This post is co-authored by Mary Seawell and Brett Alessi, Co-founder and Partner of Empower Schools.

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The Luminary Learning Network (LLN) launched in 2016 as Denver’s first innovation zone. It started with a novel idea - what if we radically empowered educators to make critical decisions that impact their students, including decisions around schedule, curriculum, new hires, culture and budget? 

LLN formed after 17 Innovation School leaders asked then Denver Superintendent Boasberg to remove district-level impediments and challenges to empower them to better meet the needs of their students. Its creation was unanimously approved by the DPS School Board and State Board of Education. 

Since its inception, two more Innovation Zones have launched within Denver including Beacon Network Schools (BNS) and Northeast Denver Innovation Zone (NDIZ). 

At the outset, we were uncertain about how this innovation zone journey would unfold. Our guiding vision was simply to ask the question about who should make key decisions to best meet the needs of students. ‍

Now, several years into this endeavor, our experiences offer valuable lessons for educators and advocates nationwide who are seeking ways to innovate productively and efficiently.
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‍First, traditional districts may not be taking full advantage of the opportunity afforded by state laws enabling the creation of innovation schools and zones. The role of the LLN, or any innovation zone, is not to compete with the district, but to complement the district and to push the boundaries of what is commonly expected of school leaders and teachers. This is a fine needle to thread - granting autonomy without creating systemic inequity - but ultimately through compromises on all sides, it has led to a solution that works for all involved. 

Secondly, we have observed that independent, nonprofit boards overseeing schools can enhance public input and school accountability. The key lies in the strategic formation of the board. In contrast to the often criticized notion of a "private takeover" associated with nontraditional school governance, the Luminary Learning Network board comprises Denver community members, network educators, a representative from the DPS school board, and one from the district's leadership team. All members share a deep commitment to the success of the zone. This inclusive composition, bringing together diverse stakeholders with a central focus on educators, can generate increased support and contribute to the network's priorities' long-term sustainability—conditional upon the schools' performance.

Third, relationships and experience matter. As a former DPS board president who has maintained strong relationships with superintendents, board members, and district leaders for over a decade, I can speak first-hand to the importance of tapping back into a reservoir of goodwill when the negotiations got tough, as they inevitably will. Innovative ideas like innovation zones are difficult and being able to lean back into relationships. 

“The guiding vision was for radical empowerment of the educators closest to the students. Working with the district to answer fundamental questions – who gets to make decisions about new hires, schedules, curriculum, culture, and budget – led to some difficult conversations but also some ground-breaking outcomes.” - Mary Seawell, Lyra founder and Senior Vice President for Education with the Gates Family Foundation, which provided strategic partnership and support for the initiative. 

We hope that these learnings from LLN will inspire districts, educators, and innovators nationwide to approach their available tools with greater creativity. It underscores the challenging yet fulfilling effort needed to delegate more decision-making authority to the educators who are closest to the students that the system aims to serve.

More readings on the early inception of Denver’s first innovation zone:

• Read the Bridgespan Group’s 2017 study on the creation of Denver’s first innovation zone, LLN here.
  

• Read the Gates Family Foundation’s 2018 case study on the creation of Denver’s first innovation zone, LLN here.
  

• Read insights from founder Mary Seawell and Empower Schools partner Brett Alessi on lessons learned in the start-up of Denver’s first innovation zones here.
  

• Read more about Empower Schools here.