Aurora’s Board of Education will allow William Smith High School to cut the strings that bind it to the school bureaucracy.
The school board on Tuesday approved William Smith’s shift to an autonomous pilot school, which will be governed by a leadership committee of parents, teachers, students and community members. After the committee takes control in July, students will have a different curriculum and calendar than those at other district schools.
“I expect that we will be able to create a much more interesting and engaging environment and it will put us in a better position to organize our time, our structure and our resources to best meet the needs of our students,” William Smith principal Jane Shirley said Wednesday.
In exchange for autonomy, the school will be expected to raise student test scores and make other improvements.
The pilot school program, modeled after a successful program in Boston, allows school staff to decide how to spend its budget and what type of curriculum to use. Pilots are similar to charter schools except they remain under the umbrella of the district.
The move follows Denver Public Schools granting autonomy to Bruce Randolph School and Manuel High School.
Montbello schools may also create zones where smaller groups of schools would choose policies and curriculum for themselves.
In exchange for autonomy, schools are expected to raise student test scores and make other improvements.
William Smith is no stranger to change.
The school, which now emphasizes “expeditionary learning,” a method that combines academics with real-world problems, was once an alternative school for at-risk students.
Tom McGhee: (303)954-1671 or tmcghee@denverpost.com
