Named Charter Leader of the Year in 2010 by the California Charter Schools Association, Diane Tavenner, CEO of Summit Public Schools, is responsible for the generation of multiple transformative schools and a radically different teaching model for Summit. Summit's first charter high school, Summit Prep, launched in 2003, was featured in the film "Waiting for Superman" (2010). The 400-student school in Redwood City, California--midway between San Francisco and San Jose--was named one of the Top 10 Most Transformative Schools in the country by Newsweek in 2011. Summit's second Redwood City high school, Everest, which opened in 2009, had strong test scores and a wait list. Summit was expanded to San Jose in response to strong parent demand. Two new high schools were opened there, Rainier and Tahoma, with 100 9th graders in each. Dissatisfied, Tavenner decided it was time to radically rethink Summit's teaching model. Summit partnered with Khan Academy, known for its online lessons and progress-tracking dashboard, to pilot "hybrid" math instruction at the new high schools. Students fill in knowledge gaps and develop math skills online, working at their own level and at their own pace, while also applying math to projects and learning from teachers. The goal is to create "self-directed learners." Fast-forward to 2013: Tavenner's plans include a "Silicon Valley College Ready Corridor" with 14 high-performing, heterogeneous schools in the 50 miles from South San Francisco to San Jose. Two "next generation" schools will open in the fall: a high school in Daly City and a middle/high school in Sunnyvale. In this article, author Joanne Jacobs describes the core elements of the Summit Prep model and the challenges Tavenner overcame when establishing the four Summit charter schools.