We are writing in response to Jackson Tallmadge’s letter to the editor (Herald, March 8) to clarify some inaccuracies regarding the purpose and performance of our community’s current charter schools. Durango’s charter schools exist to offer Durango families the opportunity to choose an education alternative that’s best-suited for their child’s individual learning style. Mountain Middle School and Animas High School students graduate ready to succeed in the 21st century as critical thinkers because we provide:
Rigorous academics – not based on any special needs, but to answer a prevailing need for innovative programs designed for 21st century learners.
A culture of excellence where students are held to high expectations both socially and academically.
An alternative, engaging learning environment where students see, feel and understand the relevance of their education.
Strong faculty-student relationships – small class sizes allow for personalized instruction where each student is challenged to their highest possible level of performance and no student “falls through the cracks.” Mountain’s student/teacher ratio is 15:1; Animas’ ratio is 10:1.) The success of this approach is verified by several external sources and by the demand from local families.
Both MMS and AHS are endorsed by the Colorado Department of Education’s Charter School Institute as “Performance with Distinction” schools based on demonstrated academic growth, fiscal stability, and strong governance and operations.
One-hundred percent of Animas High School graduates received college acceptance letters last year.
Mountain Middle School is ranked in the top 12 percent of all public schools in Colorado based on academic performance.
Both schools report record enrollment registration for 2015-16 school year.
If anyone would like to learn more about Mountain and Animas or to discuss charter schools in general, we would love to speak with you. We see first-hand the impact our schools have on students every day. We invite you to visit our schools and see it for yourself.
Erin Patla, president, Mountain Middle School board of directors
Melissa Youssef, president, Animas High School board of directors
Durango
