Designs For Learning!
  

Our firm has been in the business of educational change since 1987, and we have been establishing and supporting charter schools since 1995. Designs for Learning staff provide a variety of services tailored to fit client needs. Most of our work falls into two areas:

  • Creating and managing new charter schools,
  • Providing consulting services to operating charter schools.

Designs for Learning (DL) has founded or co-founded more than a dozen charter schools in Minnesota. Several schools are built around the Community Learning Center (CLC) model; in other cases school founders approach us for assistance with ideas they have for new programs. We bring a broad range of experience to the complex and demanding challenges of planning, starting, and growing self-sufficient charter schools.

We currently offer the following services to clients:

  • Charter school application and proposal development;
  • Start-up coordination;
  • Accounting and financial management;
  • Human resources;
  • Government reporting and program evaluation;
  • Technology support;
  • Comprehensive special education services;
  • Specialized consulting (grant writing, Board support, school improvement planning, professional development, etc.);
  • School nutrition
  • Customized training to build client capacity in the above areas.
We offer these services on an annual or long-term basis, and we are unique in that we also are willing to provide hands-on training and on-going support for clients who to want to bring these services in-house. At present, we contract with over twenty-five clients, for services in one or more of these areas. (References are available upon request.)

Designs for Learning created and field-tested the Community Learning Centers (CLC) comprehensive school reform model during 1992-95 under a $5 million grant from New American Schools. The focus of the design is a systemic restructuring of education to make possible a learner-centered approach that personalizes education and makes it relevant to students' lives. CLC's are founded through grass-roots commitment by stakeholders at individual schools, who customize the model to fit the needs of their particular communities. The end result is greater achievement at conventional academics and real life competencies of a productive worker, responsible citizen and lifelong learner.

Designs For Learning!