Rhode Island Mayoral Academies is a network of high performing charter schools in Rhode Island. They are expanding. “Board of Regents Approves Achievement First Mayoral Academy”, GoLocalProv.com, February 2, 2012.
Journalist Dana Goldstein noticed that RIMA’s original campus, Blackstone Valley Prep, is “one of the most diverse schools of any kind I have ever visited . . . . Fifty-five percent of the students are black and Latino, 65 percent are poor, and 43 percent are English language learners.” “On Charter Schools and Integration: A Case Study”, Dana Goldstein, March 23, 2011.
Unlike typical magnet schools, which are located in the inner city but have extra features designed to attract affluent suburban kids, the RIMA school is located in the suburbs. It was created by a partnership among the mayors to draws students from both low-income cities and wealthier neighborhoods.
I wonder how an approach like this — designing a charter school to promote diversity — would play out in San Antonio?
Credit: I found the link to Dana Goldstein’s post by browsing Andrew Sullivan’s excellent news blog, The Dish.
