The summit also will bring together several independent school teachers and administrators who will share their stories, ideas, and best practices. 

Founded in 1876, Hathaway Brown is committed to a fusion of academic and experiential learning. This co-ed Early Childhood and all-girls’ K-12 independent day school focuses on educational innovation as it prepares students to rise boldly to the challenges of our times and live out the HB motto of learning “not for school, but for life.”

HB’s inclusive environment, outstanding faculty, and unique programs draw families from 72 communities across Northeast Ohio to its beautiful 16-acre Shaker Heights campus, which houses an aquatics center, invention lab, visual and performing arts spaces, and working television studio. Immersive academic, service, and cultural opportunities abound, and graduates attend many of the country’s top universities.

Since its beginning as “afternoon classes for young ladies” at the all-boys’ private Brooks Military School in downtown Cleveland, Hathaway Brown School has been helping students find and pursue opportunities, maximize their own potential, and make a difference in the world. The school moved to its current location in Shaker Heights in 1927 and it is now home to 830 students in preschool through twelfth grade.

Twenty-nine percent are students of color. Twenty-seven percent of students received financial aid awards in 2011-2012. The school maintains small class sizes in all divisions, and the student/faculty ratio is 8:1. HB offers extensive transportation services and a one-to-one technology program.

The school is consistently praised by academic institutions, social service organizations, businesses, professional societies, and journalistic publications. The number of HB students who have been named finalists or semifinalists in the prestigious Intel and Siemens science competitions far surpasses all other schools in Ohio and all independent girls’ day schools in the United States.

HB has been named one of the NorthCoast 99 great workplaces for top talent in Northeast Ohio for 13 consecutive years. It is the only secondary school to receive the award throughout the history of the program.

For the last 25 years, HB has flourished under the leadership of Head of School Bill Christ. The school’s unique academic architecture allows students of all ages to gain an extraordinarily sound foundation in core subjects and to pursue their passions through the signature Institute for 21st Century Education.

HB’s athletics program is extremely well regarded and regularly honored, with two current State Champion and two State Runner-Up designations to its credit, along with numerous regional and divisional titles.

Educational colleagues throughout the country consider HB a leader in the field. The school’s inaugural Education Innovation Summit brought more than 600 educators from 110 public, private, and parochial schools in 30 U.S. states and Canada to HB to explore ways to improve offerings for all children. This fall, on October 4-5, the third annual Education Innovation Summit will be convened at Hathaway Brown. The focus is Everybody’s Children: Independent Schools, Educational Reform, and the Future of Teaching.

This event will include a phenomenal lineup of speakers, with new voices and perspectives being added to the roster every day, including: Thomas Friedman, Foreign Affairs Columnist for The New York Times; Paul Tough, Author of “How Children Succeed;”  Patrick Bassett, president of the National Association of Independent Schools; Linda Darling-Hammond of Stanford University; Pearl Rock Kane from the Klingenstein Center at Columbia University; Karin Elliott, executive director of the National Partnership for Educational Access; Jim Shelton, of the Office of Non-Public Education at the U.S. Department of Education; and Lorna Smith, director of Horizons National.

The summit also will bring together several independent school teachers and administrators who will share their stories, ideas, and best practices. A special highlight will be a panel discussion about the groundbreaking Cleveland Metropolitan School District Transformation Plan. Participants will include CMSD CEO Eric Gordon, and Cleveland’s Chief of Education, Monyka Price, Cleveland Teachers Union President David Quolke and State Senator Nina Turner.

Russ Mitchell of WKYC News will serve as the panel’s moderator.

Thomas Friedman’s Education Innovation Summit keynote address on Thursday, October 4, at 6:30 p.m. is open to the public. It will take place in the HB gymnasium. Registration is $20 per person. See www.hb.edu for details. The school’s website also lists several visitation and Open House dates throughout the fall, or call (216) 320-8767 to schedule a personal tour.