Distinctive Schools

Distinctive Schools was founded on the backgrounds of expert practitioners Mary Stafford and Joseph Wise, who each bring strong leadership and results from many years of successful work with students, educators, and school leaders. In 2011, after decades of work with public schools, they formed Distinctive Schools based on core beliefs including: all children deserve a rigorous public education regardless of zip code; teachers know best what children need to thrive and grow and should have a strong voice in a school; families are essential in creating a love of life-long learning and supporting the whole child, and finally, that communities can be transformed and a bright future created by the presence of an excellent school. Distinctive Schools sees education as the social justice issue of our time that can only be addressed by ensuring equity, access, and excellence via school choice. In 2011, Distinctive Schools began operations by assuming management of three existing campuses within the Chicago International Charter School network. From 2012 to 2015 the Distinctive Schools network grew to five schools in Illinois. In August of 2015, Minnesota Early Learning Academy, a Distinctive Schools campus, will open in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota.