New Hampshire Center for School Reform

Newsletter Update

August 20, 2004

We are pleased to bring attention to New Hampshire's progress.

 

In this edition:

Please direct inquiries to Susan Hollins (susan@nhschoolreform.org)

 

NEW HAMPSHIRE’S FIRST CHARTER SCHOOL OPENS Monday, August 23rd.
According to Carol Sideris, COO & Head of School for the Franklin Career Academy charter school, the state’s first charter school is fully staffed, fully enrolled, and ready to go.” The celebratory opening event will be Tuesday, August 24th at 7:45 a.m. with keynote address by Governor Benson.

 

Due to a tremendous interest from parents and students at the middle school level, FCA requested a charter amendment to include grades 7 & 8, which was fully supported by the Department of Education. “We are opening with 40 students, and we already have a waiting list.”

 

The grade 7 -12 charter public school offers an individual plan for each student to assure success in all areas. Technology is integrated across the curriculum and each student has a laptop.

 

This is a career and college prep school, designed to prepare students for whatever life option they choose following graduation. Community service and career internships are graduation requirements. Every student will have an advisor. The assessments in mathematics, language arts, reading, and science will take place at least 3 times/year to assure each students have appropriate challenges, move ahead, and are learning. Staff training has begun.

 

Several parent meetings have been held and the excitement is in the air. “The excitement and commitment to the ongoing partnership with the school has been firmly established, explains Sideris. In addition to parents, community members are stepping up to volunteer their services to the school.

 

Asked how it feels to be a leader of a new charter school, Carol responds “This is what I love to do…and being able to work with community members, parents, and students is a gift to me. It’s exciting. It’s innovative. The community is wonderful. It’s just, to me, an opportunity of a lifetime. I think working to continuously improve public education is one of the most important things anyone can do.”

 

 

WHAT IS A CHARTERED PUBLIC SCHOOL?
“I always thought the charter schools were a bunch a rebels objecting to something—trying to break away. But now I can see there is a purpose to these schools—they have a mission related to educating students. My eyes have been opened.” (Quote from NH Business Executive this week).

Chartered public schools are independent public schools. They are schools of choice for parents, students, teachers, and even districts. A lottery is required for student selection if the number of students applying exceeds the spaces available by grade or district. What is a chartered public school? Please see our web site to review the basics.

Persuasive national data refutes studies challenging charter school effectiveness, particularly with students who are not thriving in their public school.

Note: New Hampshire’s legislature passed a new Pilot Project for charter schools effective July 1, 2003—allowing the State Board of Education to authorize 20 chartered public schools over 10 years. Six (6) school applications have been approved and other projects are being designed. New Hampshire received a 7.2 million federal grant to support the opening of 15 high-standards, chartered public schools. The 2003 legislative revision limits choice to 10% of students per district per grade, unless a school board approves additional participation.
 

 

SCHOOL REFORM IN BRITAIN = INDEPENDENT PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Britain’s Education Secretary, Charles Clarke has a reform agenda that includes massive expansion in freedoms for all schools. The new reform will focus on high schools and establish 200 academies highly independent from government regulation. The concept of decreased government regulation with a goal of higher achievement, particularly for students who are not thriving, is not a concept limited to the United States. Every secondary school in England is being encouraged to have a specialty.
 

 

LEADERSHIP
“Leaders are courageous explorers going on an expedition in uncharted territories; their security lies in their initiative, resourcefulness, creativity, willpower, courage, stamina, and native intelligence rather than in the safety, protection, and abundance of their home camps.” According to Steven R. Covey, people who are leaders ask questions—they are change catalysts; they get involved. Leaders are curious and ask questions. They are constantly being educated…continually expanding their ability to do things. Leadership involves a sense of responsibility and mission, the ability to be hopeful despite obstacles. Leaders are not naïve about criticism, but hold on to beliefs in unseen potential. seeing success on the far side of failure.

Note: OUR WEB SITE has been redesigned to have a page for charter school leaders—boards members, teachers, heads of schools. A wide selection of pertinent school-start resources and a forum for discussion are now available.

 

 

49th INTERNATIONAL READING CONVENTION POSTS ITS PAPERS
Thomas Jefferson’s Vision for Public Education was based on every young student, male and female, mastering reading, writing, and arithmetic at an early age. The key to an adequate education, throughout history, is mastery of the basics of language and math. And yet in the United States, a very high percentage of students do not master reading.


This year, the International Reading Convention has posted it’s papers presented at the 49th convention. So everyone can have access to this information by clicking here.

 

 

NH CHARTER SCHOOLS PROGRESS IN NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the North Country, the North Country Alternative Charter School will open this year. Founders report more interest than they expected and the school is just about at capacity.

In the Exeter area, two chartered public schools will open next year—the Seacoast Charter School, a grade 3-5/6 elementary school with very high academic standards and approx. 15% of time dedicated to quality exposure in the arts, and a distance learning school stimulated and developed by the Exeter School District.

In Dover, a high school for arts is accepting applications for a mid-year opening of it’s 1st entering class. The Bell Center for Music is offering space to the new school in a building it is buying…and the charter high school will have 2 years in this space to grow and find a permanent location.

The Laurent Clerc Academy will open in September in Concord. A truly unique academic bilingual academy (American Sign Language/English). The Head of School and Head Teacher have been hired, and the 16 member board includes participation from Gallaudet University. This school will be co=equal and open to hearing students who desire an ASL environment, e.g. siblings of deaf students or children of deaf parents. The school will eventual serve all ages but will open with students at the elementary level in September.

 

 

QUESTION or COMMENT? Please visit our web site and peruse the world of New Hampshire charter schools. We update weekly and welcome your requests and suggestions.