New junior high seeks to accelerate learning

Petaluma’s newest school will be unlike anything ever seen in the Petaluma City Schools District.

One of the unusual aspects of the Petaluma Accelerated Charter School (PACS) at McKinley is that, since Petaluma City Schools is really two school districts - the elementary district and the consolidated high school district - the new school for seventh and eighth graders will be high school district school located on an elementary district campus.

But there will be many other aspects of the new school that are unique, including its small class size, individualized instruction and focus on the STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) curriculum.

The plan is to offer two seventh-grade classes of 30 students each next school year and two eighth-grade classes the following year. One of the classes on each grade level will be for students who are advanced learners, including students who are moving up from the Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) program located on the McKinley campus. The other class will be for students looking to take advantage of the smaller PACS class environment and to get a more directed education. Both will received accelerated instruction.

“We really want to push students,” said Matthew Harris, McKinley School principal, who will also be principal of the new school. “But we realize that every student is different. The emphasis will be on meeting each student’s needs.”

Harris said that students with the aptitude and desire will be able to complete three years of math in their two years at the new school, entering high school ready to continue with 10th-grade math. He added that similar programs will be available in other subjects, including an accelerated reading program.

“The school will be able to identify gaps in a student’s education and, with targeted instruction work to fill in those gaps,” explained Jane Escobedo, the district’s assistant superintendent of educational services. The accelerated aspect is for all students. It has been shown that students can be brought up quicker with accelerated learning, than with remedial teaching.”

Class placement will be based on a placement examination and other factors.

The new junior high school will rely heavily on technology, something that is not new at McKinley, where every student has had the use of a Chromebook for the last three years.

The Chromebooks will help facilitate another major component of the new school which is an emphasis on both individual projects and team building.

The instructional core of the curriculum - English language arts, history, math and science will be integrated so that students learn about all aspects of various subjects. Music, physical education and a variety of STEAM related electives will be offered.

“PACS will allow us to serve our students through eighth grade in a small school environment,” Harris said.

Each grade level will have two core-subject teachers, with each class rotating between the two teachers. Harris said the teachers have not yet been hired, but he already has some good candidates.

“The nice thing is that we have some current staff members who are highly qualified and have shown an interest in the school. We feel like we’re in a very good spot to attract teachers experienced on the junior high school level and in the accelerated curriculum,” he explained

As a charter school, PACS is open to any student, although the district expects much of the enrollment to come from students moving up from the GATE program.

Harris noted the school is already generating a great deal of interest. “I’ve gotten lots and lots of calls,” he said. “McKinley parents were one of the driving forces behind the school, but I’ve also heard from parents from several different schools and school districts.”

Registration packets are now available in the McKinley School office, 110 Ellis St.

An informational meeting for interested parents will be held Jan. 21 at 6 p.m. at the school.

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(Contact John Jackson at johnie.jackson@arguscourier.com)