At Baker, we prepare students for the 21st century.  A number of educational and business organizations (www.ala.org, www.21stcenturyschools.com, www.p21.org) have identified the following traits that students will need to succeed in the world today and tomorrow:  Inquire, think critically, and gain knowledge; Draw conclusions, make informed decisions, apply knowledge to new situations, and create new knowledge; Share knowledge and participate ethically and productively as members of our democratic society; Pursue personal and aesthetic growth.

In our classrooms children learn by doing.  Through experience and play, they learn new knowledge and develop the skills to apply lessons to new situations.  As they dissect an octopus, discuss service projects, serve on student government, write a play based on mythology, and study US History through primary sources, our students explore curricula from the inside out.  I recently visited a Kindergarten classroom where I observed students creating parachutes out of loose-leaf paper and yarn.  The students then proceeded to drop the parachutes from the loft in their classroom.  One student commented to me that they were learning “how to slow down gravity.”  It is through such magical moments that life lessons are learned.  John Dewey, a pioneering US educator and philosopher, wrote, “It is through what we do in and with the world that we read its meaning and measure its value.”  Baker students are truly ready to measure the value of the world and their role in it, essential aspects of 21st century learners.

Born from the rich collaboration and inquiry found among progressive educators in Chicago at the turn of the past century, Baker Demonstration School is both proud of its tradition and committed to the future.  In an early Baker curriculum guide (1932) the following general aims and principles were identified: the ability to think constructively, to evaluate, compare, and form sane judgments; to work purposefully toward a goal; to master essential skills; to be ready to participate in worthy social living; to cooperate with other people; to appreciate artistic resources.  These progressive traits have influenced our practice for almost one-hundred years, since the founding of Baker in 1918.

With growing enrollment, a solid and talented teacher corps, a dynamic and effective curriculum, strong standardized test scores, child-centered assessment and conferences, teacher inquiry and professional development, Baker is well poised to bring the joy of learning to your child’s eyes and the passion of caring to their hearts.  Welcome home.

Daniel Schwartz
Head of School
Joined Baker in 2010
dschwartz@bakerdemschool.org

B.A., University of Connecticut
M.Ed., Lesley University
Ed.D. National-Louis University

Dan Schwartz joined Baker having served for 12 years as Washburne Middle School Principal in the Winnetka Public Schools. He was Assistant Principal of the school for four years prior to becoming Principal. Before relocating to the Midwest, he lived in Boston, where he worked as Director of Education at the USS Constitution Museum, and was a teacher in both the Boston and Brookline Public Schools as well as at New Perspectives High School, a private therapeutic school. Mr. Schwartz earned his B.A. in History from the University of Connecticut, his M.Ed. in Educational Administration from Lesley University in Cambridge MA, and is currently working on his dissertation at National-Louis University. His dissertation topic is What are the Implications of Progressive Education for School Leadership?

Mr. Schwartz has a life-long interest in progressive education. He has published articles in educational journals including Schools, Middle Ground, and Education for Democracy. He has also presented at numerous conferences including: the American Educational Research Association, Progressive Education Network, North Dakota Study Group, North Cook Intermediate Service Center, International Network of Principals’ Centers, and Museum Educators’ Roundtable.

Mr. Schwartz currently serves on the Steering Committee of the National Progressive Education Network, the Board of the North Dakota Study Group, and the Advisory Board of Erika’s Lighthouse. He has received many honors including the Congressional Youth Leadership Council Educational Leader and Mentor, the HAVEN Youth and Family Services Outstanding Achievement in Community Relations, Who’s Who in America, and Who’s Who in American Education.

Mr. Schwartz is the proud parent of two daughters, both enrolled at Wesleyan University in Connecticut, and is husband to Charla, an environmental engineer.