Imagine an urban public school system that really works: a system where the students score above national averages on tests, where the teachers provide caring and individual attention, where the classrooms are orderly and purposeful, where the buildings are well-maintained and equipped with the latest technology. And, perhaps most importantly, where leaders are empowered to follow a strategic vision and act quickly to fix problems and adopt best practices.

That system already exists in Friendship Public Charter School,
a multi-campus system that operates three elementary schools, one junior high school, and a high school. Serving more than 3,000 predominantly low-income students in grades pre-K to 12, Friendship is already larger than the average school district in the United States. And this promising system, founded in 1998, is poised to grow, with plans to open new campuses in the coming years, including an innovative career academy to be located in Southeast Washington.

"Children in DC deserve the same opportunities as children in the affluent suburbs. That's what we're striving to provide," says school founder Donald L. Hense, who partnered with Edison Schools to develop the Friendship system. Friendship schools are organized into smaller learning communities, so that children benefit from an intimate environment even as the system grows. Says one Friendship 9th grader, "The teachers care. You can tell they love to teach, love to mentor, be one-on-one. They're like family."