1480-Atlantic-0410.jpg
A new charter high school is nearing completion at 1480 Atlantic Avenue in Crown Heights. The 1,600-seat school, a joint venture between Achievement First and Uncommon Schools and funded in part by the Robin Hood Foundation, was designed by Robert A.M. Stern and Gensler. The facility will include six fully-equipped science labs, a 4,000-square-foot library and two gyms and is scheduled to open in time for the 2010-11 academic year. Fantastic news! GMAP P*Shark DOB


What's Your Take? Leave a Comment

  1. As for what do charter schools do different than public schools, I think the answers differ from school to school. I’m on the board of a charter school in another state. We are graduating our first class of high school students. 98% of our senior class does not have one parent with a college degree. So, for the last three years we have been taking our kids on college tours, introducing them to professionals in various fields so they learn about different types of jobs and carrers, teaching them about appropriate attire for various occasions (interviews, parties, work, etc.), and educating them about the application process for various colleges. For kids that are not college-bound we have been advising them on educational alternatives such as Americorps and the Student Conservation Association.

    Once our kids got accepted to a school or program of study, we also matched them up with families in the towns where they will be going to school so they have someone local to call if there is an emergency, they need a hot meal, or want to do some laundry. For all of our kids that are going out of state, they will not be able to afford to go back and forth to school on breaks so these types of connections are key to their aclimating to new environments.

    I’d like to think that this is the difference between charters and regular public schools. We’re free to deal with those issues that affect achievement, but aren’t directly related to education in a way that traditional public schools are not.