The governance structures at Young Achievers-ELT, grade-level teams, governing board, along with the support of Friends of Young Achievers and its board-are an example of how professional collaboration can be organized effectively in a Pilot School.
    As illustrated by the meeting described above, the Educational Leadership Team (ELT) focuses on clarifying and pursuing the school’s goals and objectives for teaching, learning, and student achievement. The team meets twice per month on the first Thursday evening of the month from 5:15 to 7:15, and one Friday morning a month from 9:00 to 11:30. The ELT is made up of grade-level team facilitators, role group facilitators/representatives (community teacher, and representatives from student support, specialist teachers, special education, health and safety, and program support), and the principal and assistant principal.
    Facilitators have multiple roles and responsibilities that include planning, facilitating, and communicating. They facilitate team meetings: clarifying purpose and priorities, setting norms, selecting and leading protocols, guiding discussions, reflecting on meetings, and planning with coaches weekly. They also represent the team on the ELT, communicating the work and questions from the ELT back to the team for feedback. Finally, they organize and assign administrative tasks to the team and follow up to ensure timely completion of those tasks. Facilitators receive a stipend for this work.
    The governing board at Young Achievers “is responsible for the governance of the school and has ultimate responsibility through standing committees that report their recommendations to the whole body,” according to the staff handbook. The board meets monthly and is composed of seven elected parents, seven elected staff, two nonvoting community members, and one eighth-grade student representative. The principal is automatically a member of the board and serves as one of its cochairs. The board evaluates the principal (although the principal does not evaluate herself), reviews and approves the school’s budget, monitors progress on the school’s strategic plan, and establishes and reviews policies and directions of the school. The board also approves the school’s annual election-to-work agreement.
    Friends of Young Achievers, Inc. (FOYA) is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization created by the school to assist with relationship building and development efforts. FOYA and its board of directors works with the governing board to support the school’s mission. FOYA was created in 1999, four years after the founding of the school, as a private charity “to assist the school with the fundraising and outreach required to maintain its exceptional curriculum and implement its innovative eight-hour ‘seamless’ school day program.” FOYA raises money for a variety of needs that are identified by the school community. At present these include a state-of-the-art science lab, greater access to technology for students at school and at home, resources necessary to support the full range of learners, basic needs including nutritional food and mental health services, and consumable math and science supplies. Several Pilot Schools have or are in the process of creating their own 501(c)(3) organizations similar to FOYA. (For more information on Friends of Young Achievers, visit http://www.foya.org/)