Charter school vote in Peoria

On Monday, the Peoria school board will cast their vote on the proposed Math, Science and Technology Charter School (MST Charter School). We sincerely hope they will vote yes to approve the school.

The Peoria Charter School Initiative (PCSI), which has proposed the new school, brings together prominent leaders from business, higher education and the grassroots community. They have teamed with experienced charter school leaders from Concept Schools, which operates Chicago Math and Science Academy (CMSA), to design the school. They have also received support from INCS through our Charter Starter Consulting Program. We believe MST Charter School will be a school of excellence.

Technology leaders in Peoria think so, too. The Caterpillar Foundation has shown its support with a $500,000 challenge grant to the school and other local supporters are stepping up to the plate with funding in response. In addition, hundreds of grassroots community members support the school and want the high-quality, innovative curriculum it will provide for their children.

The proposed school would ultimately serve students in grades 5-12. The MST Charter School offers the promise not only of success in middle and high school, but of college success, as well. Concept Schools has a strong track record of sending students to college. CMSA graduated 100% of the senior class in 2009 and all of those students were accepted to college.

This promise of college success is exemplified in another Peoria connection: Jeovanna Tovar, a student a current senior at CMSA, was just accepted to Bradley University in Peoria with a $50,000 scholarship. How wonderful it will be when the first graduates of Peoria’s MST Charter School can enter Bradley and other colleges and universities across the country, well-prepared for higher education and the 21st century careers beyond.

For more information on the MST Charter School and how to support it, visit
http://www.peoriacharterschools.org/

~Anne Levy Brown