Mission & Core Values

Mission Statement

The Urban School of San Francisco seeks to ignite a passion for learning, inspiring its students to become self-motivated, enthusiastic participants in their education – both in high school and beyond.

Core Values

Learning is an active, joyful process of discovery where students are challenged to ask essential questions, solve problems in disciplined and creative ways, and construct substantive understandings under the guidance of passionate and inspiring teachers.

Academic excellence is demonstrated by depth of conceptual understanding and achieved through rigorous engagement, comprehensive assessment and thoughtful self-evaluation.

We honor the uniqueness of each individual and embrace diverse backgrounds, values and points of view to build a strong, inclusive community and to prepare students for lives in a multicultural society.

Students best grow in personal responsibility and self-worth in a school characterized by trust, honesty and mutual respect among students and teachers.

We are committed to reflection, evaluation, evolution and innovation as means to improve teaching and learning.

Learning extends beyond the classroom to instill in students a sense of mission and purpose as citizens of the larger community and world.

As we prepare students for college, we celebrate the vitality of adolescence and the abundant possibilities for intellectual growth and personal achievement during these four years.