Intown Academy Questions:

What is The Intown Academy?
The Intown Academy is a non-profit educational institution, founded by parents and professionals in the Old Fourth Ward and Midtown, as well as our new non-profit educational partner, Imagine Schools www.imagineschools.com.

When will the school open?
Pending charter application approval this summer, we will open a K-8 public charter school in the Atlanta Public School (APS) system by July 2009.

Is it free, or will we pay tuition? 
It is free.  The Intown Academy is a public school, which is funded by your tax dollars.  Start up funding is accomplished by grants and donations from the generous supporters of our mission.  We have already secured a $10,000 grant from The Walton Family Foundation, and another $5,000 grant from the Georgia Department of Education.

Who can go to this school?
Any K-8 child residing within the Atlanta Public School system boundaries based on an open lottery system.  Primary catchment area will include Old Fourth Ward and Midtown.  Secondary zone will be all students within Atlanta Public School district. 


What is the enrollment process?
Families will submit an application for enrollment in the 1^st quarter.  If more applications are received for a particular grade level than available spaces, the Intown Academy will conduct a random lottery by grade level for the available seats, according to the guidelines of our charter.  Siblings of current students will be guaranteed seats to keep families together, per our charter.


What are the admissions requirements for enrolling in The Intown Academy?
Being a public school, The Intown Academy will not discriminate based on race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, or disability in any of its educational programs, services or activities. 


What is the curriculum?
Our belief is that every child can achieve the highest goals, and every child is uniquely gifted.  Our job is to identify those strengths and capitalize the learning experience by helping all students develop their strengths to the fullest.  In an inquiry-based learning environment, we can use innovative teaching methods to accommodate their various learning styles. 

In today’s world, every global leader must be a great communicator.  The Intown Academy will be a communications magnet school, with plans to become certified in the International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Program and the Middle Years Program.  With the rigorous IB program, students will focus on key core subjects such as math, science, and language arts.  They will also gain a deeper understanding of the world community and their role in it.  We will teach two foreign languages:  one living romance language combined with Latin in the appropriate years. 

We will collaborate with parents, community partners, area businesses, educators, and entrepreneurs to bring real-world learning experiences into the classrooms.  We will do so using a year-round calendar, and our students will wear uniforms.

What makes this school different from the other public schools?
By design, we are thrilled to unite two equally diverse intown communities, bringing stability and growth to both areas, The Old Fourth Ward and Midtown.  The Intown Academy will house 540 students in K-8 (9 grades).  Essentially, it is a small school by comparison to neighboring traditional schools (800 at Inman Middle (3 grades); 900 at Morningside (6 grades); 1300 at Grady HS (4 grades);  500 at Centennial Place (6 grades).  Currently, the IB curriculum is not offered within SRT-3 (School Reform Team 3) within APS.  In addition to the IB curriculum, we will implement a communications and arts overlay, capitalizing on the rich arts throughout the area.  We will implement uniforms, as well as a modified year round school year.  The school will be fiscally autonomous, and your tax dollars will be used locally. 

Who is working on this and who are the community partners?
The Intown Academy's founding board uses the intellectual resources of The Old Fourth Ward and Midtown Atlanta.  The Academy also draws support from many APS neighborhoods including Edgewood, Kirkwood, Ansley Park, Virginia Highlands, Grant Park, Ormewood Park, and Home Park, as well as other intown neighborhoods.  Our growing list of partners includes Georgia State University College of Education, Atlanta Botanical Gardens, and Central Atlanta Progress, among others.

Where will the school be located?
We are working toward our dream to build/renovate a world class, green school, which is energy efficient and self-sustaining on a key intown property in one of the NPUs of N, M, E or F.  We are currently negotiating on several properties within Midtown and also within the Old Fourth Ward; and ideally, the school will be centrally located between these two communities.

General Charter School Questions:

What is a charter school? 
A charter school is a public school that operates according to the terms of a charter, or contract, that has been approved by a local board of education and the State Board of Education.

What is the difference between a charter school and a traditional public school?
A charter school may request waivers for provisions of Title 20 of Georgia state law and any state or local rule, regulation, policy, or procedure relating to schools in the school district, where as a traditional public school is organized according to federal laws, state school laws, State Board of Education rules, and local board of education policies.


Who may start a charter school in Georgia?The Charter Schools Act of 1998 provides that existing local schools, private individuals, private organizations, and state and local public entities may organize a charter public school subject to a performance-based contract approved by both the state and local boards of education.

Who can attend a charter school?
Any student who resides in the school district in which the charter school is located and who submits a timely application may attend a charter school.

Why are charters created?
The three reasons most often cited to create a charter school are to realize an educational vision, gain autonomy, and serve a special population

How are charter schools funded?
Charter schools are public schools. The Georgia Charter Schools Act of 1998 states that a charter school shall be included in the allotment of funds to the local school system in which the charter school is located. The local board and state board shall treat the charter school no less favorably than other local schools in the school district with respect to the provision of funds for instructional and school administration and, where feasible, transportation, food services, and building programs.

In addition, the charter school will receive federal funds for special education services and for other categorical program services to the extent to which any pupil in the charter school is eligible to participate. If additional revenues are needed, the charter school must depend on independent means.

Why do people start up charter schools?
A charter school is a public school that operates according to the terms of a charter, or contract, that has been approved by a local board of education and the State Board of Education. 

The charter school may request waivers for provisions of Title 20 of Georgia state law and any state or local rule, regulation, policy, or procedure relating to schools in the school district. 

In exchange for this flexibility, the charter school is bound by contract to be held accountable for meeting the performance-based objectives specified in the charter.


What is the intention of most charter legislation?
* Increase opportunities for learning and access to quality education for all students

* Create choice for parents and students within the public school system

* Provide a system of accountability for results in public education.

* Encourage innovative teaching practices

* Create new professional opportunities for teachers

* Encourage community and parent involvement in public education

* Leverage improved public education broadly

* Parents and teachers choose charter schools primarily for educational reasons--high academic standards, small class size, innovative approaches, or educational philosophies in line with their own.


What are the reasons most often cited to create a charter school?

1. Realize an educational vision.
2. Gain autonomy.
3. Serve a special population.