Rogers : New charter school for arts sees early, smooth opening
Posted on Thursday, August 2, 2007
ROGERS — The Northwest Arkansas Academy of Fine Arts kicked off the 2007-08 school year for the entire state Wednesday.
The new charter high school in Rogers, which is using a yearround schedule, is the first public school to start classes in Arkansas this year, as far as state Education Department officials know.
Most Arkansas teachers are just starting to move into their classrooms this week. Traditional public schools by law don’t open until Aug. 20. A handful of charter and year-round schools in districts like Bentonville, Fayetteville, Rogers and Little Rock open next week.
Barb Padgett, the arts school’s superintendent, said Wednesday the academy’s first-ever day of school went smoothly despite the early start.
It’s been only six months since the State Board of Education gave the school a charter to operate.
During that time organizers hired a staff, drew up a curriculum and transformed the Immanuel Baptist Church building into a school.
Four new open-enrollment charter schools will open in Arkansas this year: the academy, a school in Little Rock, a school in Pine Bluff and a distance-learning school.
Signs of the brief period school organizers had to start the academy were clear Wednesday.
Construction is still going on inside the school’s performance hall. The lunch program isn’t operating yet. With 204 students, enrollment is below organizers ’ 250-student goal.
At least a few students’ body clocks were still set on ‘summer’ in teacher Jennie Inlow’s morning dance class.
“You have a chance here to develop and shape what this school becomes, but I’m not seeing that excitement on your faces yet,” Inlow told the students while discussing class rules. “I’m seeing, ‘Ah, school is starting on Aug. 1. I don’t want to be here.’ “ We need to find that excitement.” There is a lot to be excited about at the new school, organizers say.
Charter schools have the freedom to operate in a nontraditional way.
For example, teachers will use a project-based learning approach that gives students more educational freedom. Unorthodox courses like theater, graphic design and hip-hop are available. The school will even offer a March educational trip to Paris (cost: $ 1, 692 ).
Senior Jeny Ancer enrolled in the academy because she thinks it will help prepare her for a career as a violinist.
Ancer, 17, of Fayetteville will spend two hours each day practicing. Once a week, she will travel to University of Arkansas at Fayetteville for private lessons during lunchtime.
“I’ve been waiting for this school to open,” she said. “It’s amazing to be at a school where I feel artistically nurtured.” Derrick Sims will teach film, theater and graphic design at the academy this year.
Sims, a May graduate of Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, doesn’t have a teacher’s certificate but he can teach students the real-world knowledge they need to launch a career in film or theater, he said Wednesday. “I want to try to teach them so they don’t even have to go to college if they don’t want to,” Sims said. “They can move straight to LA, straight to Austin, straight to New York; go to film school or go right into the industry.” Cathy Ott, a 17-year-old senior, spent the past two years at Rogers High School. The longtime pianist, who wants to teach choir as an adult, felt her former school put too much emphasis on athletics and not enough on the arts. “I’m excited to come here because I can get what I need,” she said. “They are promising to have a lot of great things, and I’m hoping it will be everything they promised.” To contact this reporter: jkrupa@arkansasonline. com
FEEDBACK:
Something to say about this topic? Submit a Letter to the Editor online
