The Small Schools Workshop is a nonprofit organization that supports the creation and success of small, personalized, and effective educational environments for students, teachers, and parents in public schools, particularly in urban areas. Founded in 1984 by [[Michael Klonsky]] and [William Ayers]([[Bill Ayres]], the organization has its roots in the city of Chicago, but its influence has extended across the United States.
The Small Schools Workshop promotes a shift from large, comprehensive high schools to smaller learning communities that aim to provide more intimate, nurturing, and efficient environments for student learning. **The organization has been a key player in the small schools movement, which argues that smaller schools can lead to better relationships among students and teachers, increased student engagement, and higher achievement, particularly for students of color and those from low-income backgrounds.**
The Small Schools Workshop provides support in various ways:
1. **Research**: They conduct research on the performance and effectiveness of small schools, and disseminate their findings to educators, policymakers, and the public.
2. **Consulting Services**: They offer direct support to educators and schools in the form of consulting services. This can include everything from help with planning and design of new small schools to support for existing schools that want to improve their performance.
3. **Professional Development**: They offer training and development opportunities for educators who are working in or planning to work in small school environments.
4. **Policy Advocacy**: They advocate for policies at the local, state, and national level that support the creation and success of small schools.