Who is Imagine Schools?

Imagine Schools is an organization, comprised mostly of teachers, that operates 52 public charter schools and independent schools in 11 states and the District of Columbia. We serve 25,000 students nationwide.

Our mission is to help parents and guardians educate their children by creating learning communities of achievement and hope. Imagine Schools was founded with the goal of restoring vision and purpose to schools and returning parents and guardians to full participation in the education of their children.

Imagine Schools’ founders, Dennis and Eileen Bakke, are passionate about making a difference in education by applying a unique organizational and operational structure guided by shared values of integrity, justice, and fun. This approach puts teachers and school leaders squarely in charge of the decisions affecting the schools and students they serve.

At Imagine Schools, we believe in accountability and continual improvement, reflecting our understanding that test scores alone do not measure how well a school is performing. We believe that operating a successful school requires constant attention in six important areas that we call Measures of Excellence, and we evaluate our organization and each of our schools by these measures of excellence.Our Six Measures of Excellence are the yardsticks we use to evaluate our effectiveness in providing a challenging, effective program of study and strong moral development in a safe, nurturing environment. We grade ourselves annually on how we are performing - where we are excelling and where we can improve. The Six Measures of Excellence are:

Shared Values of integrity, justice, and fun allow every teacher, student, and parent associated with Imagine Schools to unite around common themes that guide our collective behavior.

Parent Choice and Satisfaction are the most reliable indicators of the quality of our schools.

Academic Achievement balances instruction in reading, math, science, social studies, and the arts, and is measured by student learning gains as well as proficiency.

Positive Character Development in our schools is a high priority. We strive for growth in students’ character measured by positive changes in behavior and world view.

Economic Sustainability means every school in our family is financially able to stand on its own, which is the best indicator of that school’s ability to continue educating children over the long term.

New School Development enhances our ability to reach more children, more families, and more communities. As we increase our family of schools, more opportunities abound for Imagine Schools’ educators to grow professionally as well