An Historical Perspective Vision

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An Historical PerspectiveVision Perseverance

• By Mark Cirino
• December 2, 2005

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Solution Providers

• Child is transformed into an individual.
• School prepares them for the global world.
• Everlasting experience
• Inspired
• Enthusiastic
• Confidence
• Self-worth
• Value-driven

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Neighborhood Elementary Schools

• Nurturing Environment
• A child is known and cared for by the staff
• Behavior modification instead of behavior
  management
• AGE, PLE, KES

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AGIS Challenge

• Jan 1998
• Proposal to close AGE KES and build campus.

• NFNS
• Small school research

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Small School Research

• NFNS Neighbors For Neighborhood Schools
• Concerned parents challenged the district.
• Craig Howley (Kathleen Cotton)

• Small schools mattered, not just class size.
• District Research is not relevant to what we are
  doing.
• Arbitrary Capricious

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AGIS Challenge

• Jan 1998
• Proposal to close AGE KES and build campus.
• Jan 1999
• Construction approved to enlarge PLE for 1,200
  K-2 students and build AGIS for 2,000 3-6
  students.

• NFNS
• Small school research
• CCAGS
• No Mega-School
• Give Me 5 Campaign

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No Mega-School

• CCAGS Concerned Citizens for Avon Grove
  Schools.
• Labeled AGIS as Mega-School
• 2x Home Depot
• 3,000 workers in Chrysler plant
• Call to action for the community to speak out.
• District forged ahead.

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Give Me 5 Campaign

• 5 seats open
• 1 candidate on ticket
• 4 write-ins
• Single issue platform No Mega-School

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Won 3 of 5 Seats
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AGIS Challenge

• Jan 1998
• Proposal to close AGE KES and build campus.
• Jan 1999
• Construction approved to enlarge PLE for 1,200
  K-2 students and build AGIS for 2,000 3-6
  students.
• Apr 2000
• Alternative plan was not approved.

• NFNS
• Small school research
• CCAGS
• No Mega-School
• Give Me 5 Campaign
• AGSAG
• Founding Coalition

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Founding Coalition

• AGSAG Avon Grove Schools Action Group
• Met weekly for 2-years paving the way for AGCS
• EMOs
• Planning Grant
• Charter Application

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AGIS Challenge

• Jan 1998
• Proposal to close AGE KES and build campus.
• Jan 1999
• Construction approved to enlarge PLE for 1,200
  K-2 students and build AGIS for 2,000 3-6
  students.
• Apr 2000
• Alternative plan was not approved.
• Sep 2002
• AGIS new PLE opened.

• NFNS
• Small school research
• CCAGS
• No Mega-School
• Give Me 5 Campaign
• AGSAG
• Founding Coalition
• AGCS

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AGCS Timeline

• Jan 1999 Charter school concept planted
• Apr 2000 Founding Coalition formed
• Aug 2000 MEI
• Sep 2000 Planning grant
• Oct 2000 Kevin McKenna
• Feb 2001 Demand Survey by Wharton
• Jun 2001 No go for Sep-2001 opening
• Early 2002 Initial board Beacon

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Timeline(Apr 2002)
AGE Lease
Charter Approved
Foundations Hired
Beacon Severance
Enrollment Drive
Admin. Hired
Teachers Hired
Opening Day
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Avon Grove Charter School(AGCS)Inspiring
students to become lifelong learners
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Avon Grove Charter School

• AGCS is a public school, free of charge, that
  will provide a choice for the education of the
  children in our community.
• Those who choose to attend AGCS will be engaged
  in an academically challenging curriculum based
  in a small school setting with individualized
  learning plans for each student.
• Success of students education will depends on
  parental involvement and participation with the
  community.
• AGCS is independent of the district and is
  governed by its own Board of Directors who are
  held directly accountable for the goals outlined
  in its charter.

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Reform Initiatives

• The goal is improvement -to make things better.
• Requires change which is difficult to initiate
  and accept.
• The journey of change is often a very challenging
  one with many unknowns.
• Sometimes, formal reform initiatives are used to
  invoke change.
• Examples Ma Bell and Microsoft

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Educational Reform

• Our nation has recognized that our educational
  system is in need of improvement.
• One reform initiative that our nation supports is
  the Charter School initiative.
• Many districts across our nation have implemented
  the Charter School initiative.
• This initiative has arrived at the Avon Grove
  School District in the form of the Avon Grove
  Charter School.

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National Honoring of Charter Schools

• Presidential Proclamation, May 2, 2002
• U.S. Senate Resolution, S. RES. 254
• U.S. House Resolution, H. CON. RES. 386

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• 2,431 Charter Schools
• 35 States
• 580,000 Students
• 374 New Charter Schools in 2001

• 1.6 million students, parents, teachers,
  administrators, and board members.

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Charter Schools in PA(http//edreform.com/charter
_schools/states/pennsylvania.htm)
Law Passed in 1997 Rank 13th strongest of
the nation's 38 ranked charter laws CER
Grade B Schools 77 Students 26,749