Another way of teaching and learning is possible.

The Leadership Schools Network, a project of Future Focused Education, is based on the knowledge that true solutions come from the ground up. The Network is a learning hub that seeks to foster connection and learning opportunities across education professionals and schools.

The Network helps transform lives and communities by:

1) Investing in teachers and education professionals

1) Investing in teachers and education professionals

2) Building community

We unite professionals and youth practitioners on common ground to learn and build connections. Through peer-to-peer learning, resource sharing, skill development, and partnerships with industry leaders, we create the conditions for youth practitioners to support student success in school and in their futures.

2) Building community

2) Building community

3) Championing solutions

The Network explores and applies what is working on the ground to solutions that can create change in the education system at scale. From our Three Pillar Model to being responsive to community, we champion education reform solutions that support successful transitions and promote the overall well-being and full potential of young people.

3) Championing solutions

The Mission

Improve educational outcomes for marginalized students by sustaining innovative, student-centered, community-responsive schools aligned to dynamic industries in New Mexico

The Vision

Transforming lives and communities through innovative education

The Approach

Our History

Our Model in Action

The Approach

A guiding path for success.

Leadership Schools Network Distinguishers

Our six essential design principles:

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Learning Content and Skills through the Lens of Industry via Learning By Doing

Our students learn academic content and skills – as well as 21st century skills – by doing. They experience relevant learning through partnerships between LSN schools and industry and community leaders.

Performance Assessment by Mastery of Learning Outcomes

Our schools are committed to developing authentic, ongoing assessments that are appropriate to a mastery of learning rather than a “seat time” paradigm.

Performance Assessment by Mastery of Learning Outcomes

Our schools are committed to developing authentic, ongoing assessments that are appropriate to a mastery of learning rather than a “seat time” paradigm.

Performance Assessment by Mastery of Learning Outcomes

Our schools are committed to developing authentic, ongoing assessments that are appropriate to a mastery of learning rather than a “seat time” paradigm.

Deep, Deliberate Collaboration with Industry and Community

We actively engage industry and community as partners in designing our schools and learning experiences. Student learning is integrated inside and outside the school in collaboration with industry and community partners.

Investing in Students as Assets through Positive Youth Development

We view students as assets who should be invested in. Our schools facilitate social emotional learning, and provide support services for all students to be active learners for academic and life success.

Investing in Students as Assets through Positive Youth Development

Investing in Students as Assets through Positive Youth Development

Staff as Trusted, Professional Generalists

Our staff are trusted professionals who are committed to their own growth and development. Through systematic and ongoing professional development and learning opportunities, the Network and schools invest in teachers and their learning.

Cross School Shared Resources and Capital

We are a learning community. We cultivate and share collective knowledge and resources across the Network and schools to improve practices and educational outcomes and to better serve students and families.

Cross School Shared Resources and Capital

Cross School Shared Resources and Capital

Instructors, students, and staff montage

Our History

The Leadership Schools Network was born from a vision to address the widening gap between students who were performing within the confines of the traditional education system and those who were not being served. When the Network moved from an idea into action in 2013, one out of every three students in Albuquerque was dropping out of school. Troubling graduation rates, disengagement, and stark workforce-development challenges indicated a great need for highly impactful, relevant schools that would prepare youth for their future.

The Leadership Schools Network was initiated as a program of Future Focused Education, a nonprofit organization that works to advance the best education for the students who need it most.

Original Network schools included ACE Leadership High School (chartered in 2009), Health Leadership High School (chartered in 2012), Tech Leadership High School (chartered in 2014) and Siembra Leadership High School (chartered in 2015).

Learn More About The Schools

Over the years, the vision for the Network has grown to include schools and educators who adopt the LSN approach, and sharing the Network model with partners in other communities across the US.

School accountability as it currently exists limits innovation because you are accountable for seat time and test scores, even though both students and industry are saying it doesn’t work for them. So with Future Focused saying, “Let’s talk to industry about how to prepare students and improve health outcomes,” it has changed the way I think.

School Design partner in Memphis, TN

Learn more about our work in Memphis

Our Model in Action

Leadership High Schools in Albuquerque

X3 Internship Program

X3 is a paid work experience for for LSN students and other high schoolers outside the classroom, inside the workforce.

Students are paired with local employers to provide meaningful work experiences and a monthly stipend
Opens doors to future careers and higher education for local marginalized youth
Fall and spring sessions: 13 weeks, 12 hours/wk, $2,500 per intern
Summer sessions: Customized to meet employer needs