Reply to Lewis Academy - community input?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]The Maggie Walker Governor's School for Government and International Studies down in Richmond is the [i]perfect[/i] model for this type of program. At Maggie Walker they require 140 hours of community service, four years of one language and two years of another language (they offer 10 languages at the school),[b] and they offer sponsored spring and summer travel abroad opportunities.[/b] Their social studies department focuses on global society and government with unique courses in those topics.

I even remember one of the school board members mentioned Maggie Walker during the meeting last December when this academy was discussed. So much potential exists to create a useful academy.[/quote]

There is zero chance of a new school offering that unless all schools offer it. The last thing that will happen is expensive special perks for a single school because no board member is going to want to explain why these kids get to do a semester abroad while their constituents' kids don't[/quote]

Lewis is the stark outlier in FCPS with 1685 students. The supposed purpose of this academy is to draw families back with a rigorous program that is open to full-time enrollment for voluntary transfers. They would need to pull out all the stops. Travel abroad included in a global-focused civics and language academy would be an excellent perk that could make that happen. Assuming that a lot of the 1685 students at Lewis would choose to stay at a magnet VoTech, students wanting to leave for a traditional high school could be absorbed into the surrounding schools without much difficulty.

Any and all constituents are open to apply. Of course, that's assuming they're able to create something that is actually attractive.[/quote]

There are less expensive ways to increase Lewis's enrollment without paying for travel abroad.  It's absurd to read the lengths to which some would go to try and entice kids into a school that would have an enrollment within an acceptable window if only it got rid of IB and stopped giving people an option to transfer.  [/quote]

I don’t think a globally focused curriculum with study abroad is what Lewis needs. Many of Lewis’ students ARE from other countries but are here now and looking to get a diploma and make a decent, honest living. VoTech would best serve the needs of most current Lewis families. Those families in the Lewis pyramid who are looking for something different should be given the opportunity to go elsewhere. [/quote]

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