K-8 Public Charter School Mission Serving APS Students To educate K-8 students in a small, intimate, and What is The Intown appropriate years. We will innovative community- Academy? collaborate with parents, The Intown Academy is a community partners, area based public school non-profit educational businesses, educators, and setting, creating an institution, founded by entrepreneurs to bring real- educational center of parents/professionals in the world learning experiences and into the classrooms. We will excellence that embodies Midtown. Pending charter do so using a year-round the diversity, creativity, application approval, we calendar, and our students and the global and will open a K-8 school in will wear uniforms. the Public School Intown Academy... bringing together a entrepreneurial dynamic group of parents, community Who is working on this and (APS) system by Fall 2009. partners, entrepreneurs, and educators character of the intown who are the community to develop a public K-8 charter school Atlanta communities. Is it free, or will we pay partners? tuition? The Intown Academy It is free. The Intown students develop their founding board utilizes the Academy is a public school, strengths to the fullest. In intellectual resources of The Education which is funded by your tax an inquiry-based learning Old Fourth Ward and dollars. Start up funding is environment, we can use . The Philosophy Academy also draws support accomplished by grants and innovative teaching Intown Academy’s from many APS donations from the generous methods to accommodate educational philosophy is supporters of our mission. their various learning styles. neighborhoods including grounded in effective We have already secured a In today’s world, every Edgewood, Kirkwood, school research, best $10,000 grant from The global leader must be a , Virginia practice research, and Walton Family Foundation, great communicator. The Highlands, Grant Park, research in instruction of and another $5,000 grant Intown Academy will be a Ormewood Park, and Home core academic areas to from the communications magnet Park, as well as other intown inform all aspects of the Department of Education. school, with plans to neighborhoods. Our school. This includes become certified in the growing list of partners curriculum, instruction, Who can go to this school? International Baccalaureate includes Georgia State and assessment in the core Any K-8 child residing (IB) Primary Years Program University College of subject areas, cultural within the Atlanta Public and the Middle Years Education, Atlanta Botanical awareness, character education, technology, School system boundaries Program. With the rigorous Gardens, and The Midtown health, physical education, based on an open lottery IB program, students will Alliance, among others. nutrition, social services, system. focus on key core subjects foreign language and fine such as math, science, and Where will the school be located? arts. Explicit, teacher- What is the curriculum? language arts. They will directed instruction guided Our belief is that every child also gain a deeper We are working toward our dream to build a world class, by continuous student can achieve the highest understanding of the world progress monitoring, green school, which is goals, and every child is community and their role in balanced with an inquiry- uniquely gifted. Our job is it. We will teach two energy efficient and self– based approach to enhance to identify those strengths foreign languages: one sustaining on a key intown critical thinking will form and capitalize the learning living romance language property in one of the NPUs the backbone of our experience by helping all combined with Latin in the of N, M, E or F. instructional model. Page 2

Charter Schools What is a charter school? organize a charter public the charter school no less school subject to a favorably than other local A charter school is a public performance-based contract schools in the school district school that operates according approved by both the state and with respect to the provision of to the terms of a charter, or local boards of education. funds for instructional and contract, that has been school administration and, approved by a local board of Who can attend a charter where feasible, transportation, education and the State Board school? food services, and building of Education. programs. Any student who resides in the BEST PRACTICE What is the difference school district in which the In addition, the charter school Carl C. Icahn between a charter school and charter school is located and will receive federal funds for Charter School a traditional public school? who submits a timely special education services and Bronx, New York application may attend a for other categorical program Met or exceeded A charter school may request charter school. services to the extent to which state standards for: waivers for provisions of Title any pupil in the charter school Math—100% 20 of Georgia state law and any Why are charters created? is eligible to participate. If Science—90% state or local rule, regulation, additional revenues are needed, Social Studies—95% policy, or procedure relating to The three reasons most often the charter school must depend schools in the school district cited to create a charter school on independent means. where as a traditional public are to realize an educational school is organized according vision, gain autonomy, and For more information on to federal laws, state school serve a special population Charter Schools visit: laws, State Board of Education “Charter Schools— rules, and local board of How are charter schools Georgia Department of funded? provide educational education policies. Education: http://public.doe.k12.ga.us/ Charter schools are public possibilities for our Who may start a charter pea_charter.aspx schools. The Georgia Charter school in Georgia? US Charter Schools: Schools Act of 1998 states that children by www.uscharterschools.org/pub/ a charter school shall be The Charter Schools Act of uscs_docs/index.htm mobilizing the 1998 provides that existing included in the allotment of US Department of Education local schools, private funds to the local school community to break Charter School Program individuals, private system in which the charter www.ed.gov/programs/charter/ the mold and act.” organizations, and state and school is located. The local index.html local public entities may board and state board shall treat

FOUNDING BOARD

Leah McLeod Angela Birkes President Co-Chair, Curriculum [email protected] [email protected]

Sign the Petition Dana Persons Tina Benoit http://www.petitiononline.com/ VP/Secretary Treasurer IntownAc/petition.html [email protected] [email protected]

Elizabeth Ross Lieberman Marie Drury Contact Us/ Chair, External Communications Co-Chair, Curriculum [email protected] [email protected] Volunteer : Dana Persons: (404) 870-5958 BEST PRACTICE Jennifer Balser Leah McLeod: (404) 259-6428 Charter School Chair, Marketing Partnership [email protected] Missouri Charter Coming soon: School Learning www.intownacademy.com