|
|
Charter
school needed
The
school board should finance an alternative high school downtown. Editorial Kids
learn in different ways and speeds. That
presents a challenge for crowded school districts. They must become more
“customer friendly,” and adapt their curriculum, schedules and programs to
help each student achieve his or her potential. One
answer for the Salem-Keizer School District is the 21st Century
Community Schoolhouse. It’s a proven program, the type of multi-disciplinary
approach that works to helps at-risk students stay in school. Now
the Salem-Keizer School Board has the opportunity to make the Community
Schoolhouse the district’s first charter schools approved under the rules
established by the 1999 Legislature. The
well-designed proposal deserves the boards’ full backing. Organizers
want to create an alternative high school in down town Salem serving 90 freshman
and sophomore students in its first year. During the second year the school
would include juniors and seniors and expand to 130 students. One
potential stumbling block is the cost. The organizers have asked to district to
provide $73,000 during the first year, less the following years, on top of the
state funding that would go to the school. That
is a good investment in reducing the dropout rate and helping at-risk become
well-educated, productive citizens. The
proposed charter school has an educationally sound framework. It is based
principles developed by South High teachers Molly Kellar and Andrew Goldstein:
local action, community education, international collaboration activities that
weave together academic subjects. Such
an integrated approach brings real life into the classroom – and takes the
classroom into world. It takes the potential to challenge every student at his
or her own ability. Some
kids drop out of school because they can’t handle the work. Other, very bright
students drop out because they’re bored and unchallenged. And many students
– even if they should - don’t see the relevance to their class work to the real
world. The
charter school founders want to help students develop career paths while meeting
– and exceeding - the states new
academic standards. The
21st Century Community Schoolhouse won’t work for every student.
But it will meet the needs of many students who have dropped out, or are at risk
of quitting school. That
is why this proposal is so important. It is a good investment in education, in
our community and our youth. |
|
contact: school@communityschoolhouse.org |
The
21st Century