Two West Ashley schools might go magnet
Charleston County looking to add choices
By Diette Courrégé
The Post and Courier
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
West Ashley middle school students might get to pick where they go to
school this fall based on interests. That potential change is the first
wave of a sweeping improvement plan designed to give students across
Charleston County more choices.
The middle school proposals would transform West Ashley Middle and St.
Andrew's Middle into partial magnet schools, which means both would
keep the same attendance zones but also open up 200 spots each for
other West Ashley students. Both schools would have new themes, and the
schools' names could change to reflect their new focus.
St. Andrew's Middle could become St. Andrew's Academy of Single-Gender
and Mathematics. It would continue its single-gender classes in core
academic areas, and students would be able to choose a math specialty.
Sixth-graders would pick from banking or statistics, seventh-graders
would do accounting or marketing, and eighth-graders would choose from
geographic design or engineering design.
West Ashley Middle is in a more preliminary stage of developing its
plans and choosing its focus. School officials are considering a
technology and creative writing theme, but they plan to finish
surveying students on their interests and trying to establish
partnerships before making a decision. More technology, such as
laptops and Smartboards, is being used, and students are responding
well, said Jennifer Coker, the school's principal. And an already
strong writing program will benefit from the expansion, she said.
Leaders at both schools have worked on the plans about a year. It's a
model of what Charleston County schools Superintendent Nancy McGinley
plans to do across the county, particularly in downtown, North
Charleston and Johns Island schools. Interested schools can apply
for planning grants this year, and new choice schools with themes and
space for other students would open in August 2009. The county school
board approved McGinley's plan 7-1 Monday night. David Engelman was the
dissenting vote.
McGinley said she supported the West Ashley principals being proactive
and creative in trying to attract parents to schools and make classes
more relevant to students. "That's the kind of innovation we're
talking about," she said. The West Ashley schools' proposals also
fit the agenda of state education Superintendent Jim Rex, who thinks
choice is key to helping the state's system reform and improve.
Both West Ashley middle school principals have included faculty members
and parents in the planning process and said feedback has been
positive. "I think parents want this," said Benjamin Bragg,
principal at St. Andrew's Middle. "I think parents want the opportunity
to choose where their children go to school." Bragg hopes the
changes will bring more equality to middle schools, particularly in
numbers. Having about 500 students would benefit the schools for
reasons like staffing and course offerings, he said.
C.E. Williams Middle School for Creative and Scientific Arts is the
only other West Ashley middle school, and it's a magnet school with
about 730 students. St. Andrew's has about 460 students and West Ashley
Middle has about 380. St. Andrew's and West Ashley Middle schools have
room for more students.
Coker said she hopes the changes would ignite her middle school
students' career interests and motivate them to go to and finish high
school. She also would like to see more children return to public
schools because they aren't staying in the system, she said.
The proposals will be presented to St. Andrew's Middle parents tonight
and to the West Ashley constituent board Thursday. West Ashley Middle
parents could see their school's final proposal in a few weeks. The
plans then would go to the superintendent and the county school board
for approval.
Jessica Robinson has a sixth-grader at St. Andrew's Middle. She said
she backs the idea of a single- gender-focused school and wishes such
classes would have been available in elementary and preschool. Her
honor roll daughter has become more confident and comfortable in
expressing opinions through single-gender classes, she said. She
said her daughter is excited but apprehensive about the idea. "I
think once it's all put down in front of them and they know what to
expect, I think we'll be fine," Robinson said.
Reach Diette Courrégé at dcourrege@postandcourier.com or 937-5546.
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