Stories featured in Ohio Charter News Weekly may require a paid subscription to read in full.
Inaugural
The Circleville Herald recently featured a nice profile of Tim Allen, the founding principal of Southeast Ohio Classical Academy, and an alum of Ohio Christian University in Circleville. “My educational experience at Ohio Christian University was the gateway to where I am today,” Allen said. “I was given a firm foundation for my future that allowed me to see why I must make sure that every student matters, why the means of an education matter, and why the primary question must always be on the purpose of an education.” The piece also has the full text of Allen’s inaugural address to incoming SOCA students. Here’s just one sample: “Our way of education isn’t new; it’s just new to our area. This kind of education used to be for everyone but along the way it became the education that only those with great wealth, power, or prestige could access. That trend is about to die in Appalachian Ohio.” SOCA’s inaugural year starts August 21.
“Why hasn't this happened before?”
August 14 was the first day of school at Lake Erie Bilingual Academy, a brand new Spanish/English charter school in Painesville, Ohio. While the bulk of this lovely profile is told from the point of view of English-speaking families excited about its emphasis on Spanish language immersion, the blunt fact is that Spanish-speaking families have been migrating to Painesville for decades to work on the many farms in the area and have always needed a welcoming educational environment for their children. “Being able to see the students coming in today is just awesome. That’s why we do what we do,” said principal David Kessel. “We want to make sure that we do the best we can for our students. When they have that aha moment, that burst of knowledge – you can see that light bulb light up on top of their heads as an educator, there really isn’t a better feeling.” Nice.
Near year, new playground
Not quite as momentous as the first day in a brand new school, but I’m sure the students of Summit Academy in Parma will fully appreciate the awesomeness of their new playground when they report for school on September 5. Funded through donations raised by the school and the Summit Educational Foundation, the 2,368-square-foot playground includes a double-wave slide, pebble climber, pod climbers, overhead snake ladder and four swings. What more could an active kiddo ask for during recess?
Also new this year
In Florida, this week marked the first day of school at the brand new Bodwell Academy. The charter school is operated by the Arc of Palm Beach County and provides education as well as life care and job training services to students from ages 3 to 22 who have varied levels of intellectual and orthopedic disabilities. It expands the work of both Arc and Seagull Industries for the Disabled with creation of the educational portion supported by both organizations and $2.5 million in private donations. “Physical therapy, occupational therapy, and all those things. So depending on the need of the child during the day, there's a program put together for them, but it's also under group setting, so socialization, networking, and friends,” said Arc board chair Kurt Gehring. Sounds fantastic. Take a look!
The view from North Carolina
Recent legislative changes to the way charter school applications are reviewed and approved in North Carolina will have no immediate effect for the 2024-25 school year. The number of schools operating in the state will stay the same with two new openings and two former schools closing. However, EdNC reports that things will likely accelerate very soon. The state’s Department of Public Instruction says that 16 charters are already approved and slated to open during the 2025-26 school year, and two others that were originally approved for future years are now seeking to move up their timetable to begin operations in fall 2025. There’s much more detail in this interesting and informative piece—well worth a read.
Two for the future
The New England Institute of Technology in East Greenwich, Rhode Island, is proposing a new charter high school. The plan is to integrate a STEM-focused curriculum with access to postsecondary courses and instructors as soon as students are ready. “We felt like this was our next natural progression to help the state with post-secondary attainment opportunities for students, particularly in the urban core,” said the institute’s Vice President of Workforce Development and Community Relations Amy Grzybowski. And deep in the midwest, a pair of philanthropists and real estate developers are proposing a skilled-trades focused charter school in the Madison, Wisconsin area. Pathway Career and College Academy’s curriculum would integrate academic basics with specialized learning to prepare grads for careers as plumbers, carpenters, HVAC technicians, electricians and more. The school also would emphasize personal finance and investing, civics, entrepreneurship, and public speaking. Two exciting new educational options hopefully arriving soon!
*****
Did you know you can have every edition of the Ohio Charter News Weekly sent directly to your Inbox? Subscribe by clicking here.
