Introduction to Idea; Cyber Charter School

INTRODUCTION TO IDEA
CYBER CHARTER SCHOOL


The mission of the IDEA Charter School is to treat education as an holistic paradigm; addressing its students individual academic, social and emotional needs while recognizing individual life experiences. It is imperative that the staff and faculty of IDEA will assist our students in personal development from their life experiences and challenges. As we instill in them the belief that they have the capacity for self-actualization and the responsibility to be productive, students will become contributing and accountable members of society.

In order to accomplish these goals, the core values and beliefs, vision and mission of IDEA Cyber Charter School will be a dynamic, operating, democratic model, serving to empower students and staff to create a sense of community allowing students to grow, while functioning daily in a microcosm of American society. By permitting an active role and voice in the decisions that directly affect their education and lives, our students will develop a sense of ownership in their education and their school, while demonstrating an increased commitment to their education and lifelong learning. Aligned with the Pennsylvania Standards and Benchmarks, personalized to and derived from individual student goals and interests, interwoven with real life opportunities that stimulate creativity, each student’s innate genius will be maximized. Finally, IDEA Charter School will motivate each student to be all they are capable of being through encouragement, inspiration, imagination, succor and social responsibility.

Several distinguishing characteristics make IDEA uniquely advantageous to all students:

1) 7 Habits and Love & Logic are foundational philosophies that allow students to learn and grow in a goal-directed environment - beginning with the end in mind.
Students are free to try new things and experiment in a safe environment where
mistakes are viewed as acceptable learning opportunities. Students learn from
their mistakes rather than feel humiliated, and ostracized by them.

2) Using Understanding by Design as our foundational pedagogy, student lessons are
designed to be relevant, interesting and exciting to the students doing the work.
Students know ahead of time what is expected and are provided with the steps
appropriate for them to succeed yet not patronized with information they don't
need so that their individual creativity and genius can develop.

3) Every student will have a customized plan of instruction based on the way they learn, their interests, academic level and life goals.

4) Every student will have a placement team to evaluate their academic levels and
their interest inventories and learning styles with them, guide them as they write
their personal mission statements and assist them in selection of their courses.

5) Lessons are available in a variety of formats; i.e. LAPS – where students are
given a folder of lessons in categories (projects, research, writing, art) and may
choose 2-3 from each category to complete a course/term.

6) Touchstones (who will become Keystones when they successfully complete the
highest level of training and supervision) will be a part of the placement team,
will build relationships with students and their paraeducator/parent to nurture their
development educationally, emotionally, psychologically and spiritually; to hold
together the overarching philosophies and pedagogy of the school.

7) IDEA’s Virtual Family Program is available to provide a virtual family to
students who have lost parents (institutionalized, by death or some other
circumstance) to nurture, guide, support, tutor and meet other needs such as wise
counsel.

8) Idea is a year round school where students will be able to choose the 180 days
they attend (with flexibility so every student can attain perfect attendance).

9) Camps where students will come together for placement, educational experiences
(carpenter/cooking/sewing math, performing arts, fine arts, and science to begin)
and for socialization within their geographical area and statewide/school-wide.

IDEA is also unique in its business plan. We have designed IDEA to operate using a teamwork strategy. The Executive Team is made up of the Executive Principal, Executive Director and Vice Principals of the grade and high schools is weighted on the education side. All departments are likewise designed to function as teams. Teachers will be team teaching and Touchstones/Keystones will work in teams so that every course is covered and every student’s needs are addressed with consistency throughout the year.

Choice is embedded: Students are able to choose from a variety of curricula, lesson plan opportunities, and which days they attend school; teachers get to choose the days they work in cooperation with their co-team-teacher and are free to unleash their genius and creativity as they teach.

On October 16th we submitted our application to the PA Department of Education and on December 4th we presented and defended our application before a panel of educators at the PDE. We anticipate that we will receive a letter from the PDE by the middle of January letting us know specifically what we need to fix, add, do to be granted a charter. We have already been given some direction from the PDE Panel for things we must do and have begun an ambitious plan to complete all those things in this month.

We are in the process of funding our $13,000,000 budget and marketing our school. If you would like to be a part of this exciting educational venture, please visit our website www.IDEAcybered.org and leave a message. We are an energetic, intelligent, passionate coalition of founders who are eager to meet and include lots of new people and ideas for IDEA.