Microsoft’s Bill Gates may not be there to ring the first bell at the New Bedford Global Charter School when it opens in September, but in a round-about way, he has had something to do with its planning.
The new public charter school, which will house 250 students in grades 6, 7, and 8, will open in the fall of 2002. It is one of only 10 schools nationwide to replicate the “High Tech High” school design – a new approach to learning aimed at creating a rigorous learning environment that engages students’ interest in the fields of math, engineering and science.
The concept, first started in San Diego, Calif. has received wide praise from industry leaders and financial support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The school, which first opened in 1990, currently has close to 300 student in grade 9 through 11, and boasts some of the highest standardized test scores in the country, according to its principal Larry Rosenstock, who is also CEO of the High Tech High Foundation.
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Nathan Garner, principal of New Bedford’s Global Charter School, has similar expectations for his students.
“Our expectation is that our students do very well,” he said. “Our goal is to find things of interest and present them as units of study. We want to make everything we do relevant.”
A large part of that involves technology, he said.
“People hear technology and they get excited,” Garner said. “We are making certain that we use technology to facilitate education. We are not a technical school. Technology is one important piece.”
According to Garner, the school is focused on four key areas: math, science, social studies and language arts. Infused in all of those, he said, are four common themes: global citizenship, connecting students with cultures and other students around the world; technology literacy, familiarizing students with a wide variety of technology in an effort to prepare them for careers in the 21st century; career awareness, establishing partnerships so students can have hands-on experience with choices they will make later in life; and life skills, covering a variety of things from how to study to health and fitness.
All of the students will have an adviser who will help tailor curriculum to individual needs, as well as visit students’ homes and meet with parents at least once a year.
“What we have tried to do is design a school that will be a model for New Bedford and for the country,” he said. “We are trying to employ the best practices and research tells us this is the way.”
In fact in recent years as job demand and employment opportunities have been increasing, industries and business have faced growing difficulties in finding skilled employees. Many business leaders cite inadequate preparation of high school graduates.
That’s why, Garner said, each student must do an internship in the business community.
“Students need to understand what is out there for them,” he said. “It’s important for us to realize that we are delivering individual education and part of that is finding things of interest for our students outside of the classroom walls.”
Designation as a “High Tech High” goes a long way in achieving that goal, said Vivian Guilfoy, vice president and director of the Center for Education, Employment, and Community at the Education Development Center in Newton, Mass., which has provided educational guidance and funding for the new school.
“This special designation underscores our commitment to high-quality learning environments where technology becomes a vital tool that children and families can use for living, learning and working,” she said. “We’ve been delighted to work along side community leaders and parents in New Bedford to create a stimulating and practical curriculum appropriate for the 21st century.”
