The combined power of seven schools

Sixteen years ago, four Southeast Seattle public schools avoided the educational trend toward competition and banded together as partners.

The idea of schools collaborating rather than competing for students and resources remains a novelty but that is behind the steady achievement of Powerful Schools. The concept behind the partnership, which has grown to include seven elementary schools, is exactly what its name implies: Schools that share rather than compete for the resources of the community and the Seattle School District are far more academically successful and powerful.

Partners in Powerful Schools share commonalities that smartly brought them together, including student populations made up largely of low-income and English-language learners. The lack of resources in these schools belies their location in often affluent or at least comfortable communities. For example, Mount Baker is one of the city's more-affluent neighborhoods. But 80 percent of the students who attend nearby Hawthorne Elementary qualify for free and reduced-price lunch.

Credit forward thinkers such as principals and parents who go beyond the walls of their school and team up with others. All of the schools are within a few miles of each other, allowing parents, volunteers and teachers to travel easily among the buildings. The elementary schools that make up the partnership are Beacon Hill, John Muir, Hawthorne, ORCA, Graham Hill, Dunlap and The New School.

The influx of resources and the cadre of tutors and volunteers who work one-on-one with students daily have paid off with improved achievement. Muir Elementary was one of 10 schools statewide lauded by Gov. Christine Gregoire recently for performing above the academic curve.

Success spawns success. Programs at the schools now include Powerful Arts, Powerful Readers, Powerful Writers and Powerful Buddies, a mentoring program pairing elementary students with high-school students who provide academic, social and emotional support.

These schools struggled alone but as an alliance they're soaring. It is a simple concept that ought to spread throughout the district.