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CHARTER SCHOOLS TODAY www.charterschoolstoday.com

THEC ALEXANDER Escambia harter School

COMPANY, Giving Children a Chance to INC be Their Very Best Reusing and Revitilizing

THE MAG A ZINE FOR CH ARTER SCHOOL EX ECU TIVES

Escambia Charter School from all surrounding areas of Escambia County, many have to travel great distances to attend; but this doesn’t stop them.

Programs that Elevate The importance of the high school years truly can’t be exaggerated. They are defining whether one attends a private school in a wealthy neighborhood or struggles to pass the necessary tests required to graduate.

Giving Children a Chance to be Their Very Best Produced by Eric Gunn & Written by Shelley Seyler Founded in 1996, Escambia Charter School is the first charter high school in the state of Florida and can be found in the town of Cantonment. The school is run by Principal Jerome Chisolm who is motivated by a very important belief. “I believe in giving kids the opportunity to become their own best selves.”

Rooted in this belief, Jerome knows he had a lot of love and support that allowed him to have the ability and desire to give back. Not sure he wanted to become involved with education, he was in the Army for 20 years and eventually decided “it was my calling to give back.” Coming from a family of educators, Jerome knows what it takes to instill an effective education program and is an advocate of the “whole person concept.”

Motivated by the needs of at-risk youth, Escambia Charter’s student body is diverse in many respects. Students often face challenges beyond their years. Some have recently been uprooted, some are living with extended families, and some even have kids of their own. Working until midnight or one o’clock in the morning is a challenge for anyone but is especially so for those students who have to get up at four thirty to get to school on time. Because Escambia Charter services students

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“All kids have the ability to learn but some don’t learn at the same pace that everyone else does. The landscape of education changes a lot because there are many external factors that we have to solve,” explained Jerome.

With a budget of $850,000, the school serves the needs of 130 students with 13 staff, six of whom are instructional. Placing a special focus on community service, the school won the regional award “Make a Difference Day for Florida” in 2000. Though these programs are not mandatory, students benefit from them.

“A lot of these kids could use the assistance themselves but they are very giving,” said Jerome.

Most recently, the school completed a clothing drive for Waterfront Mission, a homeless shelter. The students collected, sorted, and packaged the clothes for delivery to the Mission.

Escambia Charter tries to have at least one major volunteer event a year.

More Than a Test Working with at-risk students means that programs like No Child Left Behind does not apply as it does for other schools.

“Any teacher here becomes a therapy parent. We have to deliver passion and obedience. We have to motivate these kids. When you look at at-risk charter schools, they do a lot more than regular school,” explained Jerome. “Realistically, NCLB should not apply to these kids who have been left behind.”

This lack of applicability also relates to NCLB’s yearly progress formula. Many students come in three or four years behind, so motivating them to learn is the first challenge we face.

Escambia Charter recently performed seven percent higher

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in math, with 45 percent passing and 64 percent passing the writing test. Compared to the rest of the state, Jerome admits, “these numbers are small.” However, Escambia Charter is not like other regular public schools.

“I think the Department of Education needs to develop other accountability factors when evaluating schools that work with these kids. Standards should not be the same as for regular public schools.”

Progress is tangible, despite these grave challenges. Escambia Charter graduates are proving the skills of the school’s administrators and teachers. One student who came to class and sat in the corner performed noticeably well on placement tests. The school had him take college placement tests and the ACT. This student received a Bright Future’s Scholarship. He is currently enrolled in Pensacola Junior College and will attend the University of West Florida (UWF) this fall. Another

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student recently received the magna cum laude honors from the UWF and is now attending a program at the University of South Alabama to become a physician’s assistant.

On Discipline and Parental Involvement Discipline is also an important tenet of Escambia Charter’s approach and is embodied in what Jerome calls “Character Building.” Teaching students that there are consequences if they do not manage their time well. Tardiness is responded to with required after-school work details such as raking or mowing the lawn.

The philosophy is, “if you don’t manage your time wisely, someone will manage your time for you,” said Jerome.

The importance of parental involvement is not over looked, but is especially difficult with many parents working long hours and

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therefore unable to be involved in their students’ lives. Escambia Charter does have some “loyal folks,” however, and the students often put on programs to foster increased involvement.

Educational systems vary state-to-state and county-to-county.

Unfortunately, the reality for some is nearly as grim as the economy. “The only place we can go is up. The educational landscape has changed so much. We are very diverse. We have to bring back some vocational training, interaction, and exciting hands-on education for those who don’t want to go to college,” recommended Jerome.

Though the economy may slow some future plans for Escambia Charter, Jerome hopes to be in a brand-new facility within the next five years. The school is also working hard to build their alumni base.

It remains an unfortunate reality that many students face challenges harder than others, pushing the importance of school far from their minds. Escambia Charter staff walks the delicate balance of discipline and acting as surrogate parents.

With students attending school and improving their abilities, Escambia Charter is proving that this is more than possible.

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SCHOOL AT A GLANCE Established : 1996 Staff : 13 Students: 130 Leading the School: Jerome Chisholm

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Escambia Charter School 390 90 9 Ranch Rd. Cantonment, FL 32533 United States