U.S. Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, in the opening statement of his confirmation hearing said, “We must build upon what works and stop doing what doesn’t work.  We have to challenge the status quo.”  At Project CAPE, we partner with school leaders who make Duncan’s statement a reality in their work.  These learning communities challenge themselves to increase the success of all students.  In a process of continuous improvement, they use student performance data to examine their practices, uncover problems, experiment with new ideas, and monitor results.

Collaborating with the educational leaders connected to Project CAPE gives me a frontline practitioner perspective on the realities of teaching and learning.  I am inspired every week by the genuine commitment of these educators to challenge and support their students.  They are strategically focused on powerful instructional practices and they honestly confront data. 

It doesn’t matter where the change starts as long as it’s systemic thereafter.  We are partners, the schools and Project CAPE, sharing a common interest in creating a stronger classroom, or school, or school system.  We work to establish an environment that acknowledges the power and importance of the individuals who educate our children and we ask, “What is the evidence?”  “How do you know you know?” “How is each part of the system connecting with the rest?” Accountability means no one is left out in developing a shared view of meaningful learning, identifying the best practices in instruction to produce that learning, and embracing collective responsibility for results.  Unless there is this common effort, a school might have many special and exciting activities, but no cohesive, coherent, sustained focus.  Stephen Covey said, “People and their managers are working so hard to be sure things are done right, that they hardly have time to decide if they’re doing the right things.”  Project CAPE wants to support schools doing the right things.         

This project is an exciting venture for all of us who support the important work of public schools in Racine County.  We are on a journey of faith and hope – faith in the schools to bring success to every student and hope that through this project, continuous reflection and improvement will be sustained in the organizations that are funded. 

 If you or someone you know wants to join us in promoting positive educational improvement, browse this site to learn more about our work.  If you have additional questions or need more information, please contact me.

Sincerely,

Ronda Ewald, PhD
Executive Director
Project CAPE

Ronda Beck Ewald, PhD
Executive Director
Project CAPE
rewald@projectcape.org