Georgia Cyber Academy Unanimously Approved by State Charter Commission

/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today (February 17), the Georgia Charter Schools Commission unanimously approved a charter for the Georgia Cyber Academy (GCA), the state's largest online public school. The approved charter enables GCA to expand its operations to grades K-12 to meet the growing demand from families across the state. The Commission also established an equitable funding level that will allow the school to provide more teachers and offer art, music, foreign language and other elective classes to its students.

"Today's decision gives thousands of Georgia students and their parents a new option for a first-class education," said Ryan Mahoney, chairman of the GCA Board. "We thank the Commission for recognizing GCA's strong track record in Georgia, and we look forward to welcoming new students this fall."

GCA is in its third year and currently serves over 6,000 students in grades K-9. The school has demonstrated consistently strong academic performance, student academic gains and high parent satisfaction. GCA also made Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) the past two years.

GCA uses the award-winning curriculum and academic services provided by K12 Inc., America's largest provider of proprietary curriculum and online school programs for students in kindergarten through high school.

Prior to today's vote, GCA received a strong recommendation from the Georgia Charter Schools Commission review panel. The panel noted the school's strong and flexible academic program, which enables students to receive a customized education. The report also stated that the interview panel was "pleased to see the high academic performance of the GCA," noting that GCA students averaged more than one year of grade level growth in Math and Reading in all grades.

The Commission also cited the growing enthusiasm for GCA and the high demand for enrollment. The report stated: "GCA's waitlist for enrollment, which consistently numbers in the thousands, illustrates the demand for their services and the good reputation they are building among Georgia families seeking alternative educational opportunities for their students."

Online learning is one of the fastest-growing areas in education, according to the International Association for K-12 Online Learning (iNACOL). Online public charter schools, like GCA, are growing steadily across the country as their popularity continues to rise with parents, students and educators. A national report titled Keeping Pace with K-12 Online Learning shows that more than half the states in the U.S. now have full-time online public school options.

More information about Georgia Cyber Academy can be found at www.k12.com/gca/.

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Heron Bay Academy to Submit Petition to Georgia Charter School Commission

New commission critical to state’s efforts to provide high quality schools

Heron Bay Academy will be among the first schools to submit a petition to the newly founded Georgia Charter School Commission. The charter application will be submitted on August 1, 2009, with an answer expected by December 2009. The Georgia Charter School Commission was created by House Bill 881 in May 2008 due the high number of charter school petitions that have been denied by local school boards.

The General Assembly found in House Bill 881 that charter schools were a critical component to the state of Georgia’s efforts to provide efficient and high-quality schools within the state’s uniform system of public education. The Assembly also found that charter schools in the state have contributed to enhanced student performance while empowering parents to best fit the individual needs of their children.

A recent analysis of the state's Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) data indicated that charter schools in Georgia, particularly those that are started independently from school districts, are performing better than traditional public schools.

“Charter Public Schools provide students with quality options in public K-12 education so they many find the best setting to become productive members of our community,” said Andrew Lewis, chief programming officer with The Georgia Charter Schools Association.

Heron Bay Academy is to be built on the grounds of Heron Bay Golf and Country Club, a master-planned community in Locust Grove, Ga. The proposed school will offer in-depth education including rigorous core training in language arts, math, science, humanities, social studies and Spanish.

Heron Bay had submitted its charter petition to two different school boards for fall of 2010, however in a vote on June 30, the Griffin-Spalding School Board voted to deny the Charter petition for The Academy. The petition was also denied by the Henry Board of Education on July 13.

“In spite of their vote for denial, members of both boards commented on the strength of the charter petition and noted that the school’s educational program and structure was unique, solid and unquestioned,” said Marilyn Bowman, of Mosaica Education, one of the nation’s leading private operators of K-12 public schools who help bring the benefits of the competition and private sector efficiency to the public school system.

Minerva Properties, the developer of Heron Bay Golf & Country Club, and Mosaica Education have a unique vision to unite the community with a neighborhood charter school designed to promote educational excellence, parental partnerships and community stewardship. If you would like to partner with the school or join the Parent Advisory Committee, please contact Marilyn Bowman at mbowman@mosaicaeducation.com or Stacy Patton at spatton@minerva-usa.com. Interested individuals may also come to an Update Meeting on Heron Bay Academy at the Heron Bay Lodge on August 18, at 7:00 pm.

About Heron Bay Academy:
Heron Bay Academy is targeted to open in the fall of 2010 as a K-6 program for students residing in Spalding and Henry Counties. The school will be tuition-free and will expand one grade level per year up to the 8th grade. The academy is supported by parents, community leaders, and local businesses and organizations who believe passionately in the school’s mission and the importance of quality education and school choice in Locust Grove. Partnering with parents, Heron Bay Academy will create an ideal learning environment in which students strive for academic excellence, explore a diverse curriculum, become responsible stewards, and develop into lifelong learners. An important component of the educational program is Paragon - an interdisciplinary, hands-on social studies curriculum incorporating the arts and humanities
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Georgia State College of Education prepares high school students to be teachers

Georgia State University’s College of Education is working to meet the teacher shortage by preparing the next generation of science and math educators.

Each summer, the college hosts the Advanced Academy for Future Teachers, a three-week, math and science-based program for rising high school juniors and seniors from Atlanta Public Schools and other metro systems.

This year’s academy will be held June 8-26 at Georgia State’s downtown campus. The Advanced Academy for Future Teachers is now seeking motivated Atlanta area high school students who want to build the teaching skills and explore the profession in an urban environment.

Applications are due by April 30. Information is available online at: http://education.gsu.edu/aaft. Or, call 404-413-8121 with any questions.

Since 2001, the college, working with the Atlanta Public School system, has prepared over 240 high school students. As a reward for successful completion of the program, they collect a $200 stipend.

At the academy, students focus on math and science concepts as they acquire teaching and tutoring skills. They also develop personal insights that enhance teamwork and leadership opportunities.

“It’s been great working with other students who want to be teachers. Everyone has different approaches and different ideas,” said Sarah Gibson, who participated in last summer’s academy when she was a senior from Pope High School in Marietta, Ga.

Students collaborate with faculty, attend educational workshops and participate in other personal and professional development activities. They focus on teaching pedagogy, math and science content as well as communication and interpersonal skills.

Students also have an opportunity to teach their peers both individually and in groups. Their presentations are later reviewed by their classmates, who offer praise and advice on how they might improve.

“This is the experience I need to learn about teaching and to prepare myself,” said Bianca Poindexter, who participated in last summer’s academy as a senior at Frederick Douglass High School in Atlanta.

Applications are online and can be submitted three ways: Scan and send electronically to AAFT@gsu.edu, fax to 404-413-8103 or mail to Laurie Forstner, AAFT Coordinator, Georgia State College of Education, P.O. Box 3980, Atlanta, Ga., 30302-3980.

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