CMU Approves Four New Charter Public Schools

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CMU Approves Four New Charter Public Schools to Open in Fall 2012

CMU Approves Four New Charter Public Schools to Open in Fall 2012

New schools will create educational opportunities for students and families in the Detroit area.

Lansing, MI - The Center for Charter Schools at Central Michigan University (CMU) is pleased to announce that four charter public schools will open in fall 2012.  The four successful applicants who developed the schools were among a pool of more than 40 initial candidate groups pursuing charters before undergoing a rigorous review and selection process to receive one.  The groups have spent more than a year since then preparing to open the schools, which are all located in the Detroit area.

"CMU was the first university to authorize a charter public school in 1994," said Mary Kay Shields, interim executive director at the Center.  "Our years of experience since that time have given us a keen eye for what to look for among applicants, and we are extremely selective in choosing which groups are granted charters."  Those schools opening include:

• Detroit Innovation Academy, modeled after its sister academy, Detroit Leadership Academy, will offer students a structured and nurturing environment designed to provide motivating learning experiences centered on core academics. Detroit Innovation Academy will provide all students with leadership skills development, community service connections and a strong exposure to the arts. The Academy will open in Detroit offering grades K-5, expanding each year until grades K-12 are served.
• Starr Detroit Academy is designed around the Efficacy Institute's model - mission-specific strategies for systemic educational reform - where three core elements guide the school leaders and staff to strive for academic growth among the school's students. The core elements are, first, a common consensus on the educational mission of the school, which will focus on academic proficiency and strong character; second, a shared belief that the mission can be accomplished; and third, the effective use of data to guide implementation of instruction which, in turn, drives movement of a critical mass of children toward proficiency. The Academy will be located in Harper Woods, initially offering grades K-5 and expanding over time to become a comprehensive K-12 school.
• University YES Academy East was created to provide a powerful educational alternative for Detroit families. Efforts to develop this school have been driven by the Chandler Park Promise Coalition, a collaboration of more than 30 community stakeholders on the east side of Detroit. This school will partner the extraordinary academic accomplishments of the YES Prep secondary school design with the successful local school management and academic experience of New Urban Learning in a strong, community-based context. The Academy will be located in Detroit, initially serving sixth-grade students and expanding gradually to offer grades 6-12 by 2018.
• The Academy of International Studies will seek a diverse community of students, bringing urban and suburban youth together to instill harmony and social acceptance of different cultures. The Academy will provide a nurturing environment that focuses on rigorous academic standards, skill enhancement for 21st century technology, an International Baccalaureate program, an international exchange program and strong character development. The Academy will open in Hamtramck in the fall of 2012, initially offering grades K-5 and expanding over time to serve grades K-12.

CMU is a state and national leader in charter school authorizing, with 17 years of experience launching, supporting and overseeing charter public schools.   CMU currently authorizes 56 schools serving 29,000 students in the state.

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