I feel very strongly about the merits of charter schools and how they can change the trajectory of a child’s life, as it’s the case with my family.
My youngest son is advanced in science. While many schools lack the ability to foster a student like him as they are focused on students who are struggling, at Magnolia Science Academy my son’s gift is recognized and his growth encouraged. Rather than having the entire class work through the curriculum at once, the students group together who are on the same level, so my son and others like him can move forward when they are ready to, rather than having to wait. After-school activities and the science club at the school also provide extra learning opportunities within settings that are further focused on the topic.
Charter schools instill a love of learning in their students from the very beginning which translates to future success in school and beyond. Both my younger son and my older son who attends Magnolia Science Academy understand they are being given the opportunity of lifetime. They don’t complain about the extra homework or other commitments because they are seeing how these things are helping them fulfill their goals.
Charter schools are setting the bar in education. They encourage autonomy, exercise accountability, and the quality of education they offer is excellent.
It is our second year with Magnolia charter schools. I could not be more pleased with my kid’s first year. I like this charter school, because of its small environment and staff. The teachers are very helpful and understanding. They push pupils to their limits. My son’s teacher was extremely innovative when it came to keeping him challenged.
At Magnolia, students can feel safe, because bullying is not tolerated. This charter school reminds me of the small town elementary school that I attended – where the teachers knew all of the kids’ names, the environment was safe and academic standards were top of mind.
Yet, atop all above, I happened to find out some people blogging about Gulen charter schools, many of whom have no idea of what actually is going on. My suggestion for them is to take a tour of our school. I did that a couple of times, and I have observed unique and fun teaching strategies in the classroom. My child loves his school and that in itself is the best testimonial from a parent!
All students learn differently, that’s why public charter schools are so important; each school has its own learning emphasis. From ‘direct instruction’ to ‘project-based learning’, and from ‘science and technology’ to ‘Montessori philosophy’. Families can choose a school that is more suitable for their child.
We are very satisfied with the education she is receiving and know that our child has excelled due to this amazing school.
If you seek great education for your kid in a public institution and your focus is on the benefit to your child(ren), this is the perfect school for your little one(s).
If you enjoy reading education blogs like me, you might have read many discussions on charter schools covering a full spectrum of ideas ranging between “go” and “no”.
Though widely debated, I believe that the charter school system is a breakthrough in our public education. This innovative approach is critical for our nation and it is working.
To that end, I had mentioned a research on charters earlier in this blog. After sharing that study in my comments to a newspaper article, I received several responses. People asked whether that was the only study I could find, and some claimed that there were many others that show the contrary.
Of course that was not the only study available, and as I said in the beginning, results may vary depending on what you look and how. The following summary from US Charter Schools website serves as a good answer, and that’s why I penned this post:
Twelve studies find that overall gains in charter schools are larger than other public schools; four find charter schools’ gains higher in certain significant categories of schools; six find comparable gains; and, four find that charter schools’ overall gains lagged behind traditional schools.
Lately, a friend of mine brought some online content about my daughter’s charter school to my attention.
I went through the websites she suggested me to take a look, and saw pieces claiming the charter school to be a part of Gulen charter schools, presented in an over judgmental nature. The writer(s) of the blogs were quite hasty to make conclusions about the school and its staff, drawing unrelated issues together.
I appreciate her thoughtfulness, yet, to me, they just did not make any sense.
It is sad to see that a few people still ignore this charter school’s contributions to our community because of their prejudice. I hope they’ll visit our school one day to see what actually is going on.
My son is a 9th grader at Magnolia Science Academy and he LOVES going to school every day. He is eager to attend the school, as learning new concepts enables him to be self-motivated, and he is already impatient for the new school year.
I’m tired of the irrational Gulen charter schools claims about Magnolia charter schools. They are good schools with no-nonsense academic standards. I was especially impressed by the school environment that forms a sense of big family comprised of teachers, administrators, and of course, students, all of whom feel a real affection to their school community.
If Magnolia teachers follow these lines as well, here is a piece of advice for them: Be open for genuine feedback but don’t be distracted with what people with some agendas say. It is Gulen charter schools campaign today, and who knows what allegations will emerge in the future.
No matter what, neither be spoilt due to your success nor feel bad when some individuals ignore these achievements; just focus on what is needed, as you have done so far.
It is obvious that children’s education is a primary concern of all parents. There are 15-20 schools around my neighborhood, and most of them are great quality schools. But why Magnolia?
First, why I chose this great charter school is that the school environment is very warm and friendly for all – for students, parents, and even for one-time school visitors.. Yes, and that’s also briefly how I learned about this charter school.
I was driving by and I saw this “Open House” banner on the school building. I walked in and just loved the school site at my very first visit.
Unfortunately, the open house was already over, but the school administrators generously offered me a guided tour, and answered all my questions. I saw almost all the labs, classrooms, and school auditoriums that day. They invited me for another open house session after the tour. What impressed me at that school site visit was this warm welcome. I wasn’t just “an another parent”.
I was told about the teachers’ “home visit program”, which I found very unique for this charter school. I didn’t know about these visits before, and think they are very notable.
Magnolia does a good job, not only fostering an academic medium for this immensely diverse population, but also crafting a sense of a large family on the school grounds.
The teachers and the principal provide a nurturing environment, and in return, the API scores keep increasing.
It is surprising to see people with an agenda to harm this successful school. I’d heard about Gulen charter schools stuff before our enrollment, yet some other parents that I know very well assured me that there is nothing to worry about. That is also what I observed throughout our experience with the school.
Now, after our first year, I cannot say anything but “Thank you!” to people in Magnolia.
I feel very strongly about the merits of charter schools and how they can change the trajectory of a child’s life, as it’s the case with my family.
