Category: Charters Changing Lives

Mission Montessori Academy’s Story

Post author By acs@@dmin
Post date February 24, 2016

How one Charter School Inspired a Group of 7th-Graders to Use a Global Perspective to Solve Local Problems

Educators have the ability to inspire students to think beyond their school walls, and Mission Montessori Academy has made that their mission.

The K-8 charter school in Scottsdale provides a global education, even sending students to New York City, Chile and China to attend conferences and discuss methods for conserving resources and protecting the environment.

Emboldened by their teachers, a group of seventh-graders have taken a local approach to solving problems and raising awareness of these issues, hoping to change the lives of their community for generations to come.

The students have created their own Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) dedicated to creating a more sustainable environment and helping to influence the lives of those in their communities.

Here are their stories.

Charters Changing Lives In the News

Association President Celebrates Charter Success

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

“Charter students are beating state averages at every grade level. Beyond the data, charters are changing lives and giving students and families a world of new academic options.”

-Eileen Sigmund, Association President and CEO
Phoenix Business Journal 2-16-16

Association Blog Charters Changing Lives

Charter Teachers Share Education Experiences with Lawmakers

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

Elizabeth Tavasci speaks before the House Education Committee.

Education remains a priority for politicians and voters, with lawmakers sending Prop 123 to the ballot, polls showing education as a top issue and the usual spate of education bills circulating through the State Legislature this session.

With education at the forefront of policy discussions, the House and Senate Education Committees have made it a priority to highlight some of the positive happenings in Arizona’s schools.

For the last few weeks, Education Committee Chairs Rep. Paul Boyer and Sen. Sylvia Allen have invited teachers to share their experiences in Arizona’s public education system with committee members.

And charter teachers have led the way.

Association Blog Charters Changing Lives

Erik’s Story

Post author By acs@@dmin
Post date January 26, 2016

With negative headlines splashed across news outlets, the hard work of our K-12 teachers and leaders is sometimes overshadowed and forgotten.

We want to change that.

Our Charters Changing Lives campaign is a way to share the stories that are often overlooked: to recognize the efforts of our students, teachers, leaders and community members who dedicate their lives to ensuring student success.

With 556 public charter schools serving over 170,000 student, charters play an integral role in shaping the lives of Arizona’s youth. We plan to share how Arizona’s charter schools are changing lives every day.

Here is Erik’s story.

Association Blog Charters Changing Lives

Arizona Charters Academically Exceeding in 2015

Post author By acs@@dmin
Post date January 8, 2016

Arizona is home to 556 charter schools serving 170,755 students, representing 30 percent of schools and 15 percent of students in the 2015-16 school year. Charter schools are public schools that are innovative while still being held accountable for improved student achievement. Arizona laws provide public charter schools more autonomy in exchange for greater accountability for improved student achievement.

NAEP

Recent data indicate that 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.

Association Blog Charters Changing Lives

More Charter Seats Opening for Arizona Students

Post author By acs@@dmin
Post date December 16, 2015

Arizona has paved the way for nearly a dozen new charter schools as the state continues to meet the needs of Arizona students and families.

The 11 new schools, set to open in August 2016 and August 2017, were approved by the Arizona State Board for Charter Schools on Monday. Once built out, these schools have the capacity to serve an additional 9,000 students.

Association Blog Charters Changing Lives

2015 Charter Business Leader of the Year

Post author By acs@@dmin
Post date October 16, 2015

At her core, Melissa Holdaway is an entrepreneur.

As chief operating officer of Arizona Charter Academy, a K-12 school serving about 800 students in Surprise, Holdaway is always searching for new ways to broaden the experiences of her students.

Whether it’s community partnerships, grants for innovative programs or classroom sponsorships, Holdaway seeks out opportunities for students and allows her staff to dream big.

Because Holdaway’s innovation and the strong foundation she’s paved for Arizona Charter Academy, Holdaway is our 2015 Business Leader of the Year.

Association Blog Charters Changing Lives

2015 Charter Teacher of the Year – Katelyn Toci

Post author By acs@@dmin
Post date October 15, 2015

Kate Toci is widely regarded as one of the most innovative teachers at Imagine Camelback in Phoenix.

Toci’s use of technology in her classroom is almost unparalleled, with the various ways she’s used iPads, laptops, apps and Apple TV to teach online geography lessons, create scanner codes that allow students to check math problems and warn students when they’re getting too noisy.

But she is not merely enamored with the newest apps and gadgets.

For Toci, technology is a tool for tapping into her students’ natural curiosity, and using that inquisitiveness to increase classroom interaction, which will help them grow academically as they prepare for the next grade and beyond.

Her ability to leverage her love for technology with student academic needs is the reason Toci has been named the Arizona Charter School Association’s 2015 Charter Teacher of the Year.

Association Blog Charters Changing Lives

2015 Charter Transformational Leader of the Year – Arlahee Ruiz

Post author By acs@@dmin
Post date October 13, 2015

Arlahee Ruiz has a connection to NFL YET College Prep Academy that’s rare for a school administrator.

Ruiz was once a student at the south Phoenix school, who was new to the United States and still trying to learn English when she moved here from Ciudad Obregon, Sonora, Mexico in her sophomore year of high school.

She overcame those obstacles to graduate from NFL YET in 2003, earned her bachelor’s degree and began teaching leadership classes before moving into a variety of administrative roles at the school.

Today, she is the school leader for grades 7-12 and is primarily responsible for NFL YET’s rise from underperforming to a highly rated ‘A’ school.

Because of her dedication and tenacity to provide a better future for students in south Phoenix, and her outstanding leadership in transforming NFL YET, Ruiz is our 2015 Charter Transformational Leader of the Year.

Association Blog Charters Changing Lives

2015 Lifetime Achievement Award – Greg and Pam Miller

Post author By acs@@dmin
Post date October 12, 2015

Greg and Pam Miller have always been fueled by a passion for education and, especially, children.

The Millers were in the midst of demanding careers, with Greg working in the civil engineering industry and Pam in banking, but that didn’t stop them from volunteering up to 30 hours a week at their children’s schools.

Their volunteerism didn’t stop with their children. Pam served on the Paradise Valley Unified School District governing board and as President of the United Parent Council, while Greg currently serves as President and charter school representative of the State Board of Education.

The Millers were pioneers of school choice, opening Challenge Charter School in 1996, just two years after the Legislature approved historic legislation bringing charter school education to Arizona. Their Glendale elementary school has been recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School, National Charter School of the Year by the Center for Education Reform and is consistently ranked among the state’s top public schools.

Because of their servitude and contribution to Arizona’s charter movement, the Arizona Charter Schools Association is honoring the Millers with its 2015 Lifetime Achievement Award.