Borough public schools would do well to learn from Academy

Frontiersman editorial board

The Mat-Su Borough School Board, at its Sept. 8 meeting, granted Academy Charter School a 10-year extension on its charter.

In the past two years, we've seen both ends of the charter school spectrum here in the Valley. Last year the school board voted to end the charter for Horizon Charter School after that school ran into problems with seniors' transcripts, along with other administrative difficulties. As the charter was being revoked, it also became apparent that some federal funds had been misappropriated by at least one school faculty member. It was an emotional time for parents and faculty at Horizon, and the incident may have served to cast a shadow on the concept of charter schools.

The charter extension for Academy Charter School resides at the other end of the spectrum, however. Academy students, as a group, have performed better on standardized tests than students at most other Valley schools. Students at Academy tend to read above grade level, and they perform at a high level in other academic areas as well.

A group from Academy toured the Frontiersman last year, and many of us were impressed by the maturity and eagerness of the students. They asked intelligent questions, and they seemed genuinely interested in learning how the newspaper functions. We've had many good groups tour the building, but we've never had a more impressive group than those students from Academy.

The benefits of the charter school concept can be manifold. At the most simple level each charter school should be of educational value to its students. Academy certainly appears to fit that bill. One of the more critical benefits of a good charter school, however, is its ability to raise the level of education of the entire district. In a way, each charter school is an experiment in alternative education. When one of those experiments results in great success, it can serve as a model for educational reform and improvement for the entire district.

We hope the Mat-Su Borough School District takes the time to analyze the success of Academy Charter School and strives to implement some of the philosophies and techniques that have made the school so successful. Academy students, teachers and parents work as one cohesive team, and they all value their school. Isn't that what every parent wants for every child? We congratulate Academy on the charter extension, and we wish for continued success for the school in the future.