)
 Prof. Cynthia Tyson (OSU) (children’s multicultural literature) (Voices author)
 English Language Learners
 Prof. Maria Carlo (U of T at Austin) (bilingual education) (Voices author)
 Maria Campanario, BPS, Special Education and ELD Supervisor
 Social Studies
 Supt. Shelley Berman, Eugene Oregon
 Neil Sullivan, President, Boston PIC
 Prof. James Green, UM/B (labor history)
 Kerry Dunne, Social Studies Director, BPS
 Science, Mathematics, Computation, and Technology
 David Cavallo, Visiting Professor, Southern Bahia, Brazil (Stem curriculum)
 Special Education
 Prof. David Rose, HGSE (UDL), President of CAST
 Maria Campanario, BPS, Special Education and ELD Supervisor
 Counselling
 Prof. Richard Weissbourd, HGSE
 Early Childhood/Elementary/Secondary
 Prof. Ann Douglas, UM/B, (early childhood)
 Prof. Pat Paugh (UM/B) (elementary teacher training)
 Charter Schools
 Dr. Beatriz McConnell-Zapater, Head of School, Boston Day and Evening
Academy
 Professional Development Schools
 Prof. Lee Teitel (HGSE) (principal training)
 Prof. Ernest Morrell, Teachers College, Director, Urban and Minority
Education
 Multicultural Education
 Prof. Peter Kiang, UM/B (multicultural education, pedagogy)

18. 18
EDUCATION FOR DEMOCRACY CHARTER MANAGEMENT
ORGANIZATION
The Education for Democracy Charter Management Organization will enter into management
contracts with the founding groups in each of the ten districts to provide the following services:
 Management
 EFD School Design and EFD PD School Design Implementation Support
 Operations
 Educational Technology
 Professional Development
 Finances
 State and Federal Regulations
 Assessment
 Fundraising
EFD PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SCHOOLS NETWORK
FUNDRAISING FRAMEWORK
The charter application process in most states takes a year from the time of submission to approval.
For example in Massachusetts, initial applications are due in July, full applications if requested are
due in November, approval by January, and start up either in August of the same year or the following
year.
Prior to this, the pulling together of the founding group and the development of the initial application
takes at least 6-12 months.
We are seeking funding to support our start-up costs prior to, during, and after the approval process
which requires approximately $200,000 per school.
We are proposing to develop a matching grant program to raise these funds.
We hope to gain the support of one or more national foundations that would commit $100,000 per
school as a grant to be matched by a similar amount of funds by one or more local foundations.
This will require national foundation funding of $1 million as well as the same amount in local
foundation grants.