At a work session prior to the Jan. 19 school board meeting, Cherokee School Superintendent Dr. Frank Petruzielo presented an update about the district’s work on the Cherokee academies initiative.
He said for next school year, 2012-2013, at the elementary school level, the school district plans to pilot four Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) academies, along with two fine arts academies. There are three committees working on the new plan to include magnets based on student interest in county school offerings. A steering committee will be in charge of overriding logistics; an academies committee is examining different models for magnet academies; and an advisory committee is made up of teachers, principals, parents, higher education representatives and local business partners.
“The academies advisory committee and planning committee have agreed that the first academies should be located in different geographical areas throughout the school district in order to better accommodate interest and demand and to balance transportation requirements,” Petruzielo said.
The school district recommended to the board opening four STEM academies for grades three through five at the new Ball Ground Elementary opening in August, the new Hunt Road elementary school opening in August, Canton Elementary and Holly Springs Elementary.
Additionally, two fine arts academies are planned: A kindergarten through fourth-grade academy at Oak Grove Elementary and a kindergarten through grade six academy at Hasty Elementary.
Students within Cherokee County, but outside a STEM or fine arts academy boundary, may request transfers in late spring 2012, Petruzielo said. The entire student bodies at the selected schools will participate in the academy program, according to the plan.
Some teacher transfers also will be put off until late spring, he said, to get the academies teachers in the correct schools.
Special one-week camps will be held for academies teachers in the summer, which will give them specialized training on the development of lessons and will be provided for teachers to access on the county’s intranet. Professional development for fine arts will continue throughout the year.
Petruzielo said planning for the academies follows four guidelines: The academy must be cost-neutral to the school district; the academy must have minimal impact on student transportation requirements; the academy must take into account capacity for additional student housing; and the academy must be aligned with existing timelines for personnel transfers.
The academies advisory and planning committees will begin planning middle school level STEM academies in the spring.
They will be implemented in all middle schools, beginning in 2014-2015.
As planning proceeds, middle school courses for high school credit will be included in the academies, which will be focused on student ability and achievement in content areas.
In fall 2012, the academies committees will begin to map out offerings for the new technical high school to be located on the existing Teasley Middle School campus when that school moves to its new location.
