Colleen Vogt of Will Carleton Academy

written by Elyse Hawkins

Colleen Vogt has spent the last 24 years working as the director at Will Carleton Academy.

Born and raised in Metro Detroit, Colleen said her parents formed a strong educational foundation which sparked her desire to go into education. “I was raised in a house where my parents valued education, and so I had really good educational experiences growing up,” Colleen says.

Colleen then attended Hillsdale College, graduating in 1990 with a triple minor in early childhood education, French, and English. While still a student, she began working at Mary Proctor Randall Preschool which is a tuition school under the supervision of Hillsdale College.

Following graduation, Colleen got a job at Hillsdale Academy which opened in the fall of 1990. She first taught first and second grades for two years before moving to teaching third and fourth grades. “It was just a terrific educational and teaching experience for me,” she says, “I very, very fondly recall my days at the Hillsdale Academy.”

Colleen explains that her experience at the academy laid the foundation for the rest of her career, especially at Will Carleton Academy. “From my experience of teaching at Hillsdale Academy, I came to truly understand the value of a rewarding education.”

In the fall of 1997, Colleen began to hear rumors of a new school opening up in the area. “It was founded by a group of parents, mostly moms, who wanted something different for their children,” Colleen says.

That was the beginning of Will Carleton Academy and on Memorial Day weekend of 1998, Colleen was offered the director position at Will Carleton Academy. Will Carleton Academy is a tuition-free kindergarten through 12th grade public school with a tuition-based preschool program.

She says that, because of the support of parents from the very beginning, Will Carleton Academy was founded on a strong foundation. “Will Carleton Academy has really not had the opportunity to fail,” Colleen says.

Colleen explains that Will Carleton Academy encourages and allows parents to have a say in the education of their children. “Charter schools epitomize the idea of choice,” Colleen says, “If a family chooses our school, we come alongside them, and we provide individually what each child needs.”

Will Carleton Academy has two different programs, both a general education program and a special education program. About 280 students are currently enrolled in the school, though that number fluctuates year to year. Colleen says that, though each class is capped at 22 students, Will Carleton Academy does a good job adapting to the students’ needs each year, even sometimes offering two sections of a grade.

Colleen says a big part of the school’s success is the staff members and their commitment. “We have incredibly committed staff,” Colleen says. “The average stay right now for our teachers is about 14 years and I believe it’s because our Code of Conduct is so strong and supports their instruction, just as the family-teacher relationship is strong and supports their instruction.”

od has overall been very low-technology. “It’s very back-to-basic, very traditional.” COVID-19 was a challenge for the school, just as it was for everyone. Colleen explains they were able to transition to remote learning and the rapidly-evolving situation, but it was great when students and staff could get back in the classroom.

Will Carleton Academy highly values academic accountability and integrity among its students. Cell phones are not allowed on the campus and must be turned into Colleen’s office at the beginning of each day. While there has been a little backlash over the years to those policies, Colleen says it remains a value of the school for students to be undistracted during their school days.

Over the years, Will Carleton Academy has been growing steadily. They recently began what they call the Exploration Program which is an educational experience that focuses on 14- to 26-year-olds and provides an opportunity for special needs students

to finish their educations. Colleen explains, “It also teaches work-based skills like having a job and life skills like laundry, meals, etc.”

Colleen says different challenges have presented themselves at times, but she believes the school and its staff are well-equipped for those challenges. She sees her job as a constant learning experience. “Will Carleton Academy challenges me every day to be great and to come to work ready to do what it takes to support the children and their families.”

Colleen herself has raised five children in the Hillsdale community and four of them have graduated from Will Carleton Academy, with the fifth going into her senior year. In her little free time, Colleen and her family enjoy spending time on the water, traveling, and camping around Michigan.

Will Carleton Academy will celebrate its 25th anniversary this coming year. After 24 years of dedication to the families and students at Will Carleton Academy, Colleen, and all the Will Carleton Academy staff, continue to prioritize the success of the students and their education. “Every student has the right to come into our school, feel safe, learn, and be held accountable,” Colleen says, “We will work tirelessly to make sure they are successful.”