Innovative Schools Network

Our school has worked with Innovative Schools since we first opened. Their expertise and support has been invaluable as we continue to learn and grow as a school.

In the hardest of times, ISN is an amazing network for support.

I have had the honor and privilege to attend and present at ISN's conferences the past few years, and look forward to hearing from these inspiring leaders in innovation every single year. It is without a doubt the highlight of each Spring semester, and I am always grateful and feel rejuvenated by the wonderful, transformative, and truly innovative practices shared.

This is an excellent education organization committed to improving student learning and supporting educators.

ISN is a family of educators who are willing to ask the tough questions and leap the hurdles of education for now and in the future.

This is a group of caring individuals who help connect schools wanting to break out of the same old, same old and make learning fun, creative, and engaging!

ISN continues to stand at the forefront of inquiry and innovation at a time when education needs it more than ever. Thanks, ISN, for making a difference in the lives of students and teachers everywhere!

Educational innovation is illusive and difficult for most schools to maintain. A strong national network to support the work of pioneers is vital. ISN provides this service for many through personalized outreach and learning opportunities.

Great to see them continue to work with teachers and administrators even through the pandemic. They continually work to help schools find new ways to serve their students.

Provides support for teachers, administration, charter schools, and the community. Also provides conferences, online resources, and one-on-one assistance for schools and teachers. It is an important forum to learn about new educational ideas and to share resources. The conferences provide opportunities for participants to network.

I love being a part of this organization that prioritizes relationships and commitment to its mission. Thank you to the dedicated board and staff.

I have attended and presented at the ISN National Conference for 4 years, looking forward to year 5 soon! My experience at the conference always exceeds my expectations! The national conference is intentional and purposeful for educators in every capacity. The key note speakers always provide thoughtful reflection and engaging discussion topics. Professional learning and building my network is always a plus when attending. I also look forward to the ISN newsletters, updates, and research that I occasionally receive via email. Topics are interesting and current with events, mindsets, and happenings in our world.

Innovative Schools Network (ISN) is the petri dish for innovation in schools. As a charter school principal in Hawaii, I always look for ways to innovate in education. I look forward every year to attend their awesome annual conference in Wisconsin. This was the first year I didn't travel for obvious reasons so I missed seeing these folks. I hope this pandemic is over by next April so I can recharge my innovative batteries. And get some wonderful cheese to bring home.

ISN has held so many valuable events that have helped our small, project-based school become the success that it has. All they have done in Wisconsin and throughout the country in promoting innovative practices has moved the field in a hugely positive direction.

ISN is a phenomenal forward thinking and acting organization helping schools, communities, educators, students, and others prepare for a dynamic and uncertain future. Even when the pandemic forced cancellation of in-person conferences and events, ISN led the way with fantastic virtual training and collaboration opportunities.

ISN conference has always been a wealth of knowledge. I’ve presented at ISN a few times and each time I leave with new information to improve and guide me teaching. ISN is also very organized. It’s so easy to access the information and resources presented.

Our school has received so much support from this organization that networks schools across the state and the country! Professional development events and resources are provided throughout the year - it’s a network functioning as a large scale professional learning community. As a teacher at a small, innovative, project based learning school I can say that the opportunities that are provided by the ISN, and those that we create in partnership with them, are changing education and positively affecting students, teachers, schools and communities.

ISN has been a fabulous partner on our school's journey, providing resources, expertise and opportunities for collaboration. We are so grateful for their leadership in educational innovation!

Even during a pandemic, they keep serving and innovating to help schools and their students.

Innovative Schools Network supports the development of engaging, meaningful, and relevant learning experiences in our school. Students are applying real life and work skills like setting goals, planning, critical thinking, and problem solving that will benefit them for a lifetime. ISN provides a network for our staff to collaborate with talented and successful educators across the state.

As their name implies, ISN is an innovator when it comes to supporting schools and helping them move into the 21st Century. The network provides resources and supports to a wide variety of schools.

Innovative Schools Network continues to be out front in plowing new ground for innovation in our schools. What do you find when working with ISN? Confident professionals, out of the box ideas, and folks that can help you transform teaching and learning to support students!

Innovative Schools Network is a strong community for teachers that are breaking the mold to deliver meaningful educational experiences for students. From uplifting conferences to providing helpful resources, they are there for the rebel schools and educators.

Innovative Schools Network offers a wealth of knowledge for schools looking to build innovative models. Their consultants are top notch. ISN conferences are stellar.

A great group of people helping other educators think outside the box to maximize student potential and engagement.

The Innovative Schools Network works tirelessly to support teachers who are working on the cutting edge of education. There 's ample research to support modern education models and teaching styles, however too often teachers get lost trying to figure out how to apply what they know, re-create reliable systems, and education the general public. ISN is chuck full of brace educators who are willing to share what they know and have tried in order to ensure that all students have access to the very best opportunities in education.

Every time I have had a question or needed information the ISN staff has been quick to respond and provide exactly what I needed. Additionally, it has been a pleasure to volunteer with an organization that appreciates what I can offer and puts it to good use. They are first rate!

I have attended their amazing conference three years in a row and always leave with valuable information. The team is extremely dedicated and want to see schools continue to evolve and grow.

ISN is truly a family! This network of hard-working professional educators is empowering, inspiring, innovative, and dedicated to making a difference in education for students, teachers, and communities. BE part of this network and LEARN from an enormous group of talented, passionate people.

Excellent source of help and resources for schools and governance boards. The ISN conferences supply inspiration and connections for the education community.

This is one of the most innovative and helpful/supportive group of educational pioneers that we have ever had the pleasure of working with! They are professional, timely and know their stuff, when it comes to innovation and supporting the growth of schools- both old and new. The depth of knowledge is extremely well-versed, to help support varied levels of readiness of initiating creative learning maps, personalized learning environments and project-based learning approaches to student application of skills.

ISN have been our primary change champions, leading the way with skill and expertise but also careful not to impose their own agenda. The organization is inspirational, the people are supportive, and when working with them, the results are transformational.

I regularly sent as many teachers as possible from my district to the Innovative Schools Network National Conference each year. Teachers always returned excited and motivated to continue in the work of remaking schooling in order to engage, challenge, and inspire all students to be their best and make the world a better place.

This is such a responsive and innovative group of folks who think outside the box to provide consultative and professional development services. They are so customer focused that they make certain their work is tailored perfectly to, in this case, meet a school's needs.

The school that I work for, Connections Public Charter School from Hilo HI has been affiliated with ISN for a number of years. I have attended ISN conferences twice in Dels Wisconsin and I always leave inspired, full of new ideas and strategies to implement at our school, and best of all I have met other professionals from innovative schools from different parts of the USA. I am impressed with what ISN does for pioneering education. Their support of students, teachers and administrators is unparalleled and I am proud to be a part of the Innovative Schools Network family.

I am the former Minnesota state senator who authored the first charter school law in Minnesota and the nation. Chartering was established for two key reasons: autonomy and innovation. ISN has taken these elements and helped both public charter and district schools to achieve new strategies and opportunities for their students. I connected ISN with chartering leaders in other states as well. They are a terrific nonprofit.

ISN works tirelessly to ensure charter schools around the nation are equipped with the resources and connections they need to help their students succeed! They are reinventing education and inspiring educators and students around the US!!

I have been fortunate to benefit from ISN's work from its inception. The services ISN provides truly benefit all schools looking to develop innovative practices.

ISN has been a great support to Charter Schools in Hawaii

I was the grant coordinator for a charter school when it was being organized and for its first years of existence. The ISN was invaluable as a resource for me and the staff members of the school as we worked through the process of becoming a charter school and in developing programs that would serve the children in the best way possible. Each person I dealt with was professional and offered assistance where needed, from planning school visitations to providing in service opportunities for the staff. It would have been difficult to navigate all that needed to be done in those early years without the help of the ISN.

I had the pleasure of working with the Innovative Schools Network when I was principal of Appleton Public Montessori. The Network was of great help to our school. They conducted an independent review of the school, and ultimately we became the Montessori mentor school for ISN. This allowed us to help other schools and communities as they began their Montessori adventure, which not only helped others but our school as well. The folks at ISN are always helpful, supportive, and knowledgeable. After retiring, I now have the pleasure of working with the great people at ISN as a consultant. My association with ISN has been truly enjoyable and rewarding in both roles. They are truly focused on the main mission of helping schools (and ultimately children) be successful!

Personable, highly competent team of experts who work together to customize your needs.

ISN has been very supportive of my transition into a project based public charter school. They have offered Zoom discussions to connect students with their project learning. They also have a wonderful teacher convention each year that is meaningful and well done.

ISN makes a difference every day, as this nonprofit of dedicated people supports our schools! Thank you for all you do!

The fact that the Innovative Schools Network started as a Wisconsin group dedicated to introducing and exploring existing innovations in education and then expanding their outreach to the other 50 states is amazing. I am a charter school principal in Hawaii and I traveled to Wisconsin 3 years ago to see what this organization was about. I return every year and share this experience with fellow administrators and teachers at my school. Great keynote speakers, informational break out sessions, and fun and laughter abounds. I am looking forward to another great conference come Spring 2019.

Innovative Schools Network continues to support innovation in education by providing public school personal and related leaders throughout the nation with a network that builds a culture of innovation in thought and practice that can transform learning and schools. The conferences and other events they hold bring together practitioners already working in innovative settings with those who are interested in making the transformation or further developing their skills--sharing ideas and practices.

Innovative Schools Network focuses on helping teachers learn innovative teaching strategies in order to change the way students learn in schools. They do a fantastic job of organizing conferences in different parts of the country to help teachers continue to be lifelong learners. Their staff is organized, thoughtful, innovative (obviously), and very hardworking. I'm impressed by their team and the different expertise of the staff. We are thrilled to collaborate with them on the Kennedy Center's regional arts integration conferences.

I've learned so much from the conferences I have attended with ISN. The knowledge I have gained has transformed my classroom and more importantly, my students learning.

ISN truly believes in learning and education! They support schools with invaluable resouces. We are in our planning year for a Montessori Charter School and ISN is helping at every level to support our success!

ISN has been an invaluable partner for our school. They support us at all levels of our organization from trainings for our advisors and board members to providing unique opportunities to network with others across the state and nation. Our students have even been able to share ideas and projects with students from other schools.

ISN has provided our school with a great amount of support to help us as we developed our project based school. Through ISN, our team was able to connect and collaborate with other educators who are leading the way in innovation. We have also learned a lot from the professional development opportunities that ISN has provided.

The Innovative Schools Network is a place for everyone interested in making a difference in schools. At every event I feel welcomed, engaged and part of an authentic learning community. What I also appreciate about the ISN is that they are not shy about addressing the difficult issues and I often leave with the resources and personal strength I need to move forward.

Our experiences with Heather, Todd, and the entire ISN staff have been wonderful. We enjoy attending ISN conferences and always come away excited to put into practice all we have learned.

The ISN brings amazing educators together to encourage educational change. Their experience, knowledge, and passion make them a true asset to teachers everywhere.

ISN provides valuable tools and resources to help our school offer the best education and opportunities to our students.

Todd and his staff were instrumental in assisting the Birchwood Charter School in becoming a high functioning charter in northern Wisconsin. The team at Innovative Schools Network worked hand-in-hand with us, giving us direction and feedback, enabling us now to mentor other charter schools. Thank you to ISN for your dedication and support!

The ISN has helped our school be successful by providing support and outstanding professional development. We would not be where we are today without the ISN.

Speaking on behalf of The Overture Center, we've partnered with Innovative Schools Network for many years and value their expertise, collaborative spirit and creativity. They are a true asset to the field of education!

The status quo in education in America has deep, and vast roots. If you want to break ground and truly innovate in education today, you need the support of an organization with the resources, expertise, networking, and growth mindset necessary to be dynamic in an otherwise stagnant landscape. The ISN is that organization! They are an incredible collective of educators, administrators, and forward thinking individuals who are committed to moving education forward!

ISN provides outstanding resources for teachers who want to do school differently. They connect educators together.

I have partnered with the Innovative Schools Network for the past 5 years. "Transformation" has become an overused term in education, primarily because we all want to do "it." The ISN has been an innovative leader in assisting schools and school districts in developing "zones of innovation" where learning is different; learning is engaging; learning is rooted in curiosity; a place were kids do most of the work as the teachers advise and guide the learner based on their strengths and interests. They have provided strategic planning services that helped develop the foundation upon which we could build our vision of how we want education to be different...they opened the door to see things "differently" and provided the leadership and services to help us redefine education in our district.

They provide onsite and remote consultation through video coaching. Many of their coaches are current teachers and leaders within project based or inquiry based schools. They are very adept at bridging the fine line between a schools district's central control of a school building and the building having the autonomy to truly innovate and do things differently. This is hard and risky work for many school systems because we have prided ourselves in the past of the "one size fits all" model assuming a uniform delivery model would be fair and adequate for the success of all learners. Now however, more districts have come to realize that they must begin offering different learning models and opportunities for students based more on strengths and interests than the legacy curricula intended to serve all students. ISN brings exciting, fresh ideas and enthusiasm to those who seek a different way of educating students for the future.

Wisconsin public schools would t be as wonderfully innovative and great for all kids without ISN's professional development and support for our rockstar teachers!

I have worked with ISN many times over the past few years and I am always astonished at the intense interest the entire ISN staff has in making education better. I don't mean this in a cursory, lip service kind-of-way, I mean you can actually sense and experience their enthusiasm in everything they do; from planning to presenting to just chatting in the hallway, every single part of ISN bleeds passion for improving education.

My favorite thing about the ISN is the online document warehouse. There are so many helpful resources that I have used that have helped our charter school governance board become more effective.

Excellent organization with a true love and belief that public education can be the center of change in our world.

The Innovative Schools Network is a unique grass roots organization that places the focus on innovating where it matters most - with our children in public schools. Schools are strapped for resources and ISN provides an avenue for professional development and networking that is beyond anything else that is available in this field.

The Innovative Schools Network offers help and support to educators and students in a wide variety of areas. ISN can help schools develop curriculum, launch a PR campaign, give advice about higher education opportunities for students, provide valuable educational, business, and social networks for students and educators, form advisory boards, and help make decisions regarding the logistics of a school day. These services are tailor made for individual schools so they benefit all students with diverse needs, challenges, and goals. ISN helps schools help kids.

The ISN team provides amazing support to educators who have the courage to innovate, but need support and expertise to translate their vision to reality. I have attended ISN's excellent state conference and participated in their consulting and coaching services and found everything they do to be excellent.

The Innovative Schools Network has been a valued partner in our quest to continually deliver an excellent educational program to our school community. When we were in need of guidance, the Innovative Schools Network team of professionals worked with us on our strategic plan. We set goals, created a new mission and vision statement and saw our school culture improve dramatically. We are working with them again this year as I strive to assist each teacher on their professional growth journey toward shared leadership.

I have looked to ISN as a national leader in articulating and, through their membership and services, advancing the culture and practice of innovation in schools. As a network they convene change agents and assist with advising implantation to changes in policy and practice. They lead through example and involvement.

I've had the privilege of working with ISN for the past year hosting education conferences throughout Wisconsin. The quality of work this grassroots organization does is incredible. No detail goes unnoticed making each event exceptional. The best part? Hearing educators from around the nation share how these conferences have re-ignited their passion for teaching; and who doesn't need more of that?

The work of ISN, formerly WISN, is transforming education by encouraging, inspiring, and educating those in the field of education who long to be more effective and creative in helping students learn. I have received so much courage and insight into learning through this organization and the people who are involved with it. Their hard work and commitment to constructive change in their field stirs you to want to be a better learner and educator.

I have had the pleasure of working with and attending events hosted by WISN, now ISN, for the past 3-4 years. What turned into some advice and light consulting, quickly turned into a partnership, with shared responsibility and extreme growth. ISN and the founders, as well as core group of leaders who work within this organization, really strive to help schools, leaders and the community understand and implement innovative instructional and learning models that take schools to the next level. Now in our 7th year of operation as an innovative school, we truly feel blessed to have had the powerful and insightful leadership and guidance of ISN to help propel the learning and application opportunities that we have in our school, on a daily basis. This is now just, "The way we do business..."

ISN Rocks!

Innovative Schools Network is a phenomenal resource for educators and school districts. I attended a conference last spring that was put on by the ISN and it was fantastic. There were wonderful speakers from across the country who gave us first hand information about school reform and teacher lead initiatives. It was so exciting to see and feel the energy in the room, and our district attendees came home with a lot of worthwhile information and new enthusiasm for teaching. The conference was very efficiently run and extremely well planned. Thank you so much to those who work for ISN and help to make our schools more accountable and responsive to the communities they serve.

I have worked with the Innovative Schools Network for more than a year. I have been impressed with their focus on the mission of the organization, their commitment to support their members and their ability to remain focused on how to support schools as they prepare for the future.

Innovative Schools Network provides invaluable networking, professional development, coaching and collaboration opportunities to schools. If your school or school district is looking to provide innovative educational opportunities to its students, this is the organization that can provide you the resources and coaching to accomplish your goals.

I have been involved with this amazing group of educators since their beginning. Creating and operating an innovative school is challenging to say the least. Networking is a cornerstone of this organization. Our partners have helped myself and many others to lesson the learning curve for creating new schools. As a board member I frequently hear from other educators how helpful ISN has been in offering just in time professional development, coaching and conferences.

ISN is the grassroots network of pubic schools dedicated to helping other public schools and district create innovative successful schools. Real educators working with students needs as the focus.

Wonderful educational partner to develop uniqueness! ISN connects us with people that can help and has consultants to guide us in our journey!

The Innovative Schools Network has helped our school create and host an innovative institute (summer conference) for teachers in our area. We use the talent and knowledge of our local teachers to learn from and with each other in an exciting 2 day experience. Without the support of the ISN we wouldn't be able to share the amazing practices and exciting things that teachers are learning about. We value the connections that ISN has helped us make with other schools across the nation.

Looking for an organization to support? This is it. The ISN is doing things that NO other organization in education is doing and we are SO fortunate to have them with us. Thank you ISN for helping our school!

ISN helped us through the whole process of creating the Central Wisconsin STEM Academy and in the ongoing support needed to continuously evaluate and improve our programs. ISN is a PPP -- Perfect Power Partner -- and our first "go to" when we have questions or need specialized support. Friendly, experienced, and responsive.

ISN has been very helpful with providing ongoing support to the charter school with which I work. They provide a wide range of services and ideas to promote innovation in education. I think they play a significant role in advancing education as a whole through their efforts.

Before the Innovative Schools Network existed, there was not an organization around that could help connect educators to excellence in creative ways of thinking about our work. The ISN does that and so much more.

ISN - their support and guidance was first rate!! We could not have opened two successful charter schools in our district without their help. Very knowledgeable staff, with the drive and willingness to help you reach your goals.

This grassroots network of educators creates and nurtures innovative schools by supporting each other in developing high quality, research based resources and strategies for educators and students.
They live their VISION: Supporting the development of innovative schools. Sustaining and growing innovation through a network dedicated to continuous improvement. Educators collaborating and changing to better serve students.

Having worked with ISN through the development, implementation, and operation of several schools, I can say without a doubt that this is a highly motivated and dedicated group. They have a desire to help schools and teachers see the potential within and passion to push them beyond the status quo. The connections they facilitate and the flow of ideas that comes out of those has been an incredible boost to our schools. I can honestly say that they have had a positive influence on the course of our student's learning.

I have found no other group of people in the state so passionate and engaged in transforming schools to meet the needs of students. It is an honor to work alongside intelligent, dedicated, and creative people. We have witnessed educators realizing their dreams of educating students based on the local and individual needs rather than based on an outside force. I only wish we could reach more people!

ISN has helped with building our vision for our school. Their ability to see the big picture and help us collaborate with schools around the state were very valuable. I can not say enough about the support and knowledge of the ISN staff.

ISN has been extremely helpful to us in both our planning year and now in our implementation year. They have provided excellent leadership and support by providing quality visitations, workshops and consultants. Anytime we have a question or concern they are our first contact.

ISN is a highly responsive organization which strives to meet the needs of schools in transforming for the future. The networking, professional development, coaching, and collaboration opportunities they provide, as well as additional resources, are invaluable in this process. This is a highly dedicated, forward thinking organization.

I have been working with ISN for about 1 year and I have found them to be leaders in the field of education innovation! We have joined ISN for access to the great events and resources that they have available. We've attended their conferences, partnered with other ISN schools, and have received tremendous support in our journey to become innovative educators. The staff of ISN has a wealth of knowledge and one of their strengths is their ability to share that knowledge and if they don't know an answer, they will help you find someone who can collaborate with you to solve any issue!
I look forward to our continued partnership with ISN and their partners. Together we can change education for the better and create optimal learning environments for our children.

The ISN provides great leadership and learning opportunities for teachers. It's especially valuable in these times of educational change and turmoil. We need an organization like this that can promote positive ideas for moving forward, supporting teachers and schools at every step. Their small staff do powerful work with huge impact.

The ISN has taken the bull by the horns in Wisconsin in the area of school and learning collaboration. They are branching out nationwide to include any school in the nation. This really shows their dedication to students in all learning situations. I've watched the ISN grow exponentially over the past couple of years and that is a direct testament to the hard-working individuals involved. When you attend an ISN event, you feel the passion, you see the dedication, and you are consumed by the excitement these individuals bring to learning. These folks are big thinkers and not afraid to get outside their comfort zone or to reach for the stars. But they are not just a workshop provider, throughout the year they provides an incredible amount of opportunities to collaborate and learn from others through all different sorts of platforms. They support your schools, guide your schools, help find mentors.....the list goes on and on. Top notch organization with top notch people.

The ISN (Innovative Schools Network), formerly Wisconsin Innovative Schools Network, has played a vital role in building and serving like minded schools like ours (TAGOS Leadership Academy) since it was created a few years ago. Our staff has had the opportunity to develop and collaborate as individuals and as a team via ISN conferences, workshops, retreats that were set up with schools like mine in mind, as well as many other schools. The opportunity that has been the most successful for us to continue building and growing our school and staff has been the PBL Retreat. The PBL Retreat allowed our staff to get away and learn...but more importantly to plan and build our team stronger.

When I think of the ISN, I think of the hard-working, passionate team that goes way above and beyond in such a selfless manner. It is truly amazing to see how the individuals truly collaborate and have the ability to see the big picture. This has lasting impact on education in Wisconsin, and is now expanding beyond the state to bring more innovation to more schools, teachers, and individuals. The conferences fill gaps for educators and provide resources and connections that could not be attained elsewhere. In the future, I see more progress and innovation for the ISN and for educators everywhere.

ISN fills an essential role in linking innovative educators, regardless of where they teach. As a charter school teacher in Wisconsin, I have attended many ISN events over the past three years, and they have always been excellent opportunities to improve my practice and network with likeminded education professionals.

I have attended a number of ISN-sponsored events and trainings, and I monitor their offerings on behalf of others who might profit from their programming. ISN provides notice, sponsorship, and facilitation of a wide variety of informational and training activities that are beneficial to a broad range of educational stakeholders. They foster a much greater degree of collaboration and sharing of ideas and practices than is normally available through other formal educational channels, and ISN is open to featuring both established strategies and emerging trends that can contribute to the improvement of teaching and learning.

ISN is a team of dedicated professionals working to help schools implement innovative and creative methods of educating children. They're grounded in the realities that schools face and their vision for the future of education is a beacon that schools should look to and follow. The staff are well organized, hard working, and fun to know. If you're an educator anywhere in the US who wants to be inspired, contact the good people at ISN and dive in!

I've attended ISN conferences and cannot say enough about them: inspiring, energetic, and well organized. The focus is on giving the participants as much useful, interesting information as possible, all in an atmosphere of fun and collaboration. Each conference left me excited and energized. ISN, as an organization, is completely committed to innovation and provides huge support to teachers, administrators, students, and parents looking to transform education.

The ISN is an organization with a great deal of integrity, working to assist schools in the process of transformation for the future. They believe deeply in collaboration and collegiality and this resonates in all that they do. Public education is better because of the ISN.