Lizett Segura’s son was enrolled in kindergarten at a neighboring district when she walked into Mesa’s Keller Elementary School looking for employment about five years ago.
What she found was a job — and dual language program that prompted her to move her son just one month into the school year.
Today, both her children — now in fourth and second grade — are in Keller’s dual language program. Each week they learn half their academic studies in English and half their studies in Spanish.
“It made sense to me because I’ve always wanted my children to be bilingual,” Segura said.
Coming from Mexico, her son already had an understanding of Spanish. But through years of studies, he can now speak and read English and Spanish.
“It’s just great. Both of them are 100 percent fluent in both languages. They can read above level in both languages,” she added.
Keller principal Monica Torres said that’s true of many of the students who choose the dual language option at the school.
“Our scores are consistent with research that our (dual language) students outscore the students in other classrooms,” she said.
Parents looking for options in education oftentimes don’t need to look further than their neighborhood district. As National School Choice Week is celebrated in Arizona and around the country, districts are highlighting the ever-growing list of options available in their public schools.
There are a growing number of charter schools coming to the East Valley. But overwhelmingly, Arizona families continue to choose district campuses. In the most recent data available on the Arizona Department of Education website — for the 2011-2012 school year — of the 1,083,348 children enrolled in public schools, about 87 percent were in district schools.
But that only tells part of the story.
The Mesa Unified School District, for example, touts a number of options — with more in the works. There are 62,000 students enrolled in the district this year. About 20 percent of those students live in the district, but chose to attend a Mesa school other than their neighborhood campus. And 2,700 students live outside the district, but attend a Mesa school through open enrollment.
Torres, principal at Keller, said a number of families drive their children to the campus because they want the dual language option. Enrollment for kindergarten, which is now under way, is on a first-come, first-served basis. About 75 percent of the families that have registered for next school year have requested the dual language option.
Mesa also offers an elementary education with a focus on the arts at Highland Elementary School. The district’s back-to-basics Franklin Schools consistently have a waiting list.
Even the high schools offer programs directed at different types of learning. Westwood High School, as well as the Mesa Academy for Advanced Studies and Summit Academy, offers the International Baccalaureate program. Skyline and Red Mountain High School started a small cohort of students on a program to earn the Grand Canyon Diploma. Created by the state, it uses the rigorous Cambridge Curriculum and allows students to master their high school studies in two years, then spend the next two years in college-level classes or career training.
Many district programs are now accepting applications for next school year.
“One of the things we’re trying to help people understand about choice is its not districts vs. charters,” Mesa district spokeswoman Helen Hollands said. “The districts offer some of the most interesting choices available.”
While some people want “the school closest to their home,” others may seek out the district’s Montessori programs, classes for home-schooled students and college-prep options.
“People don’t realize the amount of choice we offer. By default, people think of us as the local school you go to. We’re not the default,” she said.
Surrounding school districts also offer options. Higley Unified School District in Gilbert will launch a traditional academy next year. In the past few years, Chandler Unified School District has created a gifted academy, as well as a school where students can receive either a traditional education or a back-to-basics education.
Gilbert’s Neely Traditional Academy starts registration nearly a year before classes begin because of the popularity of the program. The district also wants to expand Gilbert Classical Academy, an option for seventh-through-12th graders who want a more rigorous education. Gilbert Superintendent Dave Allison announced plans to launch a Project Lead the Way program at Mesquite High School next year. The STEM program (science, technology, engineering and math) will emphasize engineering with Orbital Sciences, located next to the school, as a partner.
Tempe Elementary School District is accepting sixth-grade applications for the Tempe Academy of International Studies, which will offer the International Baccalaureate program on the McKemy Middle School campus next year. That school closed at the end of the 2010-2011 school year.
Contact writer: (480) 898-6549 or mreese@evtrib.com
downtownresident posted at 10:32 am on Wed, Jan 30, 2013.
I have three kids in MPS system. I think it is a good school system.
My concern is that for profit, and even "non-profit", charter schools are diverting money that does not go toward the child's education and that many people and even some STATE LEGISLATORS are using as cash cows at the expanse of the children.
I like MPS!
LiveInGilbert posted at 11:07 am on Wed, Jan 30, 2013.
Watch out Gilbert - your excelling "A" district is about to come crashing down thanks to the newly elected members of the GPS board. Despite being a top district in the state and having a promising future, the new board seems intent on settling for mediocrity at best...rescinding a vote to close the district's only "C" junior high and thus limiting growth for the highly successful Gilbert Classical Academy. Now looking at their first action being firing of the Superintendant. So now we'll see - this group campaigned on GPS being wasteful and having enough funding and voting down the override - and transparency. Now they are "restudying" the closure, diverting funds for the Board to have their own legal counsel, and passing resolutions that limit distribution of Board emails to those in the Administration. The divide is big and growing - and a lack of professionalism by certain members of the Board (go see their postings on the "Gilbert Rabid Fringe" Facebook page), their inability to function in their first several meetings and what looks to be a total removal from reality on what the Gilbert Public Schools need is leading to a disaster - and it's a true shame. Get smart and get involved Gilbert - it's your community and your children.
GilbertMom01 posted at 12:11 pm on Wed, Jan 30, 2013.
I would hardly call Gilbert Classical Academy's retention rate of under 50% "highly successful". It also costs more to educate a child at GCA than children at other district schools. You cannot argue that GCA's test scores are higher than other schools, but their special education population is around .02%. By comparison, Gilbert Junior High School has over 20% of it's population enrolled in some sort of special education program. Please stick with the facts and instead of criticizing our new board members, by all means, get involved with the process. But, please, only do so if you have the best intentions of ALL students who attend Gilbert Public Schools at heart. Because, isn't the purpose of public education to serve everyone?
chuckles3 posted at 12:40 pm on Wed, Jan 30, 2013.
Ha ha. More hate for Charter schools from EVT and lib parents. If you like public schools, use them. Please give be 'pro-choice' and let me choose charter schools for my kids. If my charter school of choice is a "cash cow" for someone, I am certainly getting my money's worth based on the RESULTS. Not the INTENTIONS.
Learn the difference. Repeat after me, INTENTIONS are no substitute for RESULTS.
Leon Ceniceros posted at 1:23 pm on Wed, Jan 30, 2013.
If the Letter Writer wants her kids to speak Spanish, then she should teach them Spanish at home. Our schools barely have the time for students to learn their required subjects in ....ENGLISH. This is the United States of America...not Mexico, not Guatamala, not Honduras and not El Salvador. Our Declaration of Independence, Constitution, Bill of Rights and US Code of Laws are in English not Spanish.
Just look at the students and faculty of a Charter School to see the difference in the Educational Environment. Charter School teachers dressed in a business-like fashion. Charter School students in uniforms with...."normal"...haircuts and hairstyles. No teachers or students in Charter Schools with neon green, neon orange, neon red or neon purple dyed hair, corn-rows, Afro's, spikes or mohawks.
No smoking, gang-signs, bullying or cursing after school which, sadly, is the norm at our Local Public Schools.
Catholic schools used to be the alternative to Public Schools when I was going to grammer school but now most families just don't have the time or money needed meet all the requirements of these schools.
Mike McClellan posted at 4:21 pm on Wed, Jan 30, 2013.
Leon, Leon, Leon.
Your fantasy of charter school kids as uniformed, well-behaved little munchkins is a bit -- as per usual with you -- out of touch.
Yep, there are charter schools like that.
But why don't you cruise along Lindsay Road, just north of Southern, and watch the kids from the Sun Valley High Charter School pour out of class. And note the Mesa Police Department's cars around the school on a regular basis.
In fact, why don't you check out any of the Leona Group's "alternative" charter schools, and then get back to us.
By the way, if you DID go to Catholic schools, then the Sisters should've nailed you for spelling "grammer" instead of "grammar."
Not too late, though, Leon. Maybe you can take a refresher course at Sun Valley.
LiveInGilbert posted at 12:06 pm on Fri, Feb 1, 2013.
Hey Gilbert mom - you and the fringe seem to only utilize the facts you want to use to support your arguments and the school, such as HJHS, that you want to support your school or causes- not ALL of the Gilbert students. Looking at only one factor like retention rate - which in the case of GCA could be misleading since it goes through HS unlike the other junior highs - I don't really know but probably a fact you might want to look into and compare it to other similar programs around the state or country - apples to apples comparison. My guess is GJHS is has a higher special education population since the school has what is needed when the district looks to house programs - space, since it is the most underutilized GJH in terms of population - my guess is many/most brought in from outside of the school boundaries. I understand this is how the district looks to optimize these programs and spaces at schools across the district. And isn't GJHS the only "C" rated JH in the district - how many families with junior high age children have boundary exemptions to LEAVE and go elsewhere - that is another fact that should be part of the discussion - versus how many boundary exemptions coming in to GJHS? Unlike what you and the fringe group commentators may think, I am not a GCA parent (never have been, never will be) nor a HJHS parent (again- never have been, never will be) nor a former board member nor a teacher or principal in the district - just a concerned parent and taxpayer in Gilbert that wants NO special interest group get in the way of what is best for ALL of our children. As far as criticizing board members/performance and Administration - it certainly seems fair game for you and the fringe group to do when it's in your interest - so don't preach to others what you don't practice. I will certainly continue to be involved and ensure all of our elected officials uphold their responsibilities to the ENTIRE community, not just special interest groups.