(Story originally written by Mark Claffey on April 30, 2007)
Many parents, students and administrators are well aware of the benefits of Hamilton’s Alternative Academy, a public school sponsored “community school” within the district, which assists students in the pursuit of higher learning.
Now, after a visit to the district from Northamptonshire County Council (England) last December and trip to Oxford by Interim Assistant Superintendent William Morrison last month, so is the rest of the world.
Morrison and Treasurer Adam Collier were in England March 25-30 and were invited to present scholarly education to the Oxford Round Table at Harris Manchester College in Oxford, England about the district’s alternative academy.
“They (the college) invited 70 different alternative schools from across the United States and Canada and asked only 30 to make presentations and we (Hamilton) were one of the 30,” Morrison said.
Hamilton’s Alternative Academy includes the following programs:
• Digital Academy- which serves grades K-12 and is a home school program.
• Alternative Academy program- which serves grades 9-12 and can be either home based or school based.
• Alternative Classrooms- which serves grades 6-8 and 9-12 and is recommended for students who have disciplinary or truancy issues.
• Ranger Academy- which serves third and fourth year high school students and is features academic recovery and work studies.
• Special Needs Academy- which serves grades 7-12 and serves Special Needs students who are unable to attend public school.
Morrison said the current public education system in England has sent the country into a little bit of scare as educators are wondering how to teach students who don’t speak the language, especially due to a growing Muslim population and assist those who don’t have the required skills as other students have.
“They (England) want to look at their options,” Morrison said. “They felt a Round Table like this would be the best way to learn.”
Morrison said the trip not only benefited educators from the United Kingdom, but Hamilton as well.
“We (Hamilton) made some great contacts with educators who run alternative academies from successful programs and we got to share a lot of good ideas and help make a name for the district, “ Morrison said. “It was very successful trip.”
Last December, a visiting group from Northamptonshire who was in Ohio to tour the Statehouse and meet with Gov. Taft, asked to meet with Hamilton officials.
“I don’t know how they (Northamptonshire) learned about us, but we received a phone call and we were told they were coming,” Morrison said.
Northamptonshire is a land-locked county in Central England with a population of morethan 630,000.
The visiting group featured cabinet members, county councilors and officers from the Northamptonshire County Council. Included in this group were: Councilors Ben Smith, Joan Kirkbridge, and Malcolm Waters; Harry Darby, Head of School Services; and Brian Bindley, Member of Parliament.
Besides Morrison, the Northamptonshire contingent also met with Collier and Curriculum Director Dr. Susan Witten.
“They (the English) wanted to know what type of services we provided and the ages of each child we served,” Morrison said. “They (the English) were very impressed with what they saw at least that’s the impression we all got.”
Morrison said the Northamptonshire group was especially awed by the size of Hamilton’s buildings and classrooms.
“When we took them over to the Intermediate School, you should have seen the looks on their faces,” Morrison said.
He said many school districts in England don’t have very large school buildings or campuses because the lack of space.
“They just don’t have the open space that we have over in here in the United States,” Morrison said.
The visit by the Northamptonshire group and last month’s visit to Oxford have kept Morrison on his toes and he has been in contact with some of those officials via E-mail on the
Alternative Academy’s policies and how Hamilton runs its programs.
Morrison said he is very glad to learn that the Alternative Academy has such a well known reputation outside of the district and hopes more people inside and out of the district will come to know the benefits of the program.
“We (Hamilton) have a lot of great things going on here and the Alternative Academy is just one of them,” Morrison. “It is nice to know that people from outside the district, the state and the country are paying attention though.”
For more information about the Alternative Academy contact Allyson Price, Interim Director or Connie Jacobs, Administrative Assistant at 614-491-5546.