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Charter School Concept |
What are Charter Schools? Charter Schools are public schools operating under a performance contract with the local school board. They are free from many state and local bureaucratic regulations and mandates controlling local schools, but in return they are held strictly accountable for the academic and financial performance of the school. Charter Schools are sometimes referred to as "independent public schools." How are they created? Charter Schools may be formed by creating a new school or converting an existing public school to Charter status. Charter schools are operated as 501 (c) (3) nonprofit corporations and are subject to annual audits and review by the sponsoring agency (Sarasota County School Board). Who may submit a proposal for operating a Charter School? A proposal for a new Charter School may be made by an individual, teachers, parents, a group of individuals, or a legal entity authorized under the laws of the state. Sponsorship A district school board may sponsor a Charter School. In our case it is the Sarasota County School Board. They must approve or deny our application no later than 60 days after the application is received. Following approval of the application, a contract between the school and school board is negotiated. The charter contract forms the basis of the schools operation and responsibilities as well as those of the sponsoring agency. Student Admission and eligibility As public schools, Charter Schools cannot discriminate. The Charter shall enroll any eligible student who submits a timely application, unless the number of applications exceeds the capacity of a program, class, grade level, or building. In such cases, all applicants shall have an equal chance of being selected through a random selection process (lottery). Philosophy Our Charter school will maintain the Montessori philosophy, curriculum, teaching materials, teachers and facilities all of which offer the parents of our community a real choice in education. Finance Our school works with ACH Corporation who acts a
co-employer for our schools in order to get group rates for benefits.
ACH also oversees our payroll department, provides legal advice about
payroll matters, and provides support for our finance department. ACH
works with many schools throughout the state of Florida. Our schools are
also required to submit financial reports to our sponsor, the Sarasota
County School Board, as well as annual What ages of children will be in the charter school? Island Village Elementary and Middle Schools are designed to attract and benefit parents and students who have an interest in the Montessori educational design. Island Village Middle School will also provide a high quality technology component to its program. However, the schools are open to any student residing in Sarasota County (as well as Charlotte and Manatee). The School will admit students regardless of race, religion, sex, national origin, income level, disabling conditions, or proficiency in the English language. A child demonstrating the following qualities would be the most likely to succeed in the learning environment of the Montessori program:
Families of eligible children must be willing to make an extraordinary commitment to their child's education. Commitment by parents to the School's mission and educational philosophy manifests itself in the signing of the IVMS Partnership Agreement. What will be the class size? Class size is also dependent on enrollment. However, there will be a lead teacher and a support teacher for each class. Montessori teachers prefer a class size of 25, which provide a range of skill sets and peer groups for your child. Who will regulate employment of the staff? The board of this charter school, along with the director and staff of the program will decide the structure of the school and the operations, including employment. What are the benefits? We believe that to create a viable elementary choice for parents, we need to be able to offer an exceptional program free from tuition. That is to say, that this idea will provide enrollment possibilities that will sustain a vibrant elementary program. Too many children have to make choices because of financial constraints. Because we are free from tuition our school can include children from diverse backgrounds making our school a more exciting place to be. The curriculum plan stresses the Montessori method, high academic standards, and the development of creativity. Our program also encourages concentration, self-esteem, research skills, curiosity, self-direction, active rather than passive learning, cooperation and teamwork rather than competition. |
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