The mission of each Springs Charter School is to empower students by fostering their innate curiosity, engaging their parents, and promoting optimum learning by collaboratively developing a personalized learning program for each student.
Heidi Medina, Spring into Teaching grant coordinator, shared that the University of Massachusetts Global recognized Magnolia Student Center 6th-grade teacher Norma Quintana for her “resilience” while participating in the Spring into Teaching program.
Venture Online graduate Claire Zieber has been accepted into the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. She is majoring in mechanical engineering and hopes to fly aircraft for the U.S. Navy or Marines after graduation. Claire has been a Springs student since kindergarten and a Venture student for the past two years.
Springs’ High School Learning Labs offered Homeschool students the opportunity to “embody the Springs Way of moving from passive learning to active doing,” shared Sherri Kemp, Homeschool Director of High School Learning Labs, this year collaborating with a variety of “epic” project-based learning lessons.
Springs’ Otay Ranch Academy for the Arts (ORAA) celebrated its annual arts festival, reported Nikki Oliveri, program facilitator. Participants enjoyed food, games, prizes, a bounce house, and student performances under the direction of teachers Sydney Wilson and Rachel Amov.
Springs’ Classical Community of Orange County held its science fair for grades 3-8, reported Linda Larson, Homeschool director. Students did a research project and science experiments and then created display boards to present their findings.
Vice Principal Nicole Collins recognized the achievements of Journey Homeschool High School senior Leilani Launiu, “a dedicated and driven student whose high school journey reflects both academic excellence and personal growth.”
Charter schools are independent public schools with rigorous curriculum programs and unique educational approaches. In exchange for operational freedom and flexibility, charter schools are subject to higher levels of accountability than traditional public schools. Charter schools, which are tuition-free and open to all students, offer quality and choice in the public education system.
The charter establishing each such school is a contract detailing the school’s mission, program, goals, students served, methods of assessment, and ways to measure success. In California, charters are granted for five years. At the end of the term, the entity granting the charter may renew the school’s contract. Charter schools are accountable to their authorizer, and to the students and families they serve, to produce positive academic results and adhere to the charter contract.
Like traditional public schools, charters receive state funding based on a formula for each child enrolled in the school. Many charters also do additional fundraising to obtain grants and donations to pay for programs that are not fully funded by state or school district formulas. When lawmakers passed the Charter Schools Act of 1992, California became the second state in the country (after Minnesota) to enact charter school legislation. The intent was to allow groups of educators, community members, parents, or others to create an alternative type of public school.