Pontiac prepares plan for niche schools in district
Monday, December 14, 2009
By DIANA DILLABER MURRAY
Of The Oakland Press
Of The Oakland Press
Superintendent Thomas Maridada II and school board President Damon Dorkins are proposing four or five niche schools in the Pontiac school district through partnerships with universities, organizations and businesses.
If all goes as proposed, Maridada and his team will create three to four schools per year with “unique and unprecedented partnerships” beginning next fall. They will focus on a specific field of study and have a capacity of 500 students. The community will have a say in what type of niche schools should be opened in the district.
School officials have hopes the schools — along with the Promise Zone scholarships guaranteed to Pontiac graduates — will attract more students to the declining district.
“Our students have already told (the district) what they want and we have not addressed it. You can’t have one class and call it an academy,” he said, referring to the efforts to open academies at the high school.
“We have to give them a thirst to want to come to school, make it so compelling” that students in Pontiac schools, charter schools and schools in another districts want to study in the niche schools, Maridada said.
A “niche” is defined by Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary as “a place, employment, status, or activity for which a person or thing is best fitted.”
The schools would be run by the partners and have their own school boards with members selected according to their area of expertise. But the Pontiac district will be involved in the selection of teachers. And partners running the schools will have to follow the guidelines and be accountable to the Pontiac Board of Education.
“The board could be a group of doctors or dentists who would create a curriculum for health and partner with the high school and create internships,” Maridada said.
Students would apply to a particular school because of their and their parents’ interests. They might be selected by lottery if there were more student applicants than capacity allowed.
According to the timeline presented to the board, Maridada plans to hold a community forum in January to give his state of the district address when he will provide more information about the concept.
If all goes as proposed, Maridada and his team will create three to four schools per year with “unique and unprecedented partnerships” beginning next fall. They will focus on a specific field of study and have a capacity of 500 students. The community will have a say in what type of niche schools should be opened in the district.
School officials have hopes the schools — along with the Promise Zone scholarships guaranteed to Pontiac graduates — will attract more students to the declining district.
“Our students have already told (the district) what they want and we have not addressed it. You can’t have one class and call it an academy,” he said, referring to the efforts to open academies at the high school.
“We have to give them a thirst to want to come to school, make it so compelling” that students in Pontiac schools, charter schools and schools in another districts want to study in the niche schools, Maridada said.
A “niche” is defined by Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary as “a place, employment, status, or activity for which a person or thing is best fitted.”
The schools would be run by the partners and have their own school boards with members selected according to their area of expertise. But the Pontiac district will be involved in the selection of teachers. And partners running the schools will have to follow the guidelines and be accountable to the Pontiac Board of Education.
“The board could be a group of doctors or dentists who would create a curriculum for health and partner with the high school and create internships,” Maridada said.
Students would apply to a particular school because of their and their parents’ interests. They might be selected by lottery if there were more student applicants than capacity allowed.
According to the timeline presented to the board, Maridada plans to hold a community forum in January to give his state of the district address when he will provide more information about the concept.
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