It’s that time of year again! Schools across our network are beginning to welcome their students and faculty back into their buildings for another promising school year. Before we look ahead to 2024-25, there are plenty of exciting things that happened at our schools throughout the summer that you need to know about.
MMSA Board Member Makes Appearance On IHeartRadio Show
Justin Wilton, who graduated from Michigan Math and Science Academy in 2018 and now serves as one of its board members, joined IHeartRadio’s “Mojo in the Morning” on Aug. 16 to talk about the school and his time there.
Co-host Shannon Murphy opened the segment raving about what MMSA has to offer to locals in Warren, MI. She recently visited MMSA Dequindre and said, “if you have a kiddo who loves math, technology, science and building projects, you have to check (MMSA) out.”
Wilton was then introduced and discussed how MMSA left a mark on him as a student. When asked if he thought he would have been accepted into University of Michigan if he had gone to a traditional public school, he confidently said, “no” and credited the teachers at MMSA for their dedication to their students.
“The intention the teachers have for students’ well-being,” Wilton said when asked about what separates MMSA from other schools. “I would say it's been really cool to have experienced that and seeing that with not just myself but other students when I was there.”
Horizon Science Academy Columbus High Teacher Gets Shout Out From MIT
When Mustafa Aytekin was celebrated for winning high school teacher of the year during the 2024 Concept Schools Leadership Summit, he spoke about how grateful he was for the impact his teachers had on him. Months later, it was Aytekin who drew praise from a former student.
Every year, MIT asks its first-year students to name a teacher who positively influenced their development. Kofi Ocran, who recently graduated from HSA Columbus High, listed Aytekin as a mentor who helped him get to where he is today. MIT sent a letter to Aytekin and HSA Columbus High congratulating him on receiving the honor.
“Most importantly, thank you for your time, patience, expertise, love, discipline, and all the other qualities which have made such an important impact on your students,” wrote Stu Schmill, MIT’s Dean of Admissions and Student Financial Services. “All of society benefits from the wonderful work you do.”
Ocran isn’t the only student Aytekin has helped reach their goals this past year. He also mentored former senior Mohamed Abdullahi, who landed a job as a Controls Technician right after graduating from HSA Columbus this past spring. Abdullahi credited Aytekin for “advocating and helping (him) get the job.”
HSA Cleveland Teacher Picked For Scripps Communication Fellowship
Since 2018, Ohio University’s Scripps College of Communication has selected up to 10 educators a year for its Communications Fellows Program. It aims to provide communication experts in Ohio with resources and development opportunities so they can share what they learn with their students.
This year, HSA Cleveland High teacher Mehmet Celik was one of six teachers to be selected for the program. Among the many things he will receive as a fellow in the program, Celik will get a $1,000 classroom stipend, free tuition for a 4-credit hour online class from OU’s roster of graduate certificates and networking opportunities with other educators in the field.
“Our goal each year is to provide teachers with communication tools and skills that they can use in their classrooms and beyond to best help their students,” Scripps College of Communication Dean Scott Titsworth said in a press release. “This year’s cohort is once again filled with skilled and dedicated teachers, and I am looking forward to seeing all that the group accomplishes in the year ahead.”
According to the program’s website, Celik “plans to focus on video editing, poster design, and newspaper creation. Celik’s proposal focuses on ‘senior students teaching them video editing, poster design, and newspaper creation skills to facilitate connections with colleges. Materials needed are a laptop with video editing software and graphic design software for post creation.’”
Chicago Math and Science Academy, HSA McKinley Park Named Top-11 Public Schools In Chicago
For years, Chicago Math and Science Academy and HSA McKinley Park have served as shining examples of how effective the charter school model can be in Chicago. Both schools were named the top charters in Illinois earlier this year by U.S. News & World Report, a testament to the work everyone in their buildings puts in for their students.
Both institutions made their way into the news again, as HSA McKinley Park (No. 8) and CMSA (No. 11) cracked Chicago Magazine’s top-11 list of best public schools in the city. Out of the 11 schools on the list, they are the only schools to have non-selective enrollment and don’t benefit from being able to set certain admissions criteria.
This is how Chicago Magazine measured the success of schools in the area:
- Spending per pupil is the instructional expenditure reported by the district.
- SAT attainment rate is the percentage of students meeting or exceeding state standards on the SAT reading and math exams. Separately factored in: SAT attainment figures adjusted for the school’s percentage of low-income students. Income-adjusted figures are widely used to evaluate how a school’s performance compares with predicted levels.
- 5Essentials is a teacher and student survey that assesses five key aspects of a school’s learning environment. Figures shown in the rankings tables are the average scores for all five rubrics.
- Attendance is a school’s average daily rate, an indicator of the learning environment.
- Graduation rate is the percentage of students who graduated within four years of entering high school.