Connected Academy

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Northside edition

Thursday, Jan. 18, 2007

Education Notebook/Fran Jeffries

Meeting set to learn about charter school

Parents and students can attend an informational meeting today to learn about the Connected Academy, a Fulton County charter high school set to open in August.

During the meeting, Connected Academy's principal, Susan Caster, will address the key factors that differentiate the school from its traditional high school counterparts, as well as the application process.  The meeting begins at 7 p.m. at the Connected Academy's location within the Milton Center (formally Milton High School, 86 School Drive, Alpharetta) in the school auditorium.

Connected Academy is publicly funded and will operate according to the terms of a charter (or contract) that has been approved by the Fulton County Board of Education and the Georgia Board of Education, Charter schools may request waivers from certain state requirements relating to schools.  They are bound by contract to be held accountable for meeting the performance-based objectives specified in the charter.

Connected Academy's charter allows for more hands-on, project-based education for juniors and seniors.  The curriculum meets state requirements for obtaining a college preparatory diploma, but with a twist -- classes are individualized to students' interests and geared toward "connecting" the classroom to the real world.

Connected Academy is open to all rising high school juniors and seniors living within Fulton County School System attendance zones.  Connected Academy also will offer smaller classes and distance learning (online, virtual and video-conference) instruction.