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Wednesday, January 30, 2013

To the Board of Trustees at the Tam School District, regarding the closure of the TEAM program



Dear Tamalpais Union High School District Board of Trustees,

What if the next Steve Jobs came from Marin? Where would he go to school? If he went to a regular high school all four years, would he succeed academically? From reading his autobiography, the answer would be, no. Thankfully in Marin, we “think differently” in terms of offering unique educational resources like the TEAM program to the next generation of innovators. The closure of TEAM would hold back future leaders and entrepreneurs from gaining the valuable skills they need to create sustainable change in the world.

Personally, I was not fortunate to to grow up with incredible wealth, however, I used the intellectual wealth Marin provided to take advantage of unique educational programs like TEAM. As 2003 graduate, TEAM played a formative role in both my professional and personal development. No matter what social, economic, or even physical obstacles stood in my way during high school and beyond, TEAM gave me the tools I needed to succeed both in and outside of the classroom.

I am grateful for everything that TEAM gave me. During a time of insecurity and awkward self-realization, TEAM  created an interdisciplinary curriculum to challenge me mentally, emotionally, physically and professionally. This is something that a traditional classroom simple cannot do for the majority of its students. From their innovative approach to education to the teachers commitment to innovative education, TEAM gave me the confidence I needed to succeed in the classroom. From leading rope course challenges to back-packing through the California wilderness with fellow “Teamies,” I gained professional development that later put me ahead of my peers when I entered the professional world.

After years of living abroad and talking to people from all over the world, I realized how fortunate I was to have TEAM. No other experience during high school generated the same lasting results my year at TEAM did. I always make sure to include TEAM on my resume, which teacher Chuck Ford helped me create and I still use today, and it made me stand out both to academics and working professionals.

My memories of TEAM and the harsh reality that are not enough of these kinds of programs out there has has motivated me to be an advocate of educational reform. TEAM helped me realize my life passion to develop contextual educational curricula that close the achievement gap in rural and impoverished areas in developing countries.

To shut down the TEAM program now would not only be a mistake, but it would damage the next generation of innovators. To those who think differently, TEAM provides a safe environment for students to harness and strengthen their creativity and apply it in the real world. In order to make TEAM scalable it should be expanded and replicated within the district, not dismantled. To end the program would mean closing the door on the next generation of bright minds. So ask yourself this, if the next Steve Jobs is out there right now, which program would best prepare this future leader to contribute individually and collaboratively in order to address the challenges of a dynamic and diverse world?

As a former student of Tamalpais High School, TEAM and Tamiscal, I would say with confidence, TEAM.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Danielle (aka Dani) Bicknell
TEAM, class of 2003

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