News Room:
The Technical Assistance & Leadership Center (TALC New Vision), working with the Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) and the Alliance for Choices in Education (ACE), announced today the four groups that will receive small school planning grants of up to $50,000 in the first cycle of A New Vision of Secondary Education funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
A New Vision of Secondary Education is an ambitious attempt to redesign high school education in Milwaukee over the next five years. The plan calls for the creation of forty new small high schools and the conversion of seven large MPS high schools into multiplexes, which are campuses housing several small autonomous schools.
“There is a high level of community interest in the New Vision,” commented Daniel Grego, TALC’s Executive Director. “Even though the application process in the first cycle was extremely short, we received twenty-five applications. All of this year’s applicants have been encouraged to participate in TALC’s New Vision workshops scheduled for later this fall,” Grego noted. Request for Proposals (RFPs) for the second cycle will be released in January, 2004.
After reviewing the proposals and interviewing the most promising applicants, the evaluation team working with MPS decided to award planning grants to ALAS and the Community School. ALAS (Advanced Language and Academic Studies) will open in the fall of 2004 as a bilingual high school functioning as an instrumentality charter of the Milwaukee Public Schools. The school will enroll no more than 250 students. The school’s goal will be to provide a rigorous, balanced curriculum promoting high levels of academic bilingualism/biliteracy.
When the doors of Community School open in the fall of 2004, students will be welcomed into a learning environment that will explore how to influence social changes affecting their local community, and beyond. With a maximum enrollment of 250 students, Community School will help students to develop a well-informed and proactive voice. The goal is to help students create a vision of social change and give them the experience of putting their ideas into action through community service.
In addition, ACE approved TALC’s recommendation that planning grants be awarded to Salam High School and the Milwaukee Academy of Science. Both schools currently operate K-8 programs. With a maximum enrollment of 200 students, Salam High School will be a small, unique, and innovative college-bound school focusing on holistic education. Salam High School will seek to develop citizens who strive to improve their society through faith, perseverance, and service to others.
The Milwaukee Academy of Science will offer a science-focused education to 200 students in grades 9 to 12. Emphasis will be placed on preparing students for higher education and science-related careers.
For further information, contact the TALC office at 931–6225.
Download: “$200,000 in Grants Approved” PDF (17 Kb)
