About Us

Our Vision and Mission I Welcome Letter
What is a Charter School? I History of Paideia Academy

We envision a new generation of engaged, productive global citizens.

Our Mission

The Mission of Paideia Academy is to challenge and inspire learners by providing a rigorous, content-rich, classical education incorporating languages, music, and the arts while nurturing positive character development.

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Welcome Letter

Dear Families,

Thank you for considering Paideia Academy. On behalf of the Board, faculty and staff, we want to welcome you and your child into our community. The goal of Paideia Academy is to provide a challenging, content-rich, classical education.

Paideia Academy is a public charter school, and charges no tuition. We receive public monies just like every other public school in the State of Minnesota. During our inaugural year, more than 98% of our available spaces were filled, with waiting lists for most grade levels.

Core Knowledge, the backbone of our curricular program, was developed by Dr. E. D. Hirsch after observing that his college freshmen were unfamiliar with references to Greek Mythology, world religions, ancient history and languages. (Expressions, such as "Achilles’ Heel", "Rule of Thumb" and "Vox Populi" meant nothing to his students, thereby excluding them from meaningful discussion.) Dr. Hirsch’s research led him to develop a framework for “cultural literacy”. Core Knowledge is not elitist nor is it intended only for gifted students. By its very design, it provides equal footing for students from a variety of backgrounds and experiences.

Our Balanced Literacy program has shown tremendous results in measurable reading growth for students in all grades – especially students who had been struggling in their previous educational environments!

We are also fortunate to have a partnership with MacPhail Center for Music that provides us with musical instruction and programming that is second to none.

The goal of the charter school movement is to offer a true educational alternative. If you are seeking high academic expectations, instruction that is geared to each individual student and a small, nurturing community of learners – Paideia may be just what your child needs!

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What is a Charter School?

Facts

Charter schools are K-12 public schools that provide a choice for parents
and students within the public school system.
Charter schools are:

Operated independently from the school district in which they are located
Incorporated as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization
Funded primarily by state general education revenue with some funding in the first three years provided by the federal government
Located in leased facilities, funded in large measure by the lease programs that provide per pupil funding to compensate for the fact that charter schools cannot own property, levy taxes, or issue bonds
Open to all who apply, except if the school is over-subscribed, in which case a lottery is held for all of the students who applied before the enrollment deadline. Once a student is enrolled, siblings are given preference in admission
Free of charge
Accountable for academic and non-academic outcomes
Sponsored by a school district, an institution of higher learning, a nonprofit organization or a foundation
Reviewed every three years by the sponsor to determine whether charter will be renewed
Governed by a board of directors made up of parents, teachers, and community members elected by the school community
Staffed by teachers who have appropriate state licensure

Minnesota Statistics
(updated February 2006)

Number of Minnesota Charter Schools: 125
Number of Enrolled Students: 26,000
Year of Charter School Law: In 1991, Minnesota created the first charter school legislation. The first charter school opened in St. Paul in 1992.

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Frequently Asked Questions about Charter Schools

What is a charter school?

Charter schools are K-12 public schools started by parents, teachers, and/or community members who apply to the Minnesota Department of Education for a "charter," which defines the school's specific mission and goals, and how these goals will be measured. Charter schools are accountable to their sponsors, parents and families, the state, and the public for achieving measurable results in student achievement and for implementing fiscally sound management. Sponsors of charter schools vary widely but are often charitable or service organizations, local school districts, or post-secondary institutions. Charter schools are extremely diverse in their focuses. From project-based high schools to arts-intensive schools to online learning and technology-focused schools, the missions of charter schools in Minnesota vary widely. Since charter schools are public schools, they are open to anyone, free of charge. If you are interested in finding out about a specific charter schools, please visit the Profiles of Minnesota Charter Schools.

What is the difference between a charter school and other public schools?

Charter schools are site-based managed, meaning that parents, teachers, and local community members choose the people who govern the operation of the school. Charter schools elect their own school boards to oversee all aspects of the school's mission, goals, and operations. The autonomy charter schools enjoy creates an environment where creativity and innovation in teaching and learning flourish. In addition, charter schools often have a particular approach to education or focus for their program that differentiates them from other schools. For example, some charter schools focus on experiential learning, or Core Knowledge, or project-based learning, or technology. Often, charter schools are smaller than neighboring schools offering smaller class sizes and lower student to teacher ratios.

How are charter schools doing in Minnesota?

The charter school sector in Minnesota continues to grow. In the spring of 2006, nearly 26,000 students in Minnesota will attend 125 charter schools. As charter schools continue to succeed in serving students and families who seek innovative, unique, and creative environments for teaching and learning, the charter school sector will continue to grow. The performance of individual schools has been documented in the Profiles of Minnesota Charter Schools. The Minnesota Department of Education has also released a report card for every public school in the state outlining a school's performance in academic achievement, school safety, student participation, parent satisfaction, and overall financial management.

Do charter schools have admissions policies?

Charter schools are public schools and are, therefore, bound by public law that defines public school admission policies as nonsectarian, nondiscriminatory, and tuition free. Charter schools are open to all students free of charge.

Where can I find a complete list of Minnesota's charter schools?

The School Profiles area of the Center for School Change web site provides a complete list of Minnesota's charter schools with links to their individual school web sites, their locations of operation, and their telephone numbers. In addition, the Profiles of Minnesota Charter Schools provide a complete list of schools currently in operation in Minnesota with specific details about each school.

How are charter schools funded?

Charter schools are funded by the State of Minnesota on a per-pupil rate. In addition, charter schools receive state support for their facilities expenses because they cannot issue bonds or raise taxes through levies like other school districts. Charter schools are funded their first three years of operation by federal charter school start-up funding. In addition, many charter schools qualify for federal title funding.

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History of Paideia Academy

The Story of Paideia

Paideia Academy sprang from a few spirited discussions among friends who were looking for just the right educational opportunity for their children. We, Tona Dove, an attorney, and Amy Monson, a nurse, grew this seed in the cold of our Thursday night family get-togethers. During those gatherings, educational issues took a central role in the discussions: Were the district schools the right choice for our kids? Why weren’t there more options in this area? What could we do?

In March of 2004, we expressed our concerns to ‘friends in the know’ who introduced us to the charter movement. Within weeks we were moving in the right direction -- finding a sponsor, developing a mission, incorporating and moving ahead rapidly.

The Core Knowledge sequence -- a classical education program developed by E.D. Hirsch, Jr., professor emeritus at the University of Virginia, was selected after intense research into a number of highly regarded programs. We were seeking a curriculum that provided a truly comprehensive education and incorporated art, language and music as "core" subjects. Core Knowledge was the perfect fit. We were then directed to Friends of Ascension as a possible sponsor. We won the approval of the Friends of Ascension board. Next we drafted our State Charter application and Federal Planning Grant, with the help of SchoolStart. The state approved our charter for K-8 in September of 2004.

Then things accelerated. We obtained our Federal Planning Grant, a large private foundation grant, filed for our 501(c)(3) status, located an excellent facility, negotiated our lease, began facility renovations, began the recruitment process, had informational meetings, held an open enrollment period, interviewed teachers and directors, interviewed more teachers and directors, hired teachers and directors, watched our enrollment grow, had a picnic, painted walls, put together desks, met our teachers, trained our teachers, loved our teachers, finished renovations and opened our doors officially on August 8, 2005 with 198 kids beaming happily on the first day of school!

Student-centered learning is at the heart of Paideia Academy. We wanted to create an environment that would promote accelerated achievement. We called our school “Paideia”, because the word connotes combination of formal and informal learning that culminates in the conscious pursuit of each child’s intellectual, artistic and social education. It is based on the premise that community life depends upon a culture and history of shared wisdom. The school was developed not only for personal reasons, but in order meet the southern suburbs’ need for a school based on the Core Knowledge sequence and a classical curriculum that sets high but attainable standards. Paideia is the first school in this area to do this.

Paideia uses innovative and quality educational programs for grades K-8 based upon the ancient liberal arts tradition of the Trivium -- Grammar, Logic, and Rhetoric -- to guide teaching methodology and to optimize student learning. Such a curriculum ensures that students obtain an education that is centered on a consistent body of knowledge presented in a coherent and structured manner and ensures that each student has the fundamental skills and knowledge to form a strong foundation for higher education and a desire for lifelong learning.

Art and music are core subjects. An early introduction to the arts and music increases academic achievement, fosters the development of higher level thinking skills, and contributes to the well-rounded nature of each student.

We also provide all students with language programs in both Spanish and Latin as essential building blocks to a well-rounded education. These are an essential complement to the school’s greater vision and the Core Knowledge Sequence.

Our mission is based upon a commitment - not only to academic excellence, but moral excellence as well. We are committed to establishing a community of students, teachers and parents that models and encourages character development and citizenship. It is our firm belief that Paideia Academy will provide an excellent educational option for students living in the suburbs south of the river.

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For more information please feel free to call the school at 952.953.6200,
or email us your question at info@paideiaacademy.org.

Paideia Academy
7200 147th Street West
Apple Valley, MN 55124
Phone: 952.953.6200
Fax: 952.432.2130
info@paideiaacademy.org