Category: Association Blog

Charter Makes History with Football Win

Post author By acs@@dmin
Post date December 13, 2016

American Leadership Academy Becomes the First Charter to Win an AIA State Football Championship

Arizona’s charter movement hit another milestone this year, as American Leadership Academy Queen Creek became the first charter school to win an Arizona Interscholastic Association state football championship.

The East Valley high school earned the distinction after its football team won the State 3A championship, beating Tucson’s Sabino High School 31-14 on Nov. 26.

“Arizona charter schools have been part of the fabric of Arizona’s public school landscape for over 20 years,” said Eileen B. Sigmund, President and CEO of the Arizona Charter Schools Association. “ALA Queen Creek’s success shows that charter students can receive top marks in the classroom and also be competitive on the field.”

This was only the ALA Patriots’ third year in the AIA. Last year, they lost in the state semifinals.

“This win means a great deal to us. We have had unbelievable support from our students, administration and families, and to win this for them is very satisfying,” said Head Coach Rich Edwards.

Although ALA is talented, passionate and has added a championship to its trophy case, the school isn’t solely focused on becoming a football powerhouse.

Association Blog Charters Changing Lives

Sun Valley’s Story

Post author By acs@@dmin
Post date October 25, 2016

How a Mesa Charter School Renewed the Hope in its Students’ Lives

While some say Sun Valley High School is a place for “bad kids,” the real story of the school and its students is one of revived hope.

It’s a place where students who were once on the verge of dropping out are now making the honor roll and joining the National Honor Society.

It’s a place where students who were once bullied for their appearance and lifestyle have now found acceptance, gained confidence and overcame anxiety.

Many of these students have been cast aside as they struggled with homelessness, teen parenthood, adjudication, working to support their families or just not being able to adjust to a traditional large high school.

But they’ve now found teachers and staff at their East Valley charter school who push them to succeed, show genuine concern for their lives, and accept all students, no matter their circumstance.

Association Blog

Richelle Lewis

Post author By acs@@dmin
Post date October 12, 2016

Richelle Lewis’ approach to teaching at American Leadership Academy-Queen Creek Elementary extends beyond curriculums, lesson plans and even the classroom.

Lewis, a third-grade teacher, takes a personal approach to her students’ learning, which includes regularly attending events outside of school, such as their baseball games and baptisms, to show encouragement.

Inside the classroom, she relies on data, goal-setting, individualized learning and student engagement, combined with positive reinforcement, personal examples from her own life and even love for her students to foster an emotional connection.

As a result, Lewis’ students are consistently high-performing and her indelible impact is evident as many of her former students return to visit.

Lewis’ dedication to her students, their high academic achievement and care for their personal well-being are among the reasons for her selection as the Arizona Charter School Association’s 2016 Teacher of the Year.

Association Blog

Betsy Rosenmiller

Post author By acs@@dmin
Post date October 10, 2016

For Betsy Rosenmiller, the worlds of business and art are intertwined.

Rosenmiller is the finance director for Metropolitan Arts Institute in Phoenix, where she oversees all of the school’s budget, vendor contracts, audits, human resources procedures, and compliance with state and federal requirements.

But her passion for the school goes beyond finance. Rosenmiller is an accomplished ceramics artist who has shown her work nationally and internationally, she is also a jeweler and a former art gallery director.

As a result, she views her job at the school as more than inputting numbers on a spreadsheet, signing paperwork or ensuring the school’s audits are complete.

There’s a personal connection on every transaction for Rosenmiller.

Rosenmiller transformed the small charter school’s front office, which serves about 250 students in grades 7-12, after years of constant transition and helped the school regularly achieve perfect audits. Always looking for to put more money in the classroom, Betsy is constantly researching new vendors and improving efficiency.

Her impeccable business office support and her devotion to the students, faculty and the school’s mission have led to her selection as the Arizona Charter School Association’s 2016 Business Leader of the Year.

Association Blog

Valerie Merrill

Post author By acs@@dmin
Post date October 7, 2016

It’s not uncommon to see Legacy Traditional School – Gilbert Principal Valerie Merrill sitting on the grass with her students during a football game or spending her Saturday cheering for the school’s cross country team during a meet.

Merrill is probably the most visible people on campus, whether she’s encouraging students at a sporting event, speaking with parents in the front office or working the register in the cafeteria because the cashier is sick.

Her ability to interact with students, teachers, parents and the surrounding community has spurred a culture change at a school that was in need of strong direction, attention and Merrill’s own personal touch.

In two years, Legacy Gilbert has added 300 students, increased parent and teacher satisfaction, and transformed the school into a family friendly place that engages families and the rest of the community.

These dramatic changes have led to Merrill’s selection as the Arizona Charter School Association’s 2016 Transformational Leader of the Year.

Association Blog

Academy of Math and Science – Prince

Post author By acs@@dmin
Post date October 6, 2016

Academy of Math and Science-Prince does not let circumstance determine a child’s success in school.

Students at the Tucson K-8 public charter school learn pre-algebra as early as third grade, play either the piano or guitar and take classes in Russian, Mandarin or Spanish.

Uniforms are a requirement and students are quick to give their attention to a teacher or principal who is speaking or giving direction, whether it’s during a class assignment, walking the corridors in between classes or a cafeteria announcement.

Teachers, administrators and staff hold high expectations for their students, but the discipline is mixed with genuine care, concern and what many describe as a family atmosphere.

And it works.

The 2008 National Blue Ribbon School has consistently been rated an ‘A’ school in the state’s accountability system despite the fact that more than 70 percent of its students qualify for free or reduced priced lunch.

For those reasons, AMS Prince was selected as the Arizona Charter School Association’s 2016 Charter School of the Year.

Association Blog Charters Changing Lives

Gala’s Story

Post author By acs@@dmin
Post date September 28, 2016

How an East Valley Charter School Inspired One Student to Think Globally

Gala Palavicini arrived in the United States last year hoping to learn how to navigate the college application process so she could attend school in this country.

Although she took important steps towards achieving that goal, her most important lesson occurred while she was enrolled as a high school senior at Paragon Academy, a K-12 public charter school in Chandler.

As a resident of Chandler, a Phoenix suburb, with an international background, Palavicini, 19, was a perfect fit for the school, which has a student body representing more than 15 different countries, including France, Sudan and El Salvador.

However, the school’s diverse population didn’t just allow her to feel more comfortable; it taught her that all students are connected regardless of background or country of origin.

“I never quite understood that there’s a whole world out there that we should learn about,” said Palavicini, who graduated from Paragon in May and still volunteers at the school a couple of times per week. “The good thing about Paragon is we have people from all over the world.”

Association Blog

Arizona Voters Believe State Spends ‘Too Little’ on Education, Poll Says

Post author By acs@@dmin
Post date September 21, 2016

Most voters believe Arizona is spending “too little” on K-12 public education, according to a recent poll by the Arizona Republic/Morrison/Cronkite News.

According to the poll, 74 percent of voters believe the state is spending “too little” on education. This news reaffirms that education is still a priority of voters. Another poll from the Morrison Institute of Public Policy and Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication in 2015 showed similar results, with 74 of voters saying the state was spending too little on education, according to the Republic.

Association Blog Press Releases

Charter Students Again Lead the State in AzMERIT Scores

Post author By acs@@dmin
Post date September 16, 2016

For the second straight year, Arizona charter students outperformed their peers across the state. According to AzMERIT scores released this week, charter students scored better than the state average in the ELA and Math assessment in every grade level and subject area except Algebra I, where charter students tied the state average.

The AzMERIT scores, released by the Arizona Department of Education on September 15, show the hard work and dedication of Arizona’s charter students, teachers and leaders.

“I’m proud to see Arizona’s charter school students continuing to set a strong example of educational excellence. For the second straight year, charter students outperformed the state average in virtually every grade level and subject,” said Eileen Sigmund, President and CEO of the Arizona Charter Schools Association. “While more work remains, these scores are strong validation of the hard work and dedication of our students, teachers and leaders. We’re moving in the right direction, and we’re getting results.”

AzMERIT Charter Highlights

Public charter students outperformed the state average of students passing the English/Language test on average by 9 percentage points.
Public charter students outperformed the state average of students passing the Mathematics test on average by 6 percentage points.
All 50 of the top LEAs on the English/Language Arts exam are charter schools, when looking at percent of students passing the test.
49 of the 50 top LEAs on the Math exams are charters, when looking at percent of students passing the test.

NAEP “The Nation’s Report Card”

Arizona’s charter students outperformed nearly every other state on the 2015 National Assessment of Educational Progress. On eighth grade mathematics, for instance, Arizona charter students scored in a statistical dead heat with Massachusetts, the highest scoring of the 50 states.