A new day for d.tech

Threatening clouds couldn’t dampen the spirits of the Oracle executives, education administrators, elected officials, students and parents assembled at a ribbon cutting ceremony recognizing the novel collaboration between a public school system and international corporation.

Ken Montgomery, d.tech executive director, shared his appreciation for the opportunity presented through the new school opening, as well as an anticipation for the learning which will take place.

“Our new home is going to help us unlock our potential and, in turn, unlock the potential of thousands of young people,” said Montgomery, who first petitioned to found the charter school in 2013.

The public school is open to students from both the San Mateo Union High School District, where Montgomery launched the school, and the Sequoia Union High School District, which includes Redwood Shores.

The two-story, 64,000-square-foot facility tucked near the corporation’s gymnasium, parking garages and conference center includes an abundance of open and collaborative spaces intended to meet modern learning demands.

The path to opening the $43 million school designed to accommodate 550 students financed entirely by the software corporation was not always smooth though, hailing from its burgeoning days in the back halls of Mills High School in Millbrae and then to a converted warehouse on Rollins Road in Burlingame.

While the ceremony showcased immaculate new workspaces, conference rooms and classrooms dually equipped to serve high schoolers or aspiring tech executives, memories of the school’s journey from less pristine spaces lingered.

“It’s not in a warehouse anymore. There are walls. There are actual classrooms. Tables in each classroom are for that classroom specifically and not coming from all over the school. It’s an actual building made specifically for our school, which always helps,” said Vlad Morosov, a junior at d.tech, regarding his favorite elements of the new school.

Morosov was one of the students who helped craft the vision of the building, a collaborative process which educators, officials and students took as an extension of the school’s mission.

Central to d.tech’s philosophy, which draws heavily from Stanford University’s design school, is a focus on empathy while attempting to solve problems with a curriculum driven by science, technology, engineering, math and the arts.

Morosov said the approach paid dividends for the school community during the planning and visioning of the new facility.

“It was basically starting a school from scratch. We were a part of the process for making this school happen,” he said.

The opportunity to craft the school and ultimately enjoy the fruits of his labor were among the inspirations for Morosov to initially enroll at d.tech.

“I joined d.tech because it was something that was new and exciting. And also Oracle was involved. And also there was a new high-tech campus coming,” he said.

As it finally arrived, Oracle CEO Safra Catz welcomed the students, teachers, parents and the rest of the school community with an emotional appeal.

“It is truly a joy. Thank you all for letting me be a part of this. It is probably one of the highlights of my life,” said Catz, who has long been an advocate for the school and supported its construction, which began last year.

Montgomery expressed a desire by school officials to meet the lofty expectations looming over d.tech.

“Moving into this building is not our final accomplishment, but the first day of our next growth spurt. We are not fully ready for all the opportunities in front of us, but I have no doubt we will grow to meet these challenges,” he said.

austin@smdailyjournal.com

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