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Read a recent article about River’s Edge published in the August edition of The Villager. Down by the river side: Charter school taps learning potential along the Mississippi by Bob Gilbert.
River’s Edge Academy, St. Paul’s newest charter high school, will focus on the city’s greatest national resource, the Mississippi River, when it opens next month at 188 W. Plato Blvd., adjacent to Harriet Island and just a block from the riverbank of America’s longest waterway. Its college-prep curriculum is based on the Expeditionary Learning Schools Outward Bound model, which is used by about 150 schools across the United States. The tuition-free school plans to use hands-on expeditions in conjunction with academic studies to top into the extensive learning opportunities that come with being so close to the river. So far, the school has enrolled 70 students in grades 9-11. Twelfth grade will be added next year. “Charter schools are meant to have innovative programs and focused missions,” said Meghan Cavalier, who has been developing the school’s educational program for the past 15 month. “The curriculum we’re offering is hands-on learning that’s engaging and relevant. “The expeditionary learning model we’ve chosen is more that just studying: it focuses on character development and getting to know oneself,” she said. “The model also instills a sense of community that builds relationships among students, their families and their teachers.”Cavalier, a former secondary principal and science teacher at Bethany Academy, said she had no trouble attracting applicants for the school’s four teaching positions. All of the teachers have master’s degrees and will go through at least 15 days of professional development in expeditionary learning methods annually. “Everybody who goes through expeditionary training says it’s ideal and how teaching should be done,” Cavalier said. “Our teachers go through professional development as a team so that students hear the same language when they go from classroom to classroom.” As an independent charter school, decisions on hiring staff, building design and curriculum are made on site. The state funds charter schools just like public schools, awarding from $500 to $7000 per student based on a formula. Extra money is given for kids with special needs, English language learners, and those who qualify for free and reduced-priced lunches. River’s Edge is one of 20 schools sponsored by the Audubon Center of the Northwoods. Located in Sandstone, the environmental center provides a facility where schools may send students for organized outdoor experiences. Former Central High School biology teacher, Dawn Clawson and assistant principal Ken Hanson co-founded River’s Edge. Their vision is to offer a small learning community focused on science, the river and the environment in general. “At Central, it didn’t take me long to realize that the curriculum there was teacher-driven rather than student-driven,” said Clawson, a Highland Park resident. “Teachers were the font of all the information and students were not greatly involved in what they were learning.” “College students have to work independently and I felt I wasn’t preparing my student for that,” she continued. “Too many students were graduating with D’s. Something different needed to be done.” Jeanne Morris, a Merriam Park resident, is sending her 10th grader, John, to River’s Edge in September. Morris read about the proposed school in a magazine several years ago. She attended informational sessions and chose the school because she thinks her son will do better at a small high school. “Large public high schools are not for everyone,” Morris said. “I think my son needs more one-to-one attention. He’s also excited about the environmental focus. He has a passion for the outdoors and hands-on learning suits him better than sitting in a classroom.” River’s Edge is opening at a time when some charters schools have come under fire for low test scores and financial mismanagement. However, Cavalier believes that despite some problems, charter schools are the wave of the future.“Standard educational systems were created for one type of student that that’s changing as more and more immigrant families and people of color come into our community,” Cavalier said. “Schools like ours meet the needs of these students.” “Charter schools are the direction that education is headed because they have innovative curricula and keep things local,” she said. With the graduation rate of St. Paul public school students below 70 percent, school officials at River’s Edge aim to improve tests scores and graduation rates with a positive school culture. The school’s goal also is to have a mix of students that reflects St. Paul’s demographics. Though school officials were hoping to attract more Hispanic students, especially given River’s Edge’s proximity to the West Side, they have enrolled a diverse population of white, Somali, Hmong, African-American and special-needs students. The student body includes students who have not been successful in the past. School officials are banking on the idea that more hands-on learning will engage them. “In the end, it all comes down to a high-quality education,” Cavalier said. “If you want to play football and be on the cheerleading squad, this probably isn’t the school for you. But this model works because it inspires students so they want to learn.” River’s Edge Academy will hold an open house at 6:00 p.m. Thursday, August 6. Student orientation will be held from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Friday August 21. For more information, call 651-234-0150 or visit www.riversedgeacademy.org
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