COLLEGE PARK, MD (October, 2013) College Park Academy, a new charter school in Prince Georges County, hosted an official tour and ribbon cutting ceremony with some very distinguished guests. Governor Martin OMalley, Congressman Steny Hoyer, Maryland State Senator James C. Rosapepe, County Executive Rushern L. Baker, College Park Mayor Andy Fellows, District 3 Board Member Amber Waller, District 2 Board Member Peggy Higgins, and University of Maryland President Wallace D. Loh and Dean Donna Wiseman all joined Principal Bernadette Ortiz-Brewster to tour the new secondary charter school.
Today was wonderful because the students had the opportunity to see how many people are supporting them, said principal Bernadette Ortiz-Brewster. To have the Governor, the Mayor, Board Members and all the other dignitaries here today is a huge honor. This kind of community support will help the school grow.
College Park Academy is a new public charter middle and high school for Prince Georges County students that opened in August to 6th and 7th graders. The Academy will grow annually by one grade until it encompasses grades 6-12. This school is intended to prepare students for entry into the nations top colleges and universities by providing them with one of the most academically rigorous college preparatory programs in the country.
This is a new school and they have embraced this new future of learning with fearlessness and readiness that makes me really proud of them, said Governor OMalley. Working together with our educators, academic partners, parents and students, we can make better choices to invest in our childrens future by giving them the tools they need for the jobs of tomorrow.
The College Park Academy is a blended-learning school, with students receiving some of the curriculum in a traditional classroom setting as well as independently learning through online curriculum. Each student in the school has a laptop with which they complete innovative online modules while working with success coaches. This new way of learning is one of the hallmarks of the Academy and is changing the way colleges of education need to prepare future teachers.
The blended-learning format is changing the role of the teacher in the classroom. In addition to all of the traditional roles, teachers must not be able to interpret a lot of real-time data about student performance and make immediate adjustments, said Dean Wiseman. College Park Academy is one of the first of its kind in the entire nation, so a lot is riding on its success. The College is proud to be a part of such a fantastic and innovative endeavor.
Adapted from the Prince Georges County Public School press release
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