- Classical Academy Charter School of Clifton
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Classical Academy Charter School of Clifton Location 20 Valley Road
Clifton, NJ 07013Information Type Charter school Motto "nutriens principes ad seclorum posterum"
(Nurturing leaders for the next generation.)Established 1998 Principal Vincent DeRosa Vice principal NA Faculty 8.3 (on FTE basis)[1] Grades 6 - 8 Enrollment 94 (as of 2005-06)[1] Student to teacher ratio 11.3:1[1] Nickname CACS Information 973-278-7707 Website School website The Classical Academy Charter School of Clifton is the charter school created in Passaic County, and serves the Clifton area.[2] As a charter school, it is a public school serving students in grades 6-8 under a charter granted by the New Jersey Department of Education. Tuition is free and is covered by the home districts of its students.
As of the 2005-06 school year, the school had an enrollment of 110 students and 9 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student-teacher ratio of 11.3:1.[1] 40% of students come from families that are below the poverty line.[2]
As part of its mission, the school has a policy of eliminating administrative positions and granting teachers decision-making authority. The school's compensation plan rewards teachers based on educational results, with individual and school-wide bonuses granted based on academic success. The school describes itself as the first public education program in the state in which major portions of teacher pay is based on "talent, effort, and outcomes", not longevity.[3]
The school requires students to learn Latin for all three years as a language, in addition to English, History, Math, Science and Pre algebra or algebra 1. The school also requires three years of Literature and Literary classics, starting with Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, Vergil's Aeneid and progressing to works by Dante and Shakespeare.[4][5]
Contents
Awards and recognition
During the 2008-09 school year, Classic Academy Charter School of Clifton was recognized with the Blue Ribbon School Award of Excellence by the United States Department of Education, being one of nine schools in the state to be selected for the school year.[2][6][7] This award is the highest award an American school can receive.[8][9]
History
The Board of Education trustees of the Clifton Public Schools issued a statement in October 1997 formally opposing the creation of the charter school as a drain on the resources available to the district that would shortchange special needs students.[10]
In July 1998, Vincent De Rosa, the school's organizer, announced that the school had obtained a four-year lease on a mansion known as the Dolly Mount,[11] and opened its doors on September 8, 1998 with an initial group of 60 students in the sixth and seventh grades.[12]
References
- ^ a b c d Classical Academy Charter School of Clifton, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed September 23, 2008.
- ^ a b c Sportelli, Albina. "Pioneer charter school gets national honor", The Record (Bergen County), September 23, 2008. Accessed September 23, 2008.
- ^ Mission, The Classical Academy Charter School. Accessed September 23, 2008.
- ^ Curriculum, The Classical Academy Charter School. Accessed September 23, 2008.
- ^ Chadwick, John. "OLD SCHOOL", The Record (Bergen County), January 16, 2002. Accessed September 23, 2008.
- ^ Addison, Kasi. "9 N.J. schools awarded Blue Ribbon designation", The Star-Ledger, September 17, 2008.
- ^ U.S. Department of Education Blue Ribbon Schools Program: 2008 Schools, United States Department of Education. Accessed September 23, 2008.
- ^ "CIBA cited as one of the best by Education Department", Journal Inquirer, November 16, 2006. "The Blue Ribbon award is given only to schools that reach the top 10 percent of their state's testing scores over several years or show significant gains in student achievement. It is considered the highest honor a school can achieve."
- ^ "Viers Mill School Wins Blue Ribbon; School Scored High on Statewide Test", The Washington Post. September 29, 2005. "For their accomplishments, all three schools this month earned the status of Blue Ribbon School, the highest honor the U.S. Education Department can bestow upon a school."
- ^ Fields, Julie. "CLIFTON TRUSTEES OPPOSE CHARTER SCHOOL", The Record (Bergen County), October 9, 1997. Accessed September 23, 2008.
- ^ Chadwick, John. "CHARTER SCHOOL BUILDING OK SOUGHT", The Record (Bergen County), July 15, 1998. Accessed September 23, 2008.
- ^ Chadwick, John. "CLIFTON CHARTER SCHOOL OPENS", The Record (Bergen County), September 9, 1998. Accessed September 23, 2008.
External links
Categories:- Blue Ribbon schools in New Jersey
- Charter schools in New Jersey
- Education in Passaic County, New Jersey
- Educational institutions established in 1998
- Middle schools in New Jersey
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