Proposed Charter School
On December 8, 2006, the Board of Directors of the Aviation Museum at Marietta, Georgia authorized the staff of the museum to take action to seek the establishment of a Charter School centered on achievement in science, mathematics and related disciplines. For the present, we are referring to this proposed school as the “Aviation Middle School”.
The proposed school, when it reaches its target size, will enroll approximately 350 middle school students in grades 6, 7 and 8. The Marietta Aeronautical Museum and Education Center, also known as the Aviation Museum at Marietta, Georgia, and referred to below as “AMMG”, is a 501 (C)3 non-profit organization. The school, if approved, will be operated under the auspices of the Board of Directors of the museum.
The following are statements of both the vision and the mission for the school as accepted by the Directors. They will probably be changed often as the school evolves and develops.
Vision Statement
The Aviation Middle School is more than a place to learn, it is a place to learn to think. Students whose lives we touch through our curriculum will be among the best scientists, engineers, and scientifically literate citizens of our society.
Mission Statement
The Aviation Middle School will prepare students for successful in-depth study of the sciences and mathematics in high school and beyond. Using the wonders of flight and technology of aviation as its foundation for learning, AMS will stress strong achievement in all subjects, but demand grade-level mastery beyond the expected in science and mathematics. AMS students will be confident and knowledgeable in subjects that require mathematical rigor and scientific insights.
Provisions for locating and constructing the facility are currently under consideration by the Board. The most likely location will be on leased property adjacent to Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Marietta, Cobb County, Georgia and contiguous to the identified site of the AMMG. The terms of the lease will be for no less than 25 years, with preference to be expressed for 50 years.
Construction on the museum itself is scheduled to begin during early 2009. Ideally, the charter school construction would be scheduled so as to “open its doors” once the site preparation is completed for the museum building and it is “under roof”. Thus, the first class for the Charter School is projected to be in the fall term of 2009. However, the timing is subject to a variety of variables.
There is general agreement among the members of the Board that the petition for the Charter School will emphasize student performance in mathematics and science. Still, it is expected that higher-than-average performance standards will occur across all subjects. A basic assumption is that aviation, flight and airplanes provide an ideal vehicle for teaching the STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) disciplines – virtually all of them. None-the-less, it is also the intent of the Board that the Georgia Performance Standards will form the underpinnings of the curriculum and that students will exceed performance expectations for these standards. The STEM disciplines will be taught with rigor. It should be made clear from the outset that this school will not be vocational, although it will certainly support the notion that careers in aviation are desirable and challenging.
The museum mission offers a strong opportunity for mutual goals with the proposed Charter School. An important goal of the Aviation Museum at Marietta, Georgia, is to attract youngsters, ages 9 to 14, and interest them in selecting careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The long term purpose, of course, is to help preserve the world technology leadership position of the United States. As would be expected of a conventional museum located in Marietta, it will commemorate the almost incredible story of the establishment of a 30,000 employee aircraft plant in an agricultural county of 38,000 inhabitants and tell the story of the aircraft produced there over more than half a century.
The challenge is to blend these two efforts synergistically so that the benefits accrued from this combination will be substantially greater than the total of the two individual parts. Since there is considerable evidence that the current education system, for a variety of reasons, does not seem to energize large numbers of students, particularly females and underrepresented minorities to study STEM disciplines, new and different approaches are clearly worthy of trying.
Curriculum modules, called “Flight Packs” are now under development through partnerships among and between active classroom teachers, members of the Board, aeronautical professionals and other interested individuals. Plans to test these packs with students at the Marietta Center for Advanced Academics are underway. The aim is to help teachers assist students in understanding STEM concepts at a deeper level – one of the major goals of the new Georgia Performance Standards.
Exciting new relationships between the supporters of the museum and advocates for the Charter School are emerging rapidly. One recent development centers around conversations with Southern Polytechnic State University and the museum staff that may bring SPSU’s students and faculty into the design and implementation of aviation-oriented exhibits that will resonate with the general public who visit the museum while at the same time serve as meaningful venues for teaching middle schoolers.
The Cobb Educational Consortium has given its support to the museum. As this group represents almost all the essential educational entities in the county, the Charter School will not want for help, advice and intellectual support.
The circle of real and potential partners is rapidly expanding. One of the goals accepted by the Board is to see that this school becomes a model for replication, not just in Georgia, but nationwide. This will help make both the museum and the school fertile ground for teacher training, visiting university professors pursuing research, and summer interns – possibly including interns from the military service academies.
So, you see that things are on the move! If you are interested in becoming a part of what we are doing, contact the Aviation Museum for more information.
