There is an internal financial aid. I don’t know the qualifications for it but I know it’s used extensively.
What’s wild.. at Alpha. Money is no issue or object of discussion other than my oldest coming home with 2k on a Venmo for scoring 100% on the Star test. Or the kids dream up that they want to do a life skill challenge in Montana camping off the grid.. anything is possible!
Now let’s jump to the public magnet schools. They talk about money all day long.
Hey kids if you score x better on this up coming test I’ll get a raise as your educator.
We don’t have money for textbooks so if you want one it’s available in the library for $15
The nurse has to fill out a grant request for getting an ice fridge replaced so she doesn’t have to walk 20 minutes to athletic department.
The sci-tech teacher literally reminisced about how years ago they could afford this specific type of protractor and now it’s these cheap ones that have to be borrowed.
Kids like mine notice it, feel it and on some level probably wrestle with “why” is this a topic. I have used this as an opportunity to teach my kids a lot of things they have yet to be exposed to. And as a family we try to solve some of the specific needs by donating the thing we hear is missing or needed.
For the oldest…
The primary driver for us was realizing that most alternative learning models just don’t align well (maybe id say incompatible) with the structure of college/higher education. Things like homework, progressing through subjects without full mastery, or being required to read material you’re not interested in... are all givens. You’ll have to take notes while someone lectures at the front of the room (maybe with an accent you dont understand) and juggle five different subjects a day, each squeezed into an hour-long block. The momentum and constructs of higher-ed and the teaching scaffolding is the way it has been for decades... and to be frank I didn't want her getting introduced to this her freshman year. Its just not the "real world" of academics. (insert here, why go to college argument)
For the youngest…
Her abilities consistently surpassed what the grade levels could accommodate, and she often found herself operating outside the norm for what the "level" is designed to do. In this situation, there’s something to be said for an experienced teacher—someone who’s worked with tens of thousands of students over their career and can provide personalized challenges that push her toward excellence.... IMO there is no magic bullet here and even if there was, it's not probably scalable. It’s a level of growth that goes beyond what algorithm based scoring can offer... being a tech guy and fully understanding the school and the tech... it's a difficult problem. It's even difficult to explain (for me) Maybe it’s one of those “slow down to speed up” scenarios.
On the practical... once one kids is out they both need to be. Alpha has 6 weeks on, 1 week off.. different summer and spring breaks from the school system so it would be insane to try and support that on a calendar alone.
--
The central idea is that whether it’s Alpha or a public school, everything hinges on having teachers/guides who hold themselves and their students to the highest standards... lets call it excellence. In my opinion, teachers should likely earn two to three times their current salaries, similar to Alpha. With this substantial pay increase, there should also come higher expectations for merit-based excellence, rather than teaching being seen as just another job... or worse.. Teaching should be a respected, high-value $$ profession. It should be challenging to become a teacher and equally challenging to remain one, but the rewards should be dramatically reimagined compared to what we see today. Im aware this is not just a simple choice but it should be something we figure out...
What’s wild.. at Alpha. Money is no issue or object of discussion other than my oldest coming home with 2k on a Venmo for scoring 100% on the Star test. Or the kids dream up that they want to do a life skill challenge in Montana camping off the grid.. anything is possible!
Now let’s jump to the public magnet schools. They talk about money all day long.
Hey kids if you score x better on this up coming test I’ll get a raise as your educator.
We don’t have money for textbooks so if you want one it’s available in the library for $15
The nurse has to fill out a grant request for getting an ice fridge replaced so she doesn’t have to walk 20 minutes to athletic department.
The sci-tech teacher literally reminisced about how years ago they could afford this specific type of protractor and now it’s these cheap ones that have to be borrowed.
Kids like mine notice it, feel it and on some level probably wrestle with “why” is this a topic. I have used this as an opportunity to teach my kids a lot of things they have yet to be exposed to. And as a family we try to solve some of the specific needs by donating the thing we hear is missing or needed.
All fascinating