Public charter schools can exist under the umbrella of local school districts or stand on their own. Charter schools must meet state and national education standards in terms of curriculum and testing. At the same time, these schools often implement their own form of that curriculum and may introduce curriculum that specializes in developing certain skill sets. ALA Schools in Mesa AZ is one of those charter school systems. ALA Schools specialize in developing leadership skills in students who are in grades K-12. The emphasis is on servant leadership and models the principles found in the book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. Servant leadership focuses on addressing the needs of others.
Parents who are interested in sending their children to schools that emphasize servant leadership can Visit ALA Schools for an idea of what happens in the classroom. Since charter schools are public there is not a separate tuition cost. The student to teacher ratio is often smaller in charter schools, which helps each student get the attention they need. The curriculum of ALA Schools specifically focuses on developing student leaders by giving each of them a leadership role on a daily basis. Students are exposed to leadership and service concepts, and they also participate in the implementation of those concepts.
In addition to leadership and service concepts, students have the opportunity to enroll in advanced placement classes. Courses are available in statistics, psychology, literature, U.S. history, biology, calculus, and physics. These courses exist at the junior high and high school level. They help prepare students for college, and the students earn college credit for these courses. The added benefit is that students are not only challenged, but can save time and money when they do go on to obtain a college degree. Students can also take honors classes if they need a challenge but are not quite ready for a college level course. At the elementary level, students gain exposure to a core curriculum that includes foreign language, arts, physical fitness, language arts and math.
Visit ALA Schools in Arizona to gain a true understanding of what this charter school has to offer. ALA schools consists of six separate campuses. Some of these campuses focus exclusively on K-6 education, while others focus on grades 7-12. Servant leadership is at the heart of the curriculum. The aim of ALA Schools is to develop servant leaders who can effectively collaborate with others.
