History

It all started when…

A committee was formed at Presidio Hill School in the 2014–2015 school year to further explore the possibility of a Center for Progressive Education (CPE), an idea that had been percolating for several years. The committee of teachers, administrators and parents discussed how to spread progressive education philosophy and practices “beyond the walls of the school” and how to support and inspire progressive educators in the Bay Area and beyond. The committee wrote a mission statement and began to work on the CPE’s first initiative, a teacher apprentice program, partnering with the University of San Francisco, and building on PHS’s century-long legacy, with the purpose of educating future teachers in the practices of progressive education.

The committee soon branched out and invited interested educators from other schools to join. A steering committee was formed and a series of events was planned, beginning with an institute in the summer of 2017 whose theme was Inquiry Into Action in the Classroom. Evening meetings followed in the fall of 2017 and Learning Walks, with teachers visiting the classrooms of teachers from other schools, soon followed. Two other institutes were held at the New School of San Francisco and most recently, at Children’s Day School in 2018.

During the planning for these institutes, the steering committee decided that it would be best if they were held in the fall, biennially, and in years opposite from the national Progressive Education Network conferences. Thus, planning for an institute for the fall of 2020 is now in the works. This website has been created and unveiled in the fall of 2019 with the hope of keeping interested progressive educators in the Bay Area and beyond linked and informed. Book reviews, institute keynotes, opportunities for sharing, and other information of interest are some of the website’s offerings.