Summit in the News

 

September, 2022


Summit Grads Enroll in College at Highest Rates in Seattle

September 12, 2022, Seattle Patch
SEATTLE, WA. — Graduates from Summit Public Schools enroll in college at a higher rate than students from seven other school districts in Seattle, according to the recently released College Enrollment and Community & Technical College Outcomes Dashboard.


 

May, 2022


High Schoolers Think Student Loans Are Risky, And They’re Forgoing Billions of Dollars in Aid

May 6, 2022, Fortune
Education technology provider EverFi surveyed over 18,000 students who took an online course about financing higher education. In a pre-course survey, more than one-third of students said they would describe federal student loans as risky; that number jumped to 40% among Black and Latino students.


 

April, 2022


San Jose High School Earns Top National Ranking by U.S. News

April 29, 2022, Campbell Patch
Summit Tahoma, located in San Jose, was recognized by U.S. News & World Report as among the best high schools in the country, ranking in the top 12% nationally and among California high schools. The school stood out as the 26th best high school in the San Jose metro area.


Redwood City High Schools Ranked as Best in the Country by U.S. News

April 29, 2022, Redwood City-Woodside Patch
Summit Prep and Summit Everest, located in Redwood City, were recognized this week by U.S. News & World Report as among the best high schools in the country ranking in the top 5% and top 12% nationally respectively. Summit Prep stood out as the 24th best high school in the San Francisco metro area.


Daly City High School Ranked as Best in the Country by U.S. News

April 29, 2022, South San Francisco Patch
Summit Shasta, located in Daly City, was recognized this week by U.S. News & World Report as among the best high schools in the country, ranking in the top 3% nationally and among California high schools. The school stood out as the 16th best high school in the San Francisco metro area and the 84th best in the state.


Want your student to be successful? Look for a school that prioritizes relationships

April 21, 2022, Today
When I send my 7th and 11th graders to school, the thing I care most about is, surprisingly, not what they are learning in their classrooms. As a parent and long-time educator at Summit Public Schools, my biggest priority is knowing there is an adult at my kids’ school who truly knows them, cares about them, and guides them.


 

March, 2022


Summit Sierra’s Mental Health Awareness Day on Fox 13! (Video on YouTube)

March 9, 2022, Fox 13 Seattle
Summit Sierra students spearheaded a Mental Health Awareness Day, which helped to foster a sense of belonging for every student at the school. Learn more about the special event and hear from one of the student leaders, senior Esther Smith, by watching this news clip!


 

February, 2022


Summit Atlas’ Appreciation Wall on KIRO-TV! (Video on YouTube)

February 9, 2022, KIRO-TV
At Summit Atlas, you’ll find the Appreciation Wall, a colorful wall decorated with notes of gratitude. The Appreciation Wall helps all students feel seen, known, and valued. See the power of gratitude and hear from Summit Atlas Middle School student, Hakima, by watching the news clip.


Life as a Glass of Lemonade: Lessons for Success From Public Charter School Students

February 8, 2022, The Well News
Summit Atlas alumni, Jayla Foster and Esther Mumbi, reflect on their experiences learning at a public charter school. As alumni, they reflect on the opportunities they had to build their confidence, learn, and grow.


 

December, 2021


Summit Prep aims to help with post-school plans

December 17, 2021, Daily Journal
Nearly two years into the pandemic, a second class of high school seniors have begun submitting their college applications, many without ever having visited their dream university, but one local high school is confident it’s prepared its students for the next big chapter.


What’s the point of high school? Where I teach, it’s more than a diploma

December 7, 2021, EdSource
I started my career as a teacher driven by a desire to help support young people and create a positive, lasting impact on the world. I think that’s how most teachers start out their careers.


 

October, 2021


Sunnyvale Middle School Ranked As Best in California

October 19, 2021, Cupertino Patch
Summit Denali, located in Sunnyvale, was recognized nationally by U.S. News & World Report among the best middle schools in California. Summit Denali ranked #21 out of California charter schools, and in the top 150 middle schools in California out of more than 3,400 schools.


Seattle Middle School Ranked As Best in Washington

October 19, 2021, Seattle Patch
Summit Atlas, located in West Seattle, was recognized by U.S. News & World Report among the best middle schools in Washington. Summit Atlas ranked #3 out of Washington charter schools and in the top 300 middle schools in the state.


 

September, 2021


Summit Public Schools Reveals First Alumni Report of its Kind, Redefining Student Success

September 20, 2021, Summit Public Schools
Summit Public Schools released a first-of-its-kind report measuring life fulfillment amongst its alumni, in which 71.7% of alumni reported high levels of overall well-being. The report, “Pathways to Success: Exploring the Long-term Outcomes of Alumni from Summit Public Schools,” examines alumni well-being according to five dimensions: strong relationships, purpose, health, community, and financial independence.


 

June, 2021


Joseph Hernandez

Daly City students’ path to Harvard shaped by experience amid pandemic

June 15, 2021, The Daily Journal
Joseph Hernandez was halfway across the globe on his first trip outside of the U.S. when the world stopped.


KPIX 5

Summit Prep’s Graduation on KPIX5 News (Video on YouTube)

June 11, 2021, KPIX 5 News
Watch: CBS Bay Area’s coverage of Summit Prep’s graduation ceremony. Hear from graduating senior Genesis Galindo and Executive Director Cady Ching.

95% of Summit Public Schools seniors have been accepted to four-year universities. Class of 2021 seniors have been accepted to 260 unique colleges, including prestigious universities experiencing historically low acceptance rates: Harvard University, Columbia University, and Johns Hopkins University. Summit graduates were also accepted to all 23 California State Universities, all nine University of California schools and many other distinguished institutions of higher learning. Learn more about Summit’s class of 2021.


 

May, 2021


U.S. News Best High Schools

San Jose High School Ranked as Best in the Country

May 6, 2021, Campbell Patch
Summit Tahoma, located in Santa Clara County, was recognized nationally by U.S. News & World Report among the best high schools in the country. Summit Tahoma ranked in the top 25% of California high schools.


U.S. News Best High Schools

Seattle High School Ranked as Best in the Country

April 30, 2021, Seattle Patch
Summit Sierra Ranked In The Top 25 Washington High Schools For College Readiness by by U.S. News & World Report.


U.S. News Best High Schools

Daly City High School Ranked as Best in the Country by U.S. News

April 30, 2021, Daly City Patch
Summit Shasta Ranked in Top 5% of California High Schools.


U.S. News Best High Schools

Two Redwood City High Schools Ranked as Best in the Country

April 30, 2021, Redwood City Patch
Summit Prep and Summit Everest recognized by U.S. News & World Report.


 

January, 2021


Local student awarded national Posse Foundation scholarship

January 20, 2021, El Cerrito Patch
Aryan Singh, a senior at Summit K2 High School in El Cerrito, has been named a Posse Scholar, earning him a four-year, full tuition scholarship to Boston University.


 

June, 2019


Summit Public Schools’ Students Will be the First Charter Graduates in Washington State History

June 4, 2019, Summit Public Schools
Summit Public Schools (Summit) celebrates its first graduating classes in Washington state at Summit Sierra and Summit Olympus. These students are the first charter school graduates in Washington state history.


 

May, 2019


Tacoma students will ‘go down in history’ as state’s first charter graduating class

May 31, 2019, The News Tribune
Sitting in a circle in a meeting room at Summit Olympus High School in Tacoma, members of the first-ever graduating charter school class in Washington state shared how they felt about graduation…


Discovering My Passion: Poetry and The Power of Public Speaking

May 28, 2019, National Alliance for PUblic Charter Schools
Growing up, I always had a fear of public speaking. That’s probably normal for some people, public speaking is one of the most terrifying experiences they can imagine. Instead of shying away from my fear, I faced it and I’ve never regretted it.


Two San Jose High Schools Ranked as Best in the Country

May 17, 2019, El Observador
Two San Jose high schools, Summit Public School: Tahoma and Summit Public School: Rainier, are among those ranked as the best in the nation by U.S. News & World Report.


 

April, 2019


Student Voice: Self-Directed Learning Prepared Me for College

April 22, 2019, League of Education Voters
I didn’t have the most conventional childhood. As an Army brat, home was all over the country – from Nevada to Tennessee, and a bunch of places in between. Since I never spent more than a couple years at any school, I didn’t have a lot of guidance from my teachers.


 

March, 2019


Watch: 11 stories about teaching, learning and growth from Ignite Education Lab 2019

March 19, 2019, Seattle Times
Most children need more than lectures and tests to learn. Some need a creative outlet; others need to see themselves in their educators or curriculum. Many need help processing trauma, while many others…


Mentorship works: Academic accountability and planning for success

March 8, 2019, Tacoma Weekly
High school can be tough to navigate. Like many of my friends, I spend a lot of my time thinking about my future – where I’ll go and what I’ll do. In between all the stress and planning, we high schoolers …


Every day at Summit is an experience: Finding myself and fostering independence, by Sumayo Hassan

March 7, 2019, Rise Up for Students
I have always been independent. I like to figure things out, and for me, science and math have been the tools I’ve used to expand my knowledge and understanding of the world. Over the last four years at Summit Sierra…


Rainier Student Recognized as a U.S. Presidential Scholar Candidate

March 1, 2019, El Observador
A San Jose high school student has been named a U.S. Presidential Scholar candidate. Andy Nguyen, a senior at Summit Rainier, is one of just 381 students in California nominated for this prestigious national award. …


 

February, 2019


Summit K2 juniors channel Don Draper to effect change

February 22, 2019, Richmond Standard
Mad Men? Almost. Teen students at Summit K2 in El Cerrito recently exercised their inner Don Draper (the professional one, …


 

January, 2019


Course helps Silicon Valley teens graduate to grown-up

January 18th, 2019, ABC 7 News
Does anyone really know where the line is when a teenager becomes an adult? Students at a South Bay high school are taking a special course called “adulting” to prepare them better to make the transition….


 

November, 2018


Summit’s residency trains educators for its personalized learning model

November 12, 2018, Education Dive
With plans to spread across the country, the charter network is looking for aspiring teachers ‘who are open to classrooms looking different’…


 

October, 2018


Summit Is Spinning Off Its Popular Personalized Learning Platform, Creating New Nonprofit to Take the Helm

October 24, 2018, The 74
Summit Public Schools’ personalized learning platform will soon be run by a new nonprofit organization in hopes of meeting the demand of schools across the country that have requested access to this free software….


Summit Schools to Spin Out Learning Program

October 12, 2018, EdSurge
Summit Public Schools, which over the past four years has led the creation of the “Summit Learning Program” currently used by more than 380 schools around the U.S., said today that it will spin out that program into an independent nonprofit as of the 2019-2020 school year….


 

September, 2018


Op-Ed: Rep. Zoe Lofgren Visits Local School to Talk Current Events, Legislative Priorities

September 28, 2018, San Jose Inside
U.S. Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-San Jose), who represents California’s 19th Congressional District, believes young people hold the power in determining which direction the country is heading toward…..


 

August 03, 2018


Summit Atlas Charter School grand opening shows off newly expanded facility

August 03, 2018, Westside Seattle
The Summit Atlas Charter School at the corner of Roxbury Street SW and 35th SW is a very different and yet very familiar place. As a school most of the basics are there, and the aim for any school, quality education is the same you’d find anywhere….


 

July, 2018


Preparing teachers to personalize their classrooms

July 24, 2018, EdSource
Devonna Alatorre discovered her passion for teaching in prison. As a senior at Cal Poly Pomona, she co-taught a math class at a nearby men’s prison. “I saw how students — any students — can become invested in math,” she said. “It inspired me.”


 

June, 2018


Closing the Gender Gap in Computer Science

June 22, 2018, Cupertino Patch
Two Silicon Valley schools are making a push to increase the numbers of women in STEM careers–a way to curb the gender gap that persists in the tech and science sectors. Summit Public Schools are proving that the future of tech looks bright…and female.


 

May, 2018


Tacoma School Students Performed Their Poetry at Louder Than a Bomb Poetry Slam April 28th Tacoma Daily Index

May 2, 2018, Tacoma Daily Index
After months and hours of writing and rehearsing their poems, a team of Tacoma students from Summit Olympus High School, a public charter school…


SF Girl Wins State Surfing Championship

May 2, 2018, San Francisco Chronicle
It takes talent, patience and perseverance to become a competitive surfer in Northern California. Perfect days are at a premium, leaving kids to deal with chilly weather, contrary winds, icy-cold water and the threat of creatures lurking below….


 

March, 2018


Seattle Students Find Empowering Lessons in ‘Hamilton’

March 16, 2018, Seattle Weekly
On Wednesday afternoon, thousands of Seattle and Portland high school students laughed, cried, and hollered throughout a history lesson….


Does Tech Designed to Personalize Learning Actually Benefit Students?

March 12, 2018, San Francisco Chronicle
From targeted content to Facebook ads, we’ve all experienced personalization on the web — and now tech companies are offering similar technology in schools….


 

February, 2018


Inside DC Schools: The Struggle to Develop Personalized Learning Independent Learners

February 21, 2018, EdSurge
Sitting in front of a laptop, Chris Pozo, a sixth-grade student at Truesdell Education Campus in Washington D.C., opens his Summit calendar to show…


 

Jaunary, 2018


Lots of Responsibility for Summit’s Lofberg

January 4, 2018, SM Daily Journal
Mike Lofberg has always been involved in athletics. From playing lacrosse in high school and college, coaching youth teams for more than a decade…


 

December, 2017


Summit Sierra High School Student Club Gives to ARCS Food Bank

December 22, 2018, NW Asian Weekly
The Little Saigon Ambassadors club at Summit Sierra High School in Seattle’s Chinatown-International District donated nearly 50 canned…


Summit K2 Recognized as a School of Distinction

December 22, 2018, El Cerrito Patch
Summit K2, a public charter school in El Cerrito, was recently recognized as a winner of the Silicon Schools Fund School of Distinction Award….


Summit Shasta Recognized as a School of Distinction

December 22, 2018, Pacifica Patch
Summit Shasta, a public charter school in Daly City, was recently recognized as a winner of the Silicon Schools Fund School…


Summit Denali Recognized as a School of Distinction

December 22, 2018, Cupertino Patch
Summit Denali, a public charter school in Sunnyvale, was recently recognized as a winner of the Silicon Schools Fund School of Distinction Award….


 

October, 2017


Summit Leaning gives students freedom, teaches responsibility

October 6, 2017, WTAJ News (CBS)
Johnstown, Cambria County, Pa. – The Summit Learning Academy is not your traditional school. It gives students the power to choose what….


 

September, 2017


Inside Silicon Valley’s Big-Money Push to Remake American Education

November 3, 2017, MotherJones
Personalized learning is the latest trend to catch the eye of tech moguls—and Betsy DeVos. But does it work?


What’s the Difference Between Engineering at a Tech Company Versus a School?

September 16, 2017, EdSurge
Sam Strasser is Chief Information Officer (CIO) at Summit Public Schools in the San Francisco Bay Area. But he also has had…


Bay Area high school experiment aims to create super schools

September 8, 2017, ABC7
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — A groundbreaking effort to re-invent American high school is taking center stage at 8 p.m. on ABC7 Friday…


Daly City’s school’s $10 million quest for student ‘sense of purpose’

September 8, 2017, SJ Mercury News
DALY CITY — The challenge — to craft a vehicle of paper plates, foam cups, plastic straws and tape, and power it with party balloons…


Peninsula High School Receives $10M Grant

September 6, 2017, KTVU TV
DALY CITY – A high school in the peninsula recently won a $10 million grant aimed at reshaping how we think about public education…


 

August, 2017


2 new buildings that push students to become more engaged learners

August 24, 2017, Daily Journal Commerce
new buildings that push students to become more engaged learners Imagine a school where, instead of sitting in rows listening to a teacher, students are clustered around a whiteboard solving an engineering problem, or around a table outlining a group presentation…


The Science Behind Summit Public Schools’ Model

August 16, 2017, Education Week
Over the past couple of years, as we have partnered with educators, researchers, and community leaders across the country to share Summit Learning…


Summit Atlas Opens

August 16, 2017, KOMO RADIO
…one fortitude just a couple minutes away from that extra layer traffic check to couple weeks of summer left for most students but cialis new charter school starts on monday.


Get a firsthand look this week at Summit Atlas, Seattle’s newest public charter school

August 13, 2017, Rise Up For Students Blog
Summit Public Schools is inviting the entire community to join them in celebrating the official opening of Summit Atlas, their new public charter school in West Seattle.


Seattle’s Newest Charter Public School Opens its Doors to Families and Students

August 10, 2017, Northwest Facts
Summit Public Schools invites you to join families, students and community members as they celebrate the official opening of their new school in Seattle, Summit Atlas.


 

July, 2017


Summit to open new college preparatory school this fall in West Seattle

July 31, 2017, West Seattle Herald
Summit Atlas, a tuition-free public charter school, is now enrolling 6th and 9th grade students.


Sneak peek at new Summit Atlas in West Seattle

July 28, 2017, Summit Public School
Construction crews are finishing work on the new charter public school, which opens to students August 21…


Together, technology and teachers can revamp schools

July 22, 2017, The Economist
IN 1953 B.F. Skinner visited his daughter’s maths class. The Harvard psychologist found every pupil learning the same topic in the same way at the same speed….


Summit Public Schools Launches Nation’s First Personalized Learning Teacher Residency

July 14, 2017, El Observador
Launching in fall 2017, collaborative program will train a diverse cohort of aspiring educators to lead today’s classroom while supporting the personal needs of students.


Personalized learning Residency Places Teachers at Summit Public Schools

July 13, 2017, The Journal
As personalized learning (PL) made headlines this week for improving student achievement in math, one nationally recognized public school …


Redwood City School System Launching Nation’s First Personalized Learning Teacher Residency Program

July 13, 2017, Redwood City Patch
The program will train a diverse cohort of aspiring educators to lead today’s classroom while supporting personal needs of students.


Summit Public Schools launches nation’s first personalized learning teacher residency

July 13, 2017, South San Francisco Patch
New personalized learning teacher preparation program launching in California. Summit Shasta, in Daly City, will be part of the program.
Pacifica | Redwood City | El Cerrito


Summit Public Schools Launches Nation’s First Personalized Learning Teacher Residency

July 13, 2017, Summit Public Schools
Building on Summit Public Schools’ success as a national leader in student-centered education, its Summit Learning Residency Program will prepare a diverse cohort …


 

June, 2017


Summit Public Schools Builds on History of Graduation Success, with 99 Percent of Students accepted to College

June 8, 2017, Summit Public Schools
A decade since its first graduating class, Summit celebrates college-bound rates above 90 percent at all of its schools.


Summit Shasta Celebrates Inaugural Graduating Class, witht 100 Percent of Students Accepted to College

June 6, 2017, Summit Public Schools
…This year, Summit Shasta in Daly City will celebrate its first graduating class, 100 percent of which were accepted to college…


San Jose Summit Schools Celebrate 98 Percent of Students Accepted to College

June 6, 2017, Summit Public Schools
Summit Public Schools (Summit) announced today that an average of 98 percent of seniors at both of its San Jose schools, Summit Rainier and Summit Tahoma, have received acceptances to at least one four-year college…


The Silicon Valley Billionaires Remaking America’s Schools

June 6, 2017, The New York Times
In San Francisco’s public schools, Marc Benioff, the chief executive of Salesforce, is giving middle school principals $100,000 “innovation grants”…


 

May, 2017


SF Chronicle Reports on Latest Summit Elevate News

May 30, 2017, SF Gate
Backers of a $10 million plan to reinvent the American high school in Oakland have scrapped the project, saying it’s neither the time nor the place…


How Two Local Teens Became College-Ready

May 19, 2017, El Observador
When choosing a high school, there are many factors to consider. Among the biggest consideration for many is whether a school will help prepare each student for college.


Examining racial gaps in access to quality schools in California and a list of Spotlight Schools

May, 2017, Great School
GreatSchools released a first-of-its-kind look at student achievement and access to educational opportunity broken down by race and ethnicity…


 

April, 2017


Three Summit High Schools Ranked Among Top 100 Schools in CA by ​U.S. News & World Report

April 25, 2017, ​U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report today named three high schools that are part of the Summit Public Schools network among the top in California …


Charter schools transform classrooms into flexible learning environments

April 13, 2017, EdSource
An unusual cluster of bright-colored schools, perched on a well-landscaped hillside adjacent to a shopping mall in Richmond…


 

March, 2017


Summit Olympus is Placing Learning in Students’ Hands

March 20, 2017, Getting Smart
Summit Public Schools Olympus has arrived. In their second year of operation, the Summit Public Schools Tacoma campus, Olympus, is in full swing.


 

February, 2017


Inside Silicon Valley’s classrooms of the future

February 3, 2017, Financial Times
Technology is transforming education, with personalised learning at the heart of the curriculum. Is this the future?


 

January, 2017


Silicon Schools Step Up

January 26, 2017, EdSurge News
A partnership between the Mark Zuckerberg and Summit Public Schools is turning traditional learning on its head – and now the Facebook CEO has his sights…


Mark Zuckerberg and his plan for a personalized learning revolution

January 19, 2017, TES
A partnership between the Mark Zuckerberg and Summit Public Schools is turning traditional learning on its head – and now the Facebook CEO has his sights on…


Summit Basecamp drives personalized learning adoption in schools

January 18, 2017, EducationDive
California-based charter network Summit Public Schools has shared its Basecamp personalized learning platform and grading policy with more than 100 other schools…


Tech’s Favorite School Faces Its Biggest Test: the Real World

January 17, 2017, Wired
On lengths of yarn stretched between chairs, sixth-grade math students were placing small yellow squares of paper, making number lines…


Building the 3.0 High School: How Summit Basecamp Schools Pairs Teaching With Technology

January 16, 2017, The 74 Million
In the 2015 documentary Most Likely to Succeed, the filmmakers focus solely on the education revolution known as High Tech High, the San Diego charter school launched…