December 30, 2009
'There is no excuse for any scholar failing to achieve great things'
December 30, 2009
Cranston's Souza provides inside look at charter school approach
- RT @saramead: Petrilli on school integration - http://bit.ly/9syBDS - RIMA schools r some of most integrated in nation & r closing ach gaps - 28 07 10 11:07 - view »
- RT @EdEquality: RT @dropoutnation: Podcast: Why Civil Rights Activists Should Embrace #edreform http://dropoutnation.net/wmf #CivilRights - 28 07 10 10:07 - view »
What We DoAttract great school operatorsOver the past decade, the United States education sector has seen the emergence of new public schools that achieve dramatically improved results for students. Most, though not all, of these break-the-mold schools are charter schools, which can be a vehicle for enterprising educators and other leaders to create schools that perform extraordinarily well. RIMA is attracting successful charter school operators to build mayoral academies in Rhode Island. RIMA also supports school operators on the path to success and expansion. These networks of schools (currently over 200 schools nationwide) are not all alike, but they share features that set them apart from less successful charter and traditional public schools that surround them. In the future, RIMA will also be drawing from local and national educator pools to cultivate leaders who seek to open their own outstanding mayoral academies. Hold very high expectations for all studentsCurrent and future operators of mayoral academies have proven themselves able to prepare all students for success in college, no matter their background. Mayoral academies adopt a “do whatever it takes” approach to helping students meet this goal. Practices often include a longer school day and school year, targeted support for students who are struggling, staff availability for students and families beyond the bounds of the school day, and strong links to social service organizations that can help address students’ out-of-school challenges. Recruit energetic, talented leadership and staffRIMA attracts visionary leaders who carry the school vision forward during the critical start-up period and beyond. With our support, these leaders in turn attract waves of talented, committed teachers to their teams. In cities where there is constant talk of “teacher shortages” and hand-wringing over how to attract more high-quality teachers to “high-need schools,” beat-the-odds school operators tend to generate hundreds of applications for every teaching position. They become known as magnets for driven educators who want to make a difference. RIMA's system of school supportRIMA is committed to providing each mayoral academy with the support it needs to be successful.
RIMA offers start up support for new mayoral academy leadership teams. Start up support includes funding, office space, operational assistance, program feedback and advocacy. In addition, navigating the political landscape of a new state can be one of the most challenging aspects of starting a new school. RIMA provides technical assistance in this regard. National experience demonstrates that facilities pose a substantial challenge to many school operators. Therefore, RIMA actively supports operators by helping them obtain financing and access to high-quality, attractive facilities. RIMA also works with local mayors to develop innovative facilities solutions. RIMA advocates for excellent public school options by informing the families and educators who comprise our school communities of the education policy context of our work. Our advocacy work also entails raising awareness among community and business leaders, local educators, and policy-makers about the realities of creating outstanding educational settings for RI youth across socio-economic backgrounds and urban and suburban environments. Recruitment of high-quality teachers and leaders Great leaders and teachers make great schools. And yet, recruiting high-quality leaders and teachers is a major barrier faced by even the most successful school operators. RIMA funds new and existing human capital development initiatives to create pathways for the best leaders and educators in the country to run mayoral academies. Improving the climate for innovative public education In 2008, the Center for Education Reform targeted Rhode Island's poor climate for educational innovation by issuing a grade of "D" to the state's charter school law. The state legislature took a large leap forward with 2008's mayoral academy law, and RIMA continues to work alongside key stakeholders and policymakers to create an environment that encourages innovation, choice and excellence in public education. Ensuring excellent student outcomes RIMA's goal is to dramatically and rapidly improve student performance in the State of Rhode Island. Thus, holding mayoral academies accountable for improved student outcomes is a central tenet of our work. RIMA works with each new mayoral academy to establish a performance contract that lays out the school’s organizational, financial and student performance goals in specific terms. RIMA and mayoral academies share real-time data and conduct regular analyses, so immediate and vigorous attention can be given to signs of lagging student performance.
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