Harmony’s Work Around the Country: Report from the Executive Director
Roc and Barb’s Trip to the West Coast and the “Real” West Coast

“We are also exploring the establishment of a new high school in Hawaii that will be mentored by Harmony High School.” Steve Bonchek Harmony Executive Director

During February Harmony Education Center (HEC) Executive Director Steve Bonchek and his wife Barb had the opportunity to travel to California and Hawaii to work on projects that HEC is involved with in both states. Here’s a brief report.

Barb and I recently visited the West Coast and what I like to call the “Real” West Coast—Hawaii. In Los Angeles our work concerned a project we administer called “Communities: Educated, Empowered and Democratic” (CEED). CEED is an ambitious project funded primarily by the Paul Newman family that is presently trying to build an unusual alliance among education groups in the Southern California area. These groups include democratic public and private schools interested in social justice issues, public charter schools, and Waldorf and Montessori private schools.

In Hawaii, HEC’s work involves helping Hawaiian schools to improve student achievement. We are helping to introduce Hawaiian teachers and administrators to Critical Friends Group practices in order to build democratic professional learning communities in their schools. We are also exploring the establishment of a new high school in Hawaii that will be mentored by Harmony High School.

David Christman, Harmony science teacher, joined us at Connnections Public Charter School in the city of Hilo, Hawaii. Harmony has a grant, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, to mentor a new high school somewhere in the country. The possibility for Connections to become our “mentee school” is high. We made a lot of progress, but it is still not a “done deal.” We will give you more information as it develops.

In addition to our visit with Connections, David and I helped coordinate a three-day meeting in Honolulu for educators from three of the Hawaiian Islands. This meeting was called “An Introduction to Small High Schools/ Looking at Student Work.” Hawaiian high schools are on average the second largest high schools in the country and are experiencing huge challenges. We discussed the benefits of small schools and some strategies that could assist them in having challenging conversations with other faculty members, students, parents and community members about dividing up their large high schools into smaller schools.

Capital Capmpaigns force planners to look to the future and to think in terms of years instead of just months.

That is one of the reasons why you will hear fund raisers talk about “the future,” “permanent,” and “in perpetuity.”

The Campaign for Harmony Education Center has such an important goal: to “establish HEC as a permanent national institution.”

We do good work, nationally through the National School Reform Faculty and our Institute for Research, and locally through Harmony School and Rhino’s Youth Center. Yet our existence is rather fragile. We manage our finances prudently but it’s often a year-by-year existence.

Growth brought on by success is good, but it must be carefully managed. Groups without an adequate long-range funding plan and endowed resources have trouble insulating themselves from the ups-and-downs of the economy.

That is why this campaign, and your gift, are so important to our future success.

Bloomington Harmony Winter Market
This year Harmony School’s gymnasium has been the location for an indoor farmers market during the chilly months of February and March.

The City of Bloomington sponsors a warm weather Farmers Market from May through October, extended last year to include November, and culminating in a very successful Holiday Market the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

The first-ever winter market brought many people to the school on February 12th, and everyone seemed to feel it was successful. Three additional dates completed the cold weather schedule.

Farm goods, baked goods, confections, crafts and all sorts of other things were on display. Live music was offered and the whole scene took on the look of a neighborhood party.
This is just another example of the role Harmony Education Center plays in hosting hundreds of community meetings and events each year. In addition to housing the administrative offices of HEC, the school, and the national office of the National School Reform Faculty, the restored Elm Heights Elementary school plays a role not only in the neighborhood but also the greater Bloomington community.

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