School Retool is a professional development fellowship that helps school leaders redesign school culture using small, scrappy experiments called “hacks.”

With support from the James F and Marion L Miller Foundation we added the School Retool Principal Fellowship to our portfolio of programs in 2017. Our interest in piloting School Retool in Oregon grew from a desire to support an emerging culture of innovation in our public schools.

The core program elements of School Retool for Principals complements our existing program Breaker--designed for teachers and students. With School Retool, we now have the ability to reach across a school campus with a suite of design-for-innovation services that meet the unique needs of principals, teachers, and students.

Redesigning School Culture

Created by Stanford University’s d.school K12 Lab and design firm IDEO, School Retool is a three-month professional development fellowship based on research by the Hewlett Foundation.  School Retool helps school leaders redesign their school cultures using “hacks”—small experiments built on research-based practices. The purpose of these experiments is to generate “Deeper Learning,” an educational outcome that prepares students for success after the K-12 years—in college, in professional settings, and in civic and everyday life. Ultimately, developing these real-world skills builds the ability to transfer what is learned from one context to the next.

Offering School Retool Region by Region will help Modernize Oregon Schools!

Forming a regional cohort of Principals enables school leaders to engage their peers in near by districts as they re-imagine what is possible for their students.

“The collective brainpower and creative collisions that happen during this type of professional development program are far more powerful and fun for us than working in isolation.” - School Retool participant, Jamie Fluke Principal Dayton Junior High and High Schools

Innovate Oregon has built a framework to catalyze regional transformation across Oregon with the goal of building an inclusive innovation culture.

Our first pilot of School Retool was made possible through our partnership with Innovate Oregon. Construct and Innovate will continue to partner as we expand School Retool services across Oregon.

Construct provided early stage funds for School Retool and served as the program’s convening partner in Oregon. Our role included marketing, sales, fundraising through grants, recruiting principals, and on-the-ground logistics. We are now involved in efforts to expand School Retool to regions across the state.