Durango is increasingly becoming known for its vibrant school choice environment, with two successful charter schools offering middle and high school students options outside the traditional public education model, as well as innovative curriculums and structure within Durango School District 9-R’s walls. Durango Schools of Choice, which aims to open an elementary charter school this fall, is building on that growing foundation. Before approving the group’s charter application, the school district must thoroughly consider the proposal, including gathering significant public input.
The Juniper School intends to begin classes in the 2015-16 academic school year with one class for each of six grades – kindergarten through fifth. The school would be housed on 12th Street in The Big Picture High School’s former facility. The school sets an ambitious curricular goal of combining “best practices” in education, using Montessori, project-based and experiential learning models as well as inquiry learning – a student-centered method that focuses on kids asking questions. There is proven benefit to each of these approaches, and combining them could serve students well; but it is essential to establish a clear path to implementing the combined methodology before adding six grades of young children to the crucible.
It could be that The Juniper School is prepared for such an endeavor, but as an entity seeking charter approval from District 9-R, both sides must be certain. To do so, 9-R must exhaustively examine the group’s application to ensure that the plan is road-ready, both in terms of curriculum and financial viability.
The first reviews conducted by 9-R’s District Accountability Advisory Committee, which is the required first stop for all charter applications before the Board of Education considers them, found that the application was not ready. That is not to say that the district and the committee do not support The Juniper School in concept – they do – and the school’s board has been steadily working to address the application’s shortcomings.
Before the 9-R board votes on the charter application, it is seeking public input on the proposal. This is a crucial step in the process where community members can and ought to weigh in on the application, the implications for the district, and the interplay between The Juniper School and the existing charter schools in the community. The comments from Tuesday night’s meeting – and any that are submitted before the 9-R board’s March 31 decision on the matter – should be carefully considered.
Opening doors for six grades of elementary school all at once is a bold endeavor that can add a vibrant dimension to education in Durango. Ensuring that it will do so, rather than overwhelm the district and the school’s staff and leadership – to the disservice of its families – requires exceptional diligence. Before giving The Juniper School a green light, Durango School District 9-R must demonstrate it has exhaustively vetted the proposal, with all critical questions and concerns settled well before the first day of school.
