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Loudoun charter school application passed by state board | LoudounTimes.com

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Loudouncharterschoolapplicationpassedbystateboard
Thursday,Jul.26,2012byLauraPeters,TimesMirrorStaffWriter|1comments|Emailthisstory

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LoudounCountyhasinchedonestepclosertoacquiringacharterschoolaftertheVirginia BoardofEducationonJuly26unanimouslypassedtheschoolsapplication. TheLoudounMath&ITAcademy,whichwouldhousegradessixththrough12th,met previouslywiththeVirginiaBoardofEducationStandingCommitteeonCharterSchoolsMay23 toproposetheirapplication.ThecharterschoolwouldbelocatedintheDullesDistrictoffRoute 50. TheVirginiaBoardalsometJune28,wheremembersbroughtupconcernsoverfinancesand transparency. Oneoftheconcernsthatweexpressedwasovertheissueoffunding,ChrisBraunlichofthe stateboardsaid.ForLoudoun,hementionedintheJuly26meeting,thereneedstobeaplanto helppreventfinancialcrisis. IfIwerealocalschoolboardmemberIwoulddrillmoredownintothefinancialissues,he added.Iwouldurgeyouverystronglytofindanalternativetosomeofthethingsyouwantto do,including,ifyoudontgetagrant,totakealoanout.Itsaverydangeroussituation. ProposedtoopenAugust2013,theschoolwouldbeownedbyBuchananPartners,acontracting companybasedoutofGaithersburg,Md.Thepubliccharterschoolwouldhaveaspecialized focusonscience,technology,engineeringandmathematics,orSTEM,andwouldoffer specializedclassesforatrisk,specialeducation,career,technicalandgiftededucation, accordingtotheirapplicationsubmittedtothestate. ThecharterschoolismodeledafterChesapeakeSciencePointPublicCharterSchoolinAnne ArundelCounty,Md. BraunlichalsosaidtheChesapeakeSciencePointschoolwasagoodmodeltofollowfor LoudounCountysproposedcharterschool. Toaddressfinancialconcerns,AliBicakoftheLoudounMath&ITAcademy,whoalsoworked withAnneArundelscharterschoolstartup,saidtheywouldhaveafulltimeconsultant workingdirectlywiththeschool. We[alwayshad]onebusinessmanagerasafulltimestaffwhoalwaysworkedwiththe principal,andwehavethesamepositionhere,Bicaksaidinformingstateboardmembersof howChesapeakeSciencePointfunctions.Wewouldliketoworkwith,fromdayone,witha certifiedpublicaccountant.Wewanttohaveamoreclosedandmonitoringofourfinancials. TheLoudounCountySchoolBoardrecentlychangedtheapplicationprocessforcharterschool regardingaccountability.ALoudounCountyPublicSchoolstaffmemberandmembersofthe boardwillrequirereportingandupdatesthroughoutthecharterschoolprocess. Webelievethatwewillbeabletoeducateourchildrennotonlyfortodaysjobmarketorforthe academicprogramsintodayscollegesanduniversities,butforthoseofthefuture,the applicationreads.TheU.S.DepartmentofLaborpredictsthatvirtuallyallITjobswillcontinue tohaveexcellentprospectsandprojectsmuchfasterthanaveragegrowthfortheindustry.The foundersstronglybelievethatLMITAwillbeahighlyvaluablealternativechoiceforeducationin LoudounCountyanareawhereoneoutofeverysixcountyresidentsisemployedinanIT relatedfield. TheproposedschoolwouldhavearigoroussubjectcriteriaalignedwiththeVirginiaStandards ofLearningandCommonCoreStandards.
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8/3/12

Loudoun charter school application passed by state board | LoudounTimes.com

LoudounMath&ITAcademywillbeaScience,Technology,EngineeringandMathematics (STEM)publiccharterschoolinLoudounCountythataimstoservegrades6through12withan emphasisonmathematicsandinformationtechnologies(IT),theapplicationoutlines. Throughoutmiddleschool,thestudentswillbeexposedtovariousITtopicsalignedwiththe VirginiaComputer&TechnologyStandardsofLearningandwillbegivenadditional opportunitiestousecomputerapplicationsinallthecorecourses.Atthehighschoollevel,in additiontothecoreareas,therewillbeanemphasisoncertificationsininformationtechnologies andadvancedplacementcourses. NedWaterhouse,deputysuperintendentforLoudounCountyPublicSchools,saidtheapproval processforcharterschoolsischallengingandcantakeupto18months.Butthisproposalhas madeitfartherthanotherproposedcharterschoolsinthecounty,whichusuallyfadeawayin theplanningprocess. Loudounhaditslastproposalforacharterschoolin2006,accordingtoWaterhouse.The processthecountyfollowsisbasedonstaterequirementswithaspecificcommitteemadeupof schoolstaff,businessesandsupportsystemswhoworktogether. Accordingtolegislationapprovedbythe2010VirginiaGeneralAssembly,foracharterschoolto beapproved,applicantsarerequiredtosubmitanapplicationtotheSchoolBoard.TheSchool Boardthendetermineswhethertheymeettheapprovalcriteriabeforesubmittingthe applicationtotheBoardofSupervisors. ThestateboardpassingLoudounscharterschoolapplicationdoesnotguaranteeitwillbe acceptedbyLoudounCountysSchoolBoard.LoudounMath&ITAcademywillnowgobefore Loudounsschoolboardinthecomingmonths.

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