When the award-winning Third Future Schools (TFS) charter network in Colorado, Texas, and Louisiana decided to renew their subscription to OUR, it affirmed the important role the app plays in community engagement. The mobile app enables the schools’ administrators to increase participatory decision-making, and provide a deeper sense of community for students, teachers, parents, staff, and other stakeholders. It is no surprise that TFS would use a next-gen tool such as OUR to serve their constituents and position schools to realize their mission through cultivating a vibrant community.

As TFS administrators read OUR polling results on their iPhones while addressing teaching staff in-person and online via Zoom during a school break town hall meeting, they said: “This is really great. You are going to like this.” The teachers waited to hear the vote tally about whether instructors should be allowed to wear jeans in the classroom. “That’s it,” administrators said. “You all can wear jeans during instruction.” Applause broke out in the room and via Zoom. While raising his pointer finger in the air, one administrator smiled and said, “However, no torn jeans!”

Once the laughter simmered down, results of the other fresh responses were shared with the community, including a proposal to increase snow days, time off in lieu of a bump in pay, a pandemic protocol suggestion, and other matters on the agenda. Three more policy decisions were made then and there, while the others were resolved through additional sentiment gathering and efforts to reach consensus or at least a majority opinion.

TFS’s novel approach to teacher and principal evaluations, among other reform measures has earned them national recognition and a reputation for excellence.

It has been a pleasure working with TFS as they rapidly turn around struggling public schools across the country. TFS applies an innovative curriculum that engenders the art of critical thinking to provide students with the best education experience possible. We look forward to expanding our role in TFS as they expand their network.