John Dewey Academy of Learning

Last updated
John Dewey Academy of Learning
John Dewey Academy of Learning Logo, New, 2015.jpg
Address
John Dewey Academy of Learning
701 Cherry Street

,
Coordinates 44°30′48″N87°59′23″W / 44.5132°N 87.9896°W / 44.5132; -87.9896
Information
Type Charter
MottoLearning by Doing
Established2010
School district Green Bay Area Public Schools
AdministratorJen Agamaite
Faculty15.35 [1]
Teaching staff4.82 (FTE) [1]
Grades6–12
Enrollment74 (2018–19) [1]
Colour(s)     
MascotDragon
Nickname JDAL
Website jdal.gbaps.org

The John Dewey Academy of Learning (JDAL) is a charter school of the Green Bay Area Public School District serving Green Bay, Wisconsin and the surrounding areas. It was founded in 2010, it has operated in its current location since 2019. It is one of two charter schools in GBAPSD.

Contents

Harvey Street School (2010–2019)

John Dewey was formed by a contract with the Green Bay Area Public School District in 2010, [2] opening its doors in the former St. Peter and Paul School building, which now hosts St. Thomas More Catholic School. [3] At the time of its conception, and for a short time later, it operated with a principal overseeing day-to-day operations, who was shared at the time with Beaumont Elementary School. [2]

The building, which was leased from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Green Bay, was rudimentary, and lacked essential services including appropriate shop and project space, and adequate food production and serving capabilities. Originally operating in an open concept design, by 2013 high volume levels due to poor acoustic design, and increasing enrollment lead to layout changes that survive today, with sprawling communal workplaces replaced by delineated and separate advisories.

The school remained in the building until funds could be acquired by the 2017 referendum, which allocated $2,250,000 for the building, acquisition, or renovation of a new school space. [4] This referendum also lead to the John Dewey Academy of Learning 2.0 project (referred to exclusively as JDAL 2.0). [5]

The JDAL 2.0 Project

Intended as a way to allow the students to have a hand in creating the school that would one day be; the staff of the school, as well as the administration of the district organized the JDAL 2.0 project. Multiple designs for renovation and new construction were proposed, with the architects incorporating design elements for each in the final project. Of the multitude of designs created for the school, three were presented to the contracted architectural firm. They were known as: The New Construction Design, The Remodel Design, and The East High School Design.

The New Construction Design

The New Construction design was the most popular with students at the time, as accessed by a school administered survey. As popular as the design was, there was concern that the 2.25 million referendum would be insufficient to support the cost of building and outfitting a new school.

The "Mystery Space" Remodel Design

The Remodel Design was the second most popular among students, although the district failed to ever reveal which space it was intended to fill. The uncertainty as to whether or not it would involve the school being inside another school lead to the plan being second to the new construction design.

The West High School Design

The West High School Design was by far the least popular among students, as it involved the loss of autonomy by integration into available space at nearby Green Bay West High School. Despite the student's opposition, this plan had wide district support because of the ease of retrofitting, and the fact that the district would not need to acquire or maintain further property. The district ultimately capitulated, and the school received its current location on Cherry Street.

Cherry Street School (since 2019)

During the summer of 2019, the school moved from its former Harvey Street location to its Cherry Street location, remaining on the east side of the city.

The Cherry Street School was converted from an old office building and also temporarily houses the other charter school in Green Bay, the Northeast Wisconsin School of Innovation. [6] The school currently operates on a five-year contractual term, the maximum allowed by Wisconsin state law. The next school year in which the contract will be again up for discussion is 2025–26.

Leadership

Since shortly after in its conception, JDAL operates largely without a principal, relying mainly on its lead adviser (currently Jen Agamaite), who traditionally also serves as the Green Bay Area Public School's Coordinator of Charter Schools. [7] The school's leadership is also shared with Governance Council which is made up of parents and community members, and has some disciplinary and executive authority.

Education

Enrollment

JDAL is an application only school, accepting students 6th-12th grade, although in practice, senior students are rarely if ever accepted. Enrollment is strictly voluntary, and as with other public schools in the area, the school is tuition free. [8]

Advisories

JDAL utilizes Project Based Learning, ALEKS (for mathematics), Achieve3000 (for Language Arts), and a series of seminars taught by community members, parents, students, and staff. JDAL differs in operation from what is commonly found in high schools within the United States, and instead employing a classroom approach similar to an elementary or primary school, in which students remain in a single room for the majority of the school day. As of October 2019, there are five of such classrooms, colloquially referred to as 'advisories'. Within each advisory, a staff member familiar with a subject, or a series of subjects is found. Students are assigned to the advisories with some degree of randomness and generally remain within the same advisory throughout their schooling.

Seminars

As a conjunctive to projects, students often sign up for Seminars, a limited-term engagement varying from a few weeks to an entire semester. These courses are taught by existing staff, students, parents, and community members, under the supervision of one or more advisers. Seminars were briefly removed but brought back for the 2018–2019 school year, and have continued since then. In the past, these seminars have included a wide spectrum of topics, including everything from Crime Scene Investigation to Rape Culture in America.

Capstones

By senior year, students often have few credits left to earn before meeting the Board of Education's requirements for graduation. As such, seniors spend most of their time conducting a Capstone project which exists as a culmination of their learning and typically involves over 500 hours of work. Capstone projects often have major effects on the school as a whole, and often impact the community in general.

Community Outreach

As a part of the curriculum of JDAL, students must attain a minimum of 150 service hours by graduation and has several service learning campaigns throughout the school year. These service projects have taken many forms through the years, with some; including the Garlic Mustard Pull held at the Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary, and the Pest to Pesto meal held at NEW Community Shealter after; having become yearly staples. [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arizona State University West campus</span> Public university in Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.

Arizona State University at the West Campus is a public university in Phoenix, Arizona. It is one of five university campuses that compose Arizona State University (ASU). The West campus was established by the Arizona Legislature in 1984, and is located in northwest Phoenix, bordering the city of Glendale.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Avalon School (Minnesota)</span> Charter school in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States

Avalon School is a project-based charter middle school and high school in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States, located at 700 Glendale Street. As a project-based school, students meet their academic graduation requirements through a combination of independent projects, group projects, and seminars. Individual students' schedules vary depending on the seminars they are enrolled in and the activities they are involved with. Students spend a significant part each day working independently on projects. The school has a flat organizational structure with no principal or director in a position of power. The staff members work collaboratively to manage the school.

Omaha North High Magnet School is a public high school located at 4410 North 36th Street in the city of Omaha, Nebraska. The school is a science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) magnet school in the Omaha Public Schools district. North has won several awards, including being named a 2007 Magnet Schools of America "Magnet School of Excellence".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Camden County College</span> Public community college in New Jersey, US

Camden County College (CCC) is a public community college in Camden County, New Jersey. Camden County College has its main campus in the Blackwood section of Gloucester Township, with satellite locations in Camden, Cherry Hill and Sicklerville. The college offers Associate in Arts, Associate in Science, and Associate in Applied Science degree programs and certificate programs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arcadia Charter School</span> Public charter school in the United States

Arcadia Charter School is a project-based 6–12th grade charter school located in Northfield, Minnesota, United States. The school has previously been known as South-Eastern Minnesota School of Arts and Technology prior to 2003, and Northfield School of Arts and Technology from 2003 to 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cape Henlopen School District</span> School district in Sussex County, Delaware, United States.

The Cape Henlopen School District (CHSD) is a public school district in Sussex County, Delaware in the United States. The district is based in an unincorporated area with a Lewes postal address, and serves the Cape Region in eastern Sussex County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Green Bay East High School</span> Public secondary school in Green Bay, Wisconsin

Green Bay East High School is a public high school in the Green Bay Area Public School District serving the near-east side of Green Bay, Wisconsin and parts of Bellevue and Allouez. Founded in 1856, the school has occupied its current building since 1924.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Avery Coonley School</span> School in Downers Grove, Illinois, United States

The Avery Coonley School (ACS), commonly called Avery Coonley, is an independent, coeducational day school serving academically gifted students in preschool through eighth grade (approximately ages 3 to 14), and is located in Downers Grove, DuPage County, Illinois. The school was founded in 1906 to promote the progressive educational theories developed by John Dewey and other turn-of-the-20th-century philosophers, and was a nationally recognized model for progressive education well into the 1940s. From 1943 to 1965, Avery Coonley was part of the National College of Education (now National Louis University), serving as a living laboratory for teacher training and educational research. In the 1960s, ACS became a regional research center and a leadership hub for independent schools, and began to focus on the education of the gifted.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Green Bay Area Public School District</span> Public school district for Green Bay, Wisconsin

Green Bay Area Public School District (GBAPS) is the fourth largest school district in Wisconsin. As of the 2020–21 school year, GBAPS served more than 21,000 students in 36 schools and had 3,641 full-time equivalent (FTE) staff positions. A publicly elected school board, the Green Bay Area Public School Board of Education, provides direction and oversight, with a superintendent heading the organization's administration.

Elgin Community College (ECC) is a public community college in Elgin, Illinois. It was founded in 1949 as part of Elgin Area School District U46. Community College District 509 was formed 17 years later in 1966, a year after Illinois legislators created the Illinois Community College System. Most of the District is in Kane County with portions in DeKalb, Cook, McHenry, and DuPage. The 360-square-mile (930 km2) District serves 300,000 people, 11,000 businesses, four public school districts, and 15 high schools.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Allentown School District</span> School district in Pennsylvania

The Allentown School District is a large, urban public school district located in Allentown, Pennsylvania in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania. The district is the fourth-largest school district in Pennsylvania as of the 2016-17 academic year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kennesaw State University</span> Public university in Cobb County, Georgia

Kennesaw State University (KSU) is a public research university in the state of Georgia with two campuses in the Atlanta metropolitan area, one in Kennesaw and the other in Marietta on a combined 581 acres (235 ha) of land. The school was founded in 1963 by the Georgia Board of Regents using local bonds and a federal space-grant during a time of major Georgia economic expansion after World War II. KSU also holds classes at the Cobb Galleria Centre, Dalton State College, and in Paulding County (Dallas). The total enrollment exceeds 45,000 students making KSU the third-largest university by enrollment in Georgia.

Science Leadership Academy is a magnet public high school in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, which opened in September 2006. SLA is a partnership between The Franklin Institute and the School District of Philadelphia. SLA is also a 1:1 project-based laptop school where all students and teachers use laptops as their primary learning tool.

New York Sun Works, founded in 2004 by Ted Caplow, is a non-profit organization that uses hydroponic farming technology to educate students and teachers about the science of sustainability. To further this goal, NY Sun Works created the Greenhouse Project, an initiative dedicated to improving K through 12 grade environmental science education through the lens of urban agriculture, empowering children to make educated choices about their impact on the environment. The Greenhouse Project was inspired by NY Sun Works’ first project, the renowned Science Barge; a prototype, sustainable urban farm and environmental education center previously housed on the Hudson River and now located in Yonkers under different ownership.

School organizational models are methods of structuring the curriculum, functions, and facilities for schools, colleges, and universities. The organizing of teaching and learning has been structured since the first educational institutions were established. With greater specialization and expertise in a particular field of knowledge, and a gathering of like-minded individuals, instructors clustered into specialized groups, schools, and eventually departments within larger institutions. This structure spread rapidly during the 19th and 20th centuries with factory model schools and their "assembly-line" method of standardized curriculum and instructional methods. Beginning with the progressive educational movement in the early-mid 20th century, and again with similar trends in the late 20th and early 21st century, alternative models structured towards deeper learning, higher retention, and 21st century skills developed. The organizational models of schools fall into several main categories, including: departmental, integrative, project-based, academy, small learning communities, and school-within-a-school.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Learning space</span> Physical setting for a learning environment

Learning space or learning setting refers to a physical setting for a learning environment, a place in which teaching and learning occur. The term is commonly used as a more definitive alternative to "classroom," but it may also refer to an indoor or outdoor location, either actual or virtual. Learning spaces are highly diverse in use, configuration, location, and educational institution. They support a variety of pedagogies, including quiet study, passive or active learning, kinesthetic or physical learning, vocational learning, experiential learning, and others. As the design of a learning space impacts the learning process, it is deemed important to design a learning space with the learning process in mind.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Design Tech High School</span> Public charter high school in Redwood City, California, United States

Design Tech High School, commonly referred to as d.tech, is a public charter high school in the San Francisco Bay Area. The school is located on the Oracle Corporation campus in Redwood City, California, and is part of the San Mateo Union High School District. Founded in 2014, the school has roughly 562 students and focuses on implementing technology, self-direction, and the process of design thinking into its curriculum. A second Design Tech school in Rancho Cordova, California opened for the 2023-2024 school year.

TIDE Academy, commonly shortened to TIDE, is a small public high school located in eastern Menlo Park, California, United States and the newest school within the Sequoia Union High School District. Founded in 2019 with a freshmen class of 102 students, the school features specialized curriculum intended to prepare students for STEM careers. Despite drawing students from across the district's borders for its unique curricular emphasis, the school is officially neither a magnet school, nor a charter school. TIDE is a comprehensive ("traditional") high school with the full range of curriculum, clubs, sports, and administrative support as the larger high schools.

Central Middle School is a middle school in San Carlos, California, United States, established in 1930. It was originally founded as the city's first school, with grades K–8, although since August 2016, it has served students in grades 6–8 only. The campus underwent a major remodel in 2015, yet still includes an auditorium designed by the Works Progress Administration in 1939, which is home to the biennial Chickens' Ball variety show, the longest-running PTA fundraiser in the United States.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "John Dewey Academy of Learning". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
  2. 1 2 A Peek at the John Dewey Academy of Learning , retrieved 2021-07-11
  3. lashmann. "STM at SS Peter and Paul". Green Bay Area Catholic Education. Retrieved 2021-07-11.
  4. "Referendum Projects". www.gbaps.org. Retrieved 2021-07-11.
  5. O'Neill, Molly (2017-05-05). "A meeting of the minds happened today at John Dewey!". John Dewey Academy of Learning Official Facebook Page. Retrieved 2021-07-11.
  6. Hernandez, Samantha (January 8, 2019). "Green Bay School District's NEW, John Dewey charter schools moving under one roof". Green Bay Press-Gazette . Gannett . Retrieved June 25, 2019.
  7. "Home". jdal.gbaps.org. Retrieved 2021-07-11.
  8. "Enroll". jdal.gbaps.org. Retrieved 2021-07-11.
  9. Green Bay Area Public Schools. "From Pests to Pesto: Pulling Together for a Cause". Facebook.