Such a commitment arises only when a faculty feels a sense of authority and control over its own school. Thus, just as a good school properly reflects its community, so too does it particularly show, and boldly, the convictions of its central staff, convictions that carry the authority of people who know that the school's reputation rests squarely on their judgment and strength. The Coalition is, in effect, a process, an unfolding among a widely diverse group of school of structures, routines, and commitments appropriate to each which are consistent with our shared principles. The Coalition schools do not work in isolation, they borrow from each other. The purpose of the collaboration is to spark a sustained conversation about what the commonly held ideas might mean and how a variety of communities might assist each other in finding their best practical expression.
Coalitions give strength in numbers, fortitude in times of pressure.
And for policy makers, a variety of schools provides a rich source from which ultimately to draw conclusions about the practical utility of the shared ideas.