In which we respond to the media craziness

There has been a lot of public discussion this week about charter schools in NC and their role in our public education system. Parents of the 33,000 students in NC charter schools may consider them primarily as a choice that allows their children to have an educational environment that better matches their families’ values and students’ needs.

Research Triangle High School (RTHS), a proposed charter school awaiting approval in March, is one new option on the horizon. The Charter Advisory Council, established by the State Board of Education with a majority of Gubernatorial appointees, delivered a recommendation for RTHS’ approval as a new Fast Track school with a unanimous vote in December. RTHS sees the lifting of the charter cap as more than a new option, though. It is an opportunity for a team of people with deep experience from the Contemporary Science Center and some of the Triangle’s strongest schools, both charter and regular, to push innovation in ways that schools cannot. The autonomy and flexibility which charters have been given by the General Assembly allow charters to be unique tools for driving innovation, which benefit the entire public education system. Nationally this has very much been the case. For instance, from KIPP charter schools we have learned the benefits of Extended Learning Time, implemented now at Lowes Grove and Neal Middle Schools in Durham. From High Tech High charters in San Diego we have seen how whole-school models of Problem-Based Learning can raise achievement for a very diverse population of kids, now being implemented in many of our New Schools Project schools.

Research Triangle High School has chosen this focus of driving innovation as its mission. Contrary to public misunderstandings, RTHS plans to offer a unique high school experience to young people from across the Triangle who reflect the great diversity we have in our region in race, nationality, economic background and gender. We are very specifically targeting students in the great middle of achievement – from those who may be a year behind as they enter ninth  grade to those who are a year ahead. At 420 students, working with less than one half of one percent of the teenaged population of any surrounding county, the school will be developing and sharing innovations with public school teachers, students and schools across the state. RTHS plans to open a school that uses the talent and resources of Research Triangle industry as a ‘living museum’ for education, and blend that with local expertise in digital media. RTHS students will learn from a blend of digital materials and hands-on experiences - chosen to enable ‘open sourcing’ of all that we will teach. In-depth experiences with Triangle scientists, engineers and IT specialists will go online, for access by distant teachers and students. Rural and urban teachers will be invited for intense residencies, to learn side by side with our faculty. Educators and visitors will be hosted at workshops and seminars, both locally and virtually. RTHS will be a place where students from a broad background can learn in ways that are truly reflective of our 21^st century workplace. And it will be a partner in sharing that learning across North Carolina.

Charter schools are unique options for families and their kids. And as students switch schools either for choice or family moves, school funding dollars follow all our students wherever they enroll. At Research Triangle High School we are excited to have the support of the many companies and institutions that have supported our plans thus far. But we can do more. By working five to ten years ahead with the newest models, by being the first to take a chance on innovations, charter schools can move the needle on achievement for all children and young people in our entire public education system. That is the mission we have at Research Triangle High School.