Nettelhorst Community Group is revolutionizing the bake sale in Lake View. Can the same thing happen in other communities?

By Ben Myers
Editor

Wednesday, April 02, 2008

The transformation of Lake View’s Nettelhorst School from deteriorating facility to vibrant community landmark has been well-covered.

In the summer of 2002, a group of Lake View parents, who met each other as their toddlers played in neighborhood parks, approached Nettelhorst principal Susan Kurland about improving the school-the parents did not want to send their kids to magnet schools or move to the suburbs.

Kurland responded with a simple question. She asked what it would take for the parents to send their kids to Nettelhorst. The parents took it as an invitation to dream, and backed up their requests with action.

“They came back within a day and they had a really long list of all this stuff, and none of it was unrealistic,” Kurland said. “I remember saying ‘Well ladies, roll up your sleeves, you’ve got a lot of work to do.’” (more…)