via a Michelle Sharpswain email:
A group of parents is gathering information from Madison-area community members about whether or not parents would like to see another high school option in the area and, if so, what it might look like. Would it be an independent school or a charter school? Would it be a math and science academy, a performing arts school, an Expeditionary Learning school, or something else?
If you would like to share your ideas, wish list, or perspective, please join us for what is likely to be a stimulating conversation about possibilities. A discussion will take place Thursday evening, March 25th, at 7 p.m. at Wingra School (3200 Monroe St.). Please feel welcome to bring neighbors, family members, etc. who would like to participate.
Note: Wingra has very generously offered space for this conversation to take place. This is not a Wingra-sponsored event, nor is it a discussion about Wingra starting a high school.
I’m glad this topic is under discussion, though it is no small challenge. More parental and student choices can only benefit our community.
Eagle School Co-Founder Mary Olsky alluded to another high school choice ($20M) in a recent interview:
http://www.schoolinfosystem.org/archives/2010/02/an_interview_wi_16.php
The MMSD survey last year regarding why families are leaving MMSD public schools listed lack of academic challenge, and problems with behavior in schools, as some of the top reasons. If MMSD cannot remedy these two areas (and it appears that any progress towards doing so has been either very minimal or will not happen during our children’s school years) then alternatives are certainly needed.
We have no gifted high school here. Why should our city, with so many bright students, lack this? Check out a long standing Chicago Public School gifted magnet (which Michelle Obama graduated from), Whitney Young High School. Issues of diversity? Not lacking at all!
http://www.wyoung.org
But we can’t expect anything that progressive and open minded to be approved by our administration, so to propose this as a magnet (ie governed by MMSD), or a charter (which would have to be approved by MMSD BOE) would probably be futile because it would likely be rejected by them. Might have to go private and try for a partnership with a corporation for financial backing. Focusing on STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) might help pull in a STEM grant as well.