Article Last Updated; Tuesday, May 19, 2009
In Suzanne Garcia's letter to the editor (Herald, May 7), she shares her enthusiasm about Colorado Teacher of the Year Susan Elliott's message at the Colorado Education Association Delegate Assembly in Denver. Garcia shares Elliott's message about the need for educators to rethink the way we are educating our children in the 21st century.
Elliott spoke of the need for a new approach to education - one that fosters creativity, collaboration and problem-solving skills. Our community needs to be aware that Durango is not at the crest of the wave, but is riding the wave. Our community has Animas High School, a free charter school opening for freshman this fall, to meet the need to educate our students for the 21st century. The founders, board of directors and staff members have done their homework and have adopted a nationally acclaimed model with a proven track record to provide our students an education that is rigorous, relevant and collaborative in an atmosphere where the students are excited about learning and committed to excellence. Visit www.AnimasHighSchool.org for the full mission and values statements.
This model is proven to help students stay engaged in school, ignite a passion for lifelong learning and send 99 percent of students to excellent colleges. With the student population set at 100 per grade, the staff has a personal relationship with each student, allowing them to provide individualized instruction to meet the students' unique needs. No student will fall through the cracks.
This approach to education includes teacher-led lectures, student-led discussions, research, projects, assessments and ongoing teacher feedback all with technology integrated throughout the process. It's a lot to understand, therefore I recommend attending an upcoming informational meeting to learn more, (6-8 p.m. June 2 and 9 at the Durango Public Library), or call Head of School Michael Ackerman at 403-4827 to set a personal meeting. Nearly 90 area students have enrolled for this opportunity. It's time to find out why.
Judith Wallace, Durango
