July 17, 2025

Dear Educator,

Welcome to week two of our Bright Spots flashbacks from the 2024-25 academic year. If you missed last week’s highlight, check it out here.

This week, we’re heading back to Opportunity Central, where I witnessed one of the most impressive reimaginations of the high school experience I have seen. My visit included so many “wow” moments, it was tough to only talk about Blooms flower shop, but it was such a great story. After reading about that, be sure to explore our most downloaded tools from the year.

With Gratitude,

Not Your Traditional Flower Shop (or High School)

When I walked into Blooms, I introduced myself to the manager. It turned out she was also the floral design teacher for students looking to learn more about her craft. That means she runs the floral shop, which is a fully functioning business that provides floral arrangements to the community, while also teaching and managing her students who work in the shop. All of this is made possible because Blooms is set up in Opportunity Central where many business spaces serve as a storefront and a classroom.

At Blooms, students learn, design, and create their own floral designs to be sold in the store. The high schoolers develop expertise in a craft, earn course credit and certification, and can also receive a commission when their floral designs are purchased.

By integrating hands-on learning opportunities, mentorship, and access to a range of resources, Forney ISD is redefining what high school can be, ensuring every student is empowered to take ownership of their education and future success.

Interested in redefining what school could be for the learners you serve? Join us on July 21 for the first session of our four-part learning series on School Design! Learn more and register here.

What educators like you were downloading the most

🛠️ Competency-Based Reporting Playbook. "There’s a competency-based world in which learners can be valued for who they are and how they are growing as individuals. This resource illuminates how schools and districts are shifting away from school-centered grading practices to ones that better align with and support learner-centered, competency-based education." Learn all about competency-based assessment, grading, and reporting.

🛠️ Learner-Centered Scorecard Guide. "This comprehensive guide provides a 4-step process for creating, implementing, and leveraging Scorecards to drive improvement, engage stakeholders, and showcase your school or district’s unique success story in a learner-centered paradigm." Measure what matters to your learning community.

🛠️ Community Asset Map. "Identify and leverage local resources, skills, and networks to enhance their teaching practice. By mapping out community assets – from businesses to cultural organizations – educators can create more meaningful learning experiences that connect classroom content with the real world. Through a step-by-step process, this tool helps you determine your mapping goals, identify key community connections, and create action plans." Download your community asset map.