Thursday, March 24, 2005

Schooling up 

A note from Dory Beutel lets me know that there will be a new charter school in St. Cloud this fall. She writes:
My husband and I have been granted a charter by the Minnesota Department of Education, and we are scheduled to open an elementary charter school for grades K - 4 beginning in September of 2005. The school will emphasize the high content standards developed by E. D. Hirsch and others (The Schools We Need and Why We
Don't Have Them
). In other words, children will study classical literature, Greek and Roman Mythology, core science, and other core principles that are often neglected (or at least not taught consistently and coherently) in our nation's public schools (depriving children of a common, core vocabulary to share with one another). In addition, teachers will be held accountable for achieving these high standards as the terms of their employment.

She also reports that she will be using Saxon math, which you know I like. It doesn't appear they will be able to take Littlest Scholar, as she is going to sixth grade next year, but it will be of use to our local readers. Go here to read more about Stride Academy.

I've also been visiting lately with LuAnn Walters, whose show Talk Education airs at the same hour NARN does over on Patriot II (AM 1570). She is now a MOBster, and you should check in on her blog. Her school, Accell Academy, is a 6-12 education designed to catch up your kid to get into the best colleges and having them ready to succeed. Sure wish she was closer to us in St. Cloud!

Meanwhile, Scholar's Notebook continues to discuss math education, and reports on the success of Wayzata High School's math team, which learned through the UMPTYMP program at the University of Minnesota. A colleague of mine has two kids in it and they are doing very well; LS will be testing for the program next month. I'm more nervous about that than any sports she's ever participated in.

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