Why Palouse Prairie

Director comes to new charter school after more than 12 years in Atlanta schools

2009-07-10T13:50:00.000-07:00

By Halley Griffin Daily News staff writer
July 10, 2009

Summer Clayton is ready to start from the beginning.

Clayton began her tenure as director of the new Palouse Prairie School of Expeditionary Learning on July 1.

"I think one of the things that I'm really, really excited about is being able to start from scratch," Clayton said. "As a small school and as a small community, we can move forward in the way that aligns with our vision. It's shared leadership at its best, and I think that's the way school should be."

Clayton comes to Moscow after working in Atlanta schools for more than 12 years. She last worked as an instructional coach, a role similar to that of assistant principal, in a small school district made up entirely of charter schools.

The elementary schools within the district were based on the same expeditionary learning outward bound model as Palouse Prairie will be, in which all aspects of student learning are incorporated into different units, or "expeditions."

If students are studying presidential elections, for example, their reading, writing, math and science class lessons will be election-related as well.

A past unit Clayton worked on was "history through the eyes of the media." Students studied radio media when they learned about the Great Depression, incorporating math by making Depression-era family budgets.

"I think one of the things that make these expeditions so successful is not just the learning that takes place on the part of the students, but also on the part of the parents (and) the community, because everybody wants to be a part of it," she said.

Clayton said Palouse Prairie probably will wait until spring to implement its first "expedition," because of the sheer volume of work involved.

Despite the hard work, Clayton is passionate about this learning model, which she said would be impossible to give up now that she's found it.

"Teachers are teaching kids to take responsibility for themselves and their learning," she said. "It empowers kids."

Palouse Prairie was one of just two expeditionary learning schools looking for a director when Clayton began submitting applications.

"I did not want to go to a non-(expeditionary learning) school," she said.

Clayton said the movement is growing but job satisfaction is so high within the model that the turnover rate is low.

"Teachers like working there, administrators like working there, so they don't want to leave," she said. "So teachers don't move very often."

Clayton will live in Moscow with her partner and son.

Palouse Prairie is a free public charter school, located in the old Brown's Furniture Building on South Main Street. The school has seats available for fall in all grades but kindergarten.

Halley Griffin can be reached at (208) 882-5561, ext. 239, or by e-mail at hgriffin@dnews.com.

Palouse Prairie officials getting building ready for classes to start this fall

2009-07-03T13:49:00.000-07:00

By Halley Griffin, Daily News staff writer
July 3, 2009

Moscow's newest school is a hub of activity these days.

The Palouse Prairie School of Expeditionary Learning will become Moscow's second active charter school this fall, and one of the six sanctioned by the state of Idaho to open each year.

Parent and trustee committees are hard at work planning school lunches, student nutrition programs and playgrounds.

Architects, contractors and volunteers have been moving, cleaning, painting, pouring concrete, erecting walls and making plans for several months now, and hope to have their building ready for students by mid-August.

School Director Summer Clayton officially began her appointment July 1, and is already diving into work, and facility upgrades are in the home stretch.

"I feel like things are coming together, it's happening really fast," Palouse Prairie School Board member Lahde Forbes said.

Hearing the sounds of construction has been a relief for school board members who say securing a building has been their toughest task to date.

"Because we couldn't get our charter through the charter commission in Boise before we had a building that fits our needs," Forbes said. "That's what took a really long time, was simply finding a facility that works. And once that happened we could say, 'OK, this is when the first day is, this is what will happen next.' "

Plans for the building have steadily been moving forward since Brotnov Architecture was hired in January, with the exception of a few financial hiccups.

The school will be housed in the old Brown's Furniture building on South Main Street, and the board of trustees had hoped to spend about $120,000 on "phase one" of construction.

But bids came in around $200,000 and the board was forced to take out a loan to cover the rest of the cost.

Charter schools have only been around for a decade in Idaho, but already have a history of finding themselves unable to purchase facilities or make upgrades.

While they receive funding based on the same state formula as any other public school, charter schools are not included in a taxing district and cannot run bond or levy elections to pay for capital projects.

"Any little bit (of money) helps us, just because there's not much in the federal grant or coming from the state," school board member Daniela Monk said. "We're going to try some fundraising, but mainly the hope is going to be apply for grants."

Work this summer includes the most necessary upgrades like remodeling bathrooms and pouring concrete sidewalks outside the school, Monk said.

Phase one also includes erecting walls for the kindergarten and first-grade classrooms, although budget constrains prohibit doors, Monk said.

The building had a number of existing walls from its previous use as a furniture showroom, and the combined second- and third-grade classroom will be mostly enclosed with those walls.

The fourth- and fifth-grade area will be housed in the northwest corner of the building, and will be separated by bookshelves and other creative dividers.

The building itself is sunny and open, and Monk said part of the board's goal was to leave as much open wall space as possible to display student artwork.

Keeping walls open is just one example of the many ways school board members worked to keep the remodeling project in line with their priorities for the school.

"I can't say our facility is 'green,' but it's an adaptive reuse of a facility," Forbes said, adding that the bathrooms also will feature low-flush toilets and waterless urinals to stay true to the school's goal of using and reusing local products.

Halley Griffin can be reached at (208) 882-5561, ext. 239, or by e-mail at hgriffin@dnews.com.

Palouse Prairie hires first teachers

2009-05-29T14:25:00.000-07:00

By Summer Clayton, Director, Palouse Prairie School:

I'm excited to be addressing you as a group for the first time in my new role. I'm even more thrilled to officially announce that we have made teacher selections and have received verbal acceptances.

Thank you to those who served on the teacher selection committee. The committee received over 40 applications and narrowed it to a short list who were invited to in person interviews. After a long but exhilarating day the committee emerged with a recommended list of candidates.

I had the pleasure of speaking with each candidate Friday and Saturday of this past week. My selections mirrored those of the committee. Jeneille Branen – kindergarten, Lisa Stratford – first, Jessica Dahlin – multiage 2/3, and Kathryn Bonzo multiage 4/5.

All four teachers are incredibly excited to begin the next leg in our journey and seem undaunted by the enormity of the task. It’s a great team. You all should be very pleased!

Thank you for your great work. I look forward to seeing you all again in a short month’s time.

Library getting ready

2009-05-20T21:33:00.000-07:00

Whew, what a day on Monday. Gottschalks in Lewiston is going out of business and we got the call to go down there and look at all the fixtures-- hoping to find classroom tables.

The tables were not what we expected, but some of the other items were a steal. We got a set of pieces for the library -- display shelves and tables -- places to put pictures books and show off art.

We also got 10 great carts that can become computer workstations and be wheeled from the media center to where ever they are needed in the building.

A group of volunteers have been sorting thru the 1000+ books that have been donated so far, deciding what we have and what needs to be ordered.

This slide show will give you an idea about the furniture -- photos taken as stuff was getting bought or moved or stored at the school.

Student Centered School

2009-05-14T16:37:00.000-07:00

The following is a reflection by a teacher/parent on her recent visit to Summit School and EL school in Spokane Valley. Its framed in the "Notice and Wonder" format:

What I noticed about the school was that is was student-centered and led. The school environment was very positive including the teachers, students and principal. Respect and accountability were evident throughout each classroom and the assembly. Students take responsibility in the learning, their behavior and are treated with the upmost respect by the staff and their peers. There was a strong sense of community and culture. One student described it as a big family. The learning environment provides each child with an intrinsic motivation to learn, which decreases classroom management issues. It was an honor to see the school in action.

What I wondered about the school is how new students adjust coming into the school and how they adjust when they go into middle school. I wondered about the resources and curriculum and what resources our school will have. I also wondered and got some clear answers from the teachers and principal about how expeditions are integrated into the classroom.

It was amazing to see this school and I can't wait for our school to get there! It is everything I learned about in grad school of what education should look like. It gave me goose bumps!

Jeneille Branen

Charter Document

2009-05-03T10:19:00.000-07:00

I was doing some housekeeping in preparation to working on a minor revision to the charter approved by the Board in April 2009, when I found this photo of the charter printed in preparation for our March 2008 visit to the Commission.

Idaho schools to see 3.2 percent cut

2009-05-02T11:03:00.000-07:00

Palouse Prairie School is still waiting to learn the exact impact on its budget, the funding comes in several categories, including the administrative and teacher salaries categories mentioned at the end of the article.

From Moscow-Pullman Daily News
Staff and wire reports
May 2, 2009

Idaho public schools took a lower-than-anticipated budget hit Friday, when Gov. C.L. "Butch Otter" signed their $1.4 billion 2010 budget into law.

State funding will be reduced just 3.2 percent with the help of federal stimulus money, state taxpayer funding and cash from rainy-day reserves to minimize cuts.

This is the first time in generations Idaho spending on public education is less than the previous year.

School district officials have waited and waited to find out how much money they'll receive from the state. They've had to set supplemental levy amounts based on guesses and estimates.

"I still don't know how much money we're getting," said Genesee Superintendent David Neumann. "It's nerve-wracking to wait so long to know where we're going to be."

He said the Genesee School District is cutting its budget by 6.6 percent.

Moscow School District Candis Donicht was out of town and not available for comment. Moscow Curriculum Director Cindy Bechinski declined to comment on the budget until she had a chance to read through it.

The public schools funding program was shifted in 2006 from an education maintenance and operations levy to a 1-percent sales tax increase.

Local school officials and legislators spoke out against the shift when it was implemented, and have repeatedly expressed frustration with the new funding formula. They say the switch removed the public schools' funding stability, or "three-legged stool."

"I certainly see the need to cut based on the economics. But part of the problem was created by the Legislature itself when they took away our ability to apply local property taxes," Neumann said.

The bill Otter inked Friday included $60 million from the federal stimulus package.

But it holds millions more in reserve in case the money is needed during the coming year if tax revenue declines even further.

"No one wants to cut education," Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna said. "Unfortunately, with state revenues continuing to decline, we cannot avoid it."

Administrators can expect an average 5 percent base salary cut; teachers pay will be cut 2.63 percent.

New Moscow charter school nearly full of students

2009-03-30T13:55:00.000-07:00

From Moscow-Pullman Daily News

Palouse Prairie fills 73 of its 87 seats; Moscow School District looks at potential layoffs

By Halley Griffin, Daily News staff writer
March 30, 2009

Seventy-three local students have secured slots at a new charter school that will open in Moscow this fall, while two Moscow teachers could find themselves without jobs next school.

Palouse Prairie Charter School officials announced Saturday they'd filled 73 of the available 87 seats through a lottery process. The rest of the seats will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis.

Nils Peterson, chairman of the Palouse Prairie board of directors, said all but six of the students live within the Moscow School District.

Moscow School District officials have predicted the district will need to cut two teachers for next year to cope with the decreased enrollment.

"This is on top of the state reduction," Superintendent Candis Donicht said today.

Donicht said based on the results of the lottery, she still believes the district will need to downsize by two positions.

The state funds school districts based on 99 percent of their previous year's enrollment to protect districts that suffer decreased enrollment from one year to the next.

"The 99 percent is designed to give us a net when we have lost enrollment," Donicht said. "So the impact is lessened for this year, but it flows into (future) years ... It lessens it to a degree, but it's still a major cut."

According to Idaho State Department of Education data, the state spent an average of $5,644 per student during the 2007-08 school year.

However, Idaho Department of Education spokeswoman Melissa McGrath said it's "virtually impossible" to calculate how much state funding would decrease for the Moscow School District with a loss of about 70 students.

She said funding is based on the types and ages of students in addition to the numbers of students.

Donicht said she has had several notices of retirement or resignation from elementary school teachers, and still hopes to be able to ease job cuts through some attrition.

The next step for the Palouse Prairie board of directors is to hire a school director and teachers.

Peterson said the school has a "large pile" of applications for both director and teachers.

Ashley Ater Kranov, vice chairwoman of the board of directors, said the board has 10 highly qualified applicants for the director position from all over the United States.

The board began screening applicants last week, and hopes to have an accepted offer by mid-May or sooner.

The board also is preparing to put out a bid for remodeling on the old Brown's Furniture building at the corner of Lauder Avenue and South Main Street.

"This is a big milestone to pass, and we are looking forward to hiring teachers and directors," Peterson said. "Our focus right now is just to get the school open successfully."

Halley Griffin can be reached at (208) 882-5561, ext. 239, or by e-mail at hgriffin@dnews.com.

Lottery Complete -- another milestone passed

2009-03-29T14:59:00.000-07:00

Many thanks to all who have contributed to getting Palouse Prairie to this milestone.

On Saturday morning we completed our lottery. There were 81 student applicants. Given the enrollment capacity set out in the charter, 73 were able to be offered enrollment.

The results are

Kindergarten - 18 offered enrollment with 7 on waiting list
First - 18 offered enrollment with 5 empty seats
Second - 8 offered enrollment with 3 empty seats
Third - 12 offered enrollment with 0 empty seats
Fourth - 12 offered enrollment with 1 on waiting list
Fifth - 5 offered enrollment with 6 empty seats

The map above shows the distribution of students within Moscow. A next challenge is to figure out safe routes and means to get these children to school.

Impressionist Art -- March 21 project for kids

2009-03-16T21:15:00.000-07:00

Here is a concept that we are going to try on March 21 at our school tour. Georges Seurat was a French neo-impressionist painter. Several folks have been suggesting kids hand prints be used in some way in the school. Amy Desrosier offered this vision, a Palouse-scape.

Think about the math skills potential of this activity done in the context of an expedition. Transferring the picture from original to glass could involve Cartesian coordinates and graphing.

Some version of this idea will be attempted March 21 at the Shebang event.

Research on Family Involvement in Kid's Education

2009-03-06T19:00:00.000-08:00

A 2004 document on the Michigan Dept. of Education website provides a summary of the research (pdf) into the importance of family involvement in children's education. Among the ideas:

Family participation in education was twice as predictive of students’ academic success as family socioeconomic status. Some of the more intensive programs had effects that were 10 timesgreater than other factors.

Families whose children were doing well in school exhibit the following characteristics:
Establish daily family routine
Monitor out-of-school activities
Model the value of learning, self-discipline, and hard work
Express high but realistic expectations for achievement
Encourage children's development/ progress in school
Encourage reading, writing, and discussion among family members

The exact nature of homework or other out of class learning will be decided by the school's teachers, but the information above suggests that Palouse Prairie School should find ways to encourage and support each family in meaningful engagement with their child's education. This might include learning at home activities as well as other ways for families to connect to the school or get support to assist their child from the school.

Possibility of layoffs spooks Moscow District teachers

2009-01-17T07:16:00.000-08:00

Worth knowing before you read: The Governor is recommending a 1% reduction in state support to school districts and for Moscow School District that will amount to about $100,000. State law protects 99% of the state support to the District in the event of an enrollment loss (such as Palouse Prairie School would cause, or a mill closure would cause). So the financial loss to the District caused by Palouse Prairie School, based on the District's estimate is 1% of 50 students is one-half of a student's revenue or about $2500.

MOSCOW: Possibility of layoffs spooks teachers
By Halley Griffin, Daily News staff writer
Posted on: Saturday, January 17, 2009

Hackles are up at Russell Elementary School.

Of the four elementary schools in Moscow, Russell's teachers are the newest, and they are the most likely to be affected if the school district is forced to consider layoffs.

"Just hearing the term (Reduction In Force), it's hard not to get your back up a little," said teacher Melissa Mueller. After four years, she's one of the school's most senior teachers.

Layoffs aren't on the table yet, but Superintendent Candis Donicht will recommend activation of a Reduction in Force policy at Tuesday's school board meeting in response to state budget woes and the opening of Palouse Prairie Charter School next fall.

The RIF policy outlines the procedures for reducing the number of district staff.

"Even if we didn't have the condition of the state, we would still need to downsize staffing for next year because we have a new charter school and some of our students will be going there," Donicht said. "Every school district is going to be affected by the reduced appropriation, and our district has a sort of second event going on as well."

Nils Peterson, chairman of the Palouse Prairie Board of Directors, wrote in an e-mail Friday he has no way of knowing how many students might come out of the Moscow School District. However, he said the 87 spots at Palouse Prairie are most likely to be filled with Moscow students, with some home- or privately schooled students as well.

Donicht said the district anticipates at least 50 students departing for Palouse Prairie, and said her district can't afford to be overstaffed for next fall. With 50 fewer students, the district would need to downsize by about two teachers.

"When people hear the word RIF, they automatically think teachers are going to be getting pink slips," Donicht said. "That isn't necessarily the case."

She said she hopes to be able to account for those positions through retirements or resignations, rather than having to lay off staff.

The Russell teachers hope so too.

"I think the thing that has really been on our minds is we have formed an incredible group," Mueller said, adding that losing staff would be like losing family.

She's especially nervous about first-year teacher Anissa Vreeland, one of the newest to join the staff.

"I was hired late in the summer," Vreeland said. "I feel like I'm last on the list."

Russell teacher Stacy Albrecht said she first got wind of the RIF during Friday's in-service day, and spent a fair amount of time discussing it. When she called her husband, a teacher at Moscow Junior High School, he hadn't yet heard of it.

"That's because it's hitting the elementary schools harder," Mueller said. Palouse Prairie will open this fall to students in kindergarten through fifth grade. If 50 students leave the district, it will be elementary school teachers left without students.

Idaho Public Charter School Commission Chairman Bill Goesling said there are some prominent issues with the effect of a new school on the existing district, but the provisions of the charter school act were designed to expand options for parents.

"It does create some excitement within a district when a charter school opens," Goesling said. "I think that's the challenge: the old way versus the new way; is the old way valid? I think that's one of the ongoing challenges as we continue to increase school choice."

With six new charter schools opening next fall, Idaho will have 37 across the state.

State Department of Education spokeswoman Melissa McGrath said 7,000 students statewide are on waiting lists for charter schools.

Other Idaho school districts have had to adjust to the presence of new schools in the area.

Idaho schools chief Tom Luna addressed patrons of the Gooding School District last week, imploring them not to divide the community over two school options, according to the Twin Falls Times-News.

The district is experiencing a 10-percent enrollment decline from students leaving for a new charter school that opened this fall.

Donicht and the Russell teachers hope the effect on the Moscow School District will be minimal.

"At this point, this is all new to us," Albrecht said. "It's hard not to be a little uncomfortable though."

Halley Griffin can be reached at (208) 882-5561, ext. 239, or by e-mail at hgriffin@dnews.com.

IF YOU GO:

WHEN: 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 20

WHERE: Moscow Junior High School music room

WHAT: The Moscow School Board will discuss activating a Reduction In Force for the month of March.

The role of Adventure

2009-01-16T22:39:00.000-08:00

"Learning expeditions" are long-term, "real world" investigations, by teachers and students, of compelling subjects, which culminate in public presentations. Expeditions often involve an element of adventure that is integral with the learning activity. But EL also recognizes a role for "adventure" that is not integrated into an Expedition.

To learn more about Adventure and to think about its role in the learning enterprise, the Board went to the UI climbing wall on Sunday Jan 11.

Lahde writes of the event: "Our climbing wall adventure was important because it facilitated a bonding experience that strengthened our ability, as a board, to care and collaborate with one another. We were literally entrusting our lives to our fellow board members who kept us from falling and who supported us through the challenges we faced during our climb. Our time at the climbing wall also jump started our relationship to one another by being in a new adventuresome environment where only the activity at hand was our focus.....there was no business directly relating to Palouse Prairie School tasks, yet inadvertently we strengthened our ability to work together as a board to successfully create our school."

Nils notes, "At one point early on I said to John, 'If I am able to go higher now depends on how much I trust you to catch me if I fall.' Trust in one's support gives the license to push harder and take larger risks which might be the key to success. Thinking about the trajectories of success and failure, having the trust and taking the good risks offers the paths to success, lacking the trust, or having it broken when the risks are not back-stopped would be the trajectory to failure.

The Enrollment Marketing Campaign

2009-01-04T10:43:00.000-08:00

We are kicking off our marketing efforts for the open enrollment period, February 1-March 27 preceding the lottery. The deep marketing last fall involved an EL 101 session and a trip to Summit, as well as stories in the Food CO-OP newsletter.

As we go into Spring, the campaign ramps up with a public visit by our Principal Candidate, Lawrence Levy on January 10, 10AM 1912 Center Fiske Room and this display in the Moscow-Latah County Library, which will be up for the month of January.

Student-Parent-Teacher Conferences

2008-12-29T11:57:00.000-08:00

ANSER school in Boise has been includeding students (all the way down to Kindergarten) in its parent conferences. The child is the leader of the conversation; there is a self-evaluation form to help structure the process. This article in the NY Times points to student-parent-teacher conferences as a growing trend, and a means to get families involved in the child's education. This is the kind of choice for how Palouse Prairie will do school that you can expect the Principal and teachers to be making Spring 2009.

School location changes to Browns Furniture facility

2008-12-11T09:55:00.000-08:00

Today at a meeting of the Idaho Public Charter School Commission, Palouse Prairie School received approval to change its first choice location from Now and Then Antiques to Browns' Furniture at 105 Lauder St. This facility is more central in the city, is a newer building, and offers the school substantially more space at an affordable price

A group of UI students have been working on ideas for the remodel of the Browns space. Their final presentations are open to the public. They will be held Monday, December 15th
2:30 to 5:30 PM at the University of Idaho College of Art and Architecture's Shop Critique space (a small building across the walkway to the south of the Idaho Commons).

Students are looking forward to sharing their design concepts for the adaptive re-use of the former Brown's Furniture building into the new Palouse Prairie School for Expeditionary Learning charter school. Please pass the word to other community members that also might like to attend. Please RSVP to Miranda Anderson (mirandaa@uidaho.edu) for planning purposes. Thank you!

Below are my comments addressed to the commission this AM

Comments to Commission Dec 11, 2008

Thank you chairman for a chance the address a change in the Palouse Prairie School’s petition

Let me start with a roll call of Board members.
Ashley Ater-Kranov
Lahde Forbes
Kirsten LaPaglia
Daniela Monk

While being on the phone has certain disadvantages, it does provide a means for more of our board to participate in your meeting, which we appreciate.

We lost two board members, Sterk and Granja, in November but anticipate adding a new person tonight. You may recall our skills matrix from June. The members we lost had experience in K-12 education and with Idaho Standards. The new member who has applied has similar experience. This leaves us one vacancy (our max board is 7) and we are having conversations with a person with bookkeeping and budgeting experience. Our goal is to use our skills matrix in selecting new members to ensure diversity and capture more of the qualities that you have broadly described as “business people.”

I’d like to report on good news since we last met and before we get to the matter at hand.

I already reported on our 501.c.3 status, achieved with the help of board member Lahde Forbes. In August we received $100,000 from the JA and Kathryn Albertson Foundation. In November we were notified that our Federal Startup grant was funded by the State Department of Education. Year 1 is $200,000 and the total is $671,000.

We have been getting some valuable Board development and other aid from John LeCavalier the Expeditionary Learning school designer assigned to our school. Kirsten LaPaglia and I are just back from an EL regional leadership conference held in Oakland. What struck me most about that event was to sit in a room of a dozen EL principals, and to think that with EL we have a rich and experienced esource to help our school’s development. Both Pocatello and ANSER were present at the meeting and each renewed their generous offers of assistance.

Suzanne Gregg was the keynote at the conference, presenting the structures and strategies she has in place for planning and assessing professional development of ANSER’s teachers. We made tentative plans for our Principal to go to ANSER for professional development on topics such as the structures in an EL school and ANSER’s approaches to teacher professional development.

In addition, Palouse Prairie School was paired with ANSER because of our common interest in the training of new teachers. We will develop, with the help of the school designer we share, plans to provide training to our new hires.

One of the other things our school designer helped us do this fall was to plan the recruitment for our Principal. Ashley led this committee and I’m happy to report we have a highly qualified candidate. The individual is a currently a Principal in Idaho, and holds an EdM from Harvard University. I think we are fortunate to have such a strong candidate, and responding to Secretary Luna’s thoughts, at the salary we are offering, we did not attract this applicant because we pay well. The candidate has indicated interest in our position because of the exciting nature of the EL curricular model. The Board will meet tonight to decide if we want to bring this person to Moscow for in-person interviews and to meet prospective families.

I’ll pause for questions.

We have returned to you with a request to change the facilities described in the Appendix to our charter. This change will not require a change to be body of the document.

While I am not happy with the national economy, it is a blessing for us. In this case, we are able to secure a newer building, more central in the city, close to public transit, and three times as large, for a modestly higher rent. This facility was on the market at a much higher rent for many months and the owner has decided to make us this generous offer.

In your packet you will find a cover letter that summarizes the advantages of the new facility we are proposing. For consistency with our previous visit to you, I used the budget you reviewed in June and substituted Browns’ costs for Now and Then costs.

The three-year budgets are summarized in the cover letter, Browns provides a higher cash balance each year, and its nearly twice as large (164,000) by the third year. It’s worth noting that the federal grant we received was over $200,000 higher than the grant assumed in that June budget.

The fundamental issue that improves the budget picture is the reduced infrastructural costs to get into the Browns facility.

The cover letter also summarizes some challenges to the site. Pupil safety traveling to school across the state highway is one. We expect to use buses and crossing guards to mitigate this issue.

Outdoor play space is also an issue. We have had the advantage of a University of Idaho class in Interior Design designing the remodel of Browns. Among their proposals is that we convert the hard-to-access north parking lot to a green play space. It’s not a soccer field, or a baseball diamond, but it is 30x110 feet. The other way to address the challenge is noted in the letter, we have ample space for indoor play.

An issue not mentioned in the documents is that there is a gas station/ A&W restaurant and convenience store located across the street. This establishment sells packaged beer and wine.

I have previously discussed the alcohol issue with you relative to the Silos site, where the café serves beer and wine. You have approved the Silos as our second choice facility.

State law allows the school to be located within 300 feet of the establishment in question, provided the City of Moscow consents. You will recall that Moscow has a Conditional Use Permit process and this issue will be addressed by us in that process.

I expect that we will carry the day on this issue because, at that same intersection, in fact directly across the state highway, Moscow School District holds a Conditional Use Permit for the Paradise Creek Regional High School, the districts alternative school. The distance, measured by Google Earth, straight line, door to door, from the high school to the gas station is 269 feet. Moscow has permitted this with no apparent problems.

Measuring from the Browns front door to the front door of the gas station is 218 feet. Measuring the shortest building to building distance is 177 feet. I’ve not been able to understand if the law is addressing door to door or building to building distances.

Our preferred entrance is not the current front of Browns. Advice of the City planning staff and our traffic engineer is to have bus and parent drop off on the SW corner of the building on a quiet side street. When our UI student designers converted the north parking lot to green space, they fenced it and restricted the use of the current front door to a door to access the playground. Thus our preferred entrance is 288 feet to the closest point on the gas station and over 300 feet door to door to door to the gas station.

Given that Moscow has approved a high school as close or closer to this vendor of alcohol, I believe it is credible that they will be willing to approve our school’s site.

I’ll pause for questions.

As in the past, I have included in your packet a letter from Moscow planning staff, and a letter from Laurence Rose, architect. You will also find budget details and a letter of intent to lease from the owner. I have included some photos and a sketch of a possible floor plan. The UI students have made some much more creative proposals to remodel the space than the one I submitted. Thanks to committee chair Daniela Monk we will be reviewing those on Monday. Also next week we will be reviewing the results of our solicitation for public works architects to assist us with the project.

Your staff asked about the warehouse space. It is an “L” shaped room of about 5000 sqft with a concrete floor. You could run a small fork lift in there. It has racks to allow storing of furniture on 3 levels. Right now I see this as a boon, a place to store furniture and materials we have begun to collect before we finish the remodel. In the long run we may find other uses for the space. It is not heated or cooled, and not counted in our square foot analysis.

I think that is all I want to say now, do you have any questions?

Reflections on EL Leadership conference

2008-12-07T22:06:00.000-08:00

In August 2007 a group of parents connected with the Palouse Prairie School project met to discuss options, including staying with EL, or opting out. The general feeling was to stay. As we have worked with EL since then, I am increasingly convinced this was a good choice. Below is a report on an EL regional conference which gave me more evidence for the wisdom of the choice.

---

On Dec 4,5 Kirsten and I traveled to Oakland CA to attend our first EL-hosted conference. This was a regional conference with Principals and school designers from the California and NW regions.

(See also Kirsten's report here.)

My own goal going into the trip was to begin an acculturation to the EL community. About a dozen schools were represented, some traditional district schools made-over to EL and some charter schools. Some of the schools were EL from their founding, some were conversions from other models. Some had hand-picked staff, some had inherited staff.

My first reaction was that it was great to be talking about EL schools, with people who are doing it, getting away from the "what is EL, or why a charter school" kinds of questions we get at home.

The next impression was that this group of Principals is a valuable network of people (beyond the value of the EL school designer). Was Palouse Prairie School developing a 'experiential learning' school without connection to a national organization, we would be faced with a much larger challenge finding peers and collaborators. While the people at the conference didn't have cookie-cutter answers to our challenges, they have working models and are very willing to share (as ANSER, Summit and Pocatello have already demonstrated).

The workshop keynote was a presentation by Suzanne Gregg of ANSER about the approach they are using to assess teachers' skills relative to the EL core benchmarks and how that assessment helps teachers and leaders decide on the Professional Development learning targets. How refreshing -- assess where your school is against the EL model and choose professional development to move forward.

We also spent some time thinking about work plans (for the balance of 08-09 or for the next 18 months). I was able to eavesdrop on a designer-principal conversation and get a greater appreciation for the work plan form and how it was clarifying the school's thinking.

Finally, we were asked to describe some goals for our work plan and the staff used these to make collaborative teams. Palouse Prairie School ended up with ANSER, as we are have a shared interest in training new teachers in summer 09. We have agreed to explore how to collaborate, including EL training at Bainbridge Island and perhaps some combined PD at one or the other site or somewhere in between. We have the fortune to share John LeCavalier as our school designer, which should further enhance the collaboration.

The next of these regional leadership meetings is in Vancouver WA, the end of January. It is unclear who should attend from Palouse Prairie School. One thought is to send some of the same people and (knock on wood) our Principal. Another thought is to send other members of the Board, to broaden the base within the Board. We need to resolve that over the course of the next 4 weeks.

Idaho charters face hurdles finding homes

2008-12-06T18:47:00.000-08:00

By JESSIE L. BONNER Published: November 29, 2008

MERIDIAN, Idaho (AP) The 20-foot cross was removed from the church steeple two years ago, not long after the Compass Public Charter School moved into the building.

The religious imagery inside is discreetly hidden while 420 students study math, reading and science. A large room with a vaulted ceiling and stain glass windows serves as the band room, and a curtain covers a small cross above the pulpit.

This charter school in a former dairy town of 71,000 isn't the only one with a unique home.

In a state that has embraced alternatives to the traditional classroom, 31 public charter schools have found themselves setting up shop in everything from a former plant nursery and pet store in Coeur d'Alene, to a strip mall in Garden City and former athletic center in Boise.

Together, the schools serve some 11,000 students. But unlike traditional public schools, they cannot get money from property taxpayers to buy buildings through bonds or levies.

"That is the largest financial challenge charter schools face," said Shirley Rau, school choice coordinator for the state Department of Education. "They are borrowing at the same rate as other nonprofit facilities."

Idaho charters, approved by a 1998 state law, operate with state money based on average daily student attendance, just like traditional public schools. But to raise money for property, teachers, parents and community members seek out investors or borrow from banks to buy facilities.

A third of Idaho charter schools started out in portable trailer classrooms, typically in rural areas of the state where facilities are harder to find, Rau said. Many of these charters have since purchased or built facilities, but some still operate from mobile classrooms.

"What you'll see is a big farm field with trailers," Rau said, adding that a charter school set to open next year in northern Idaho is "probably going to end up in a furniture store."

All but two of the 15 charter schools that own facilities did so with backing from investors, loans, heavy community fundraising and by saving chunks of state money they get based on student attendance.

"Most of this has happened in the last three years," Rau said. "They've only just been able to manage."

The Idaho Arts Charter School moved a new building this year after years of renting an old church and using nine trailers to hold nearly 600 students, grades K-12. The school is paying back a 30-year, $7.5 million loan from Wachovia Corp. used to buy the facility, said Jackie Collins, Idaho Arts Charter School director.

"There wasn't any area banks that were willing to take the risk," Collins said.

The Coeur d'Alene Charter Academy leased a former plant nursery and pet store for three years before buying the warehouse-style building, where 557 students in grades 6-12 wear uniforms and adhere to strict discipline codes as part of a rigorous college-prep program, said school business manager Glenn Mabile.

The school spent $1.5 million to expand and renovate.

"We don't think you have to build a big glorious building to give students a quality education," Mabile said. "The programs and the people come first, a building is secondary."

The Compass school found an investor to buy the Meridian church it used to rent from Ten Mile Christian and now has to pay back a $6 million loan. The church now pays the school rent and plans to move into a new facility next year.

In the meantime, the congregation makes sure to cover the communion table after each Sunday service.

"We have another church ready to move in. It will pay for our utilities," said Bridget Barrus, chairwoman of the board that governs Compass and one of the parents who founded it.

The 16 Idaho charters schools that do not own facilities either rent, lease or share while saving to buy a home.

The ANSER Charter School has held classes at a Boise athletic club since 1999. Racquetball courts were converted into classrooms. The gym blanketed with a musty smell takes up the center of the building and athletes as young as age 5 take classes there from Bronco Elite Arts and Athletics, sometimes while the ANSER school is in session.

The school spent about $450,000 remodeling the facility that holds about 200 students in kindergarten through eighth grade. They could enroll more so they could get more state funding to save toward a new building, but larger class sizes could also work against the mission of the school, said Principal Suzanne Gregg.

Charters are typically created with a specific purpose and in Idaho, range from an online school aimed at minority students to programs that emphasize music, art, dance and drama. ANSER has small classes designed to give students, who are required to participate in community-based projects, more attention.

The school is saving to buy a century-old building from the Boise School District and move out of the facility where they share an address with Bronco Elite.

"Unfortunately, we're investing money in a building we're only leasing," Gregg said.

The racquetball courts were split into skinny classrooms with tall ceilings, sound panels resembling egg carton prevent noise from leaking room to room. The kindergarten teacher snagged the only classroom with a sink.

In a school with no cafeteria, students picked up pizza in the office on a recent Friday and brought it back to their classrooms. Kids are bused to the local YMCA for PE class. Chalk dust used by athletes during gymnastics classes often covers the lockers and cubby holes that line the gymnasium.

"We've been here so long, this is just how we do school," Gregg said.

Online reviews of area EL schools

2008-12-04T07:25:00.000-08:00

Greatschools.net is a resource for families to provide ratings of schools. The site allows scoring a school on several 5 point scales, a wholistic one and specific dimentions and a place for open-ended comments. This is similar to the 'rubric' qualitative scoring that will be part of Palouse Prairie School's assessment process. A weakness of the site's process is that individual raters don't have a way of 'norming' (coming into agreement about scores). Typically this results in more noise in the data and often higher scores than a normed group of raters might produce.

In the process you select you role (parent, student, etc). The comments also make some interesting reading from different perspectives.

The regional Expeditionary Learning schools are all rated in the system. Summit School in Spokane Valley rated 8/10. Recently a student said: "I was a student at Summit for 5 years and I will never forget it. We went on some amazing trips that were for learning yet it was not just a trip to where ever and you never look back on it. You had lots of fun and cant wait to tell your parents all about your day. Not just the 'It was fine'. One of the things I loved the fact that you bonded with the students and the teachers. When a teacher left the school you were really sad to see them go. You didn't just bond with your friends. There was no groups that believed that they were better than others. I was there from the begining and have seen it grow from having 3 grades in one class to fill the class to fill the class to having a waiting list a mile long. Summit is amazing."

ANSER school in Boise got 9/10 but Pocatello Community Charter School didn't fare as well (5/10).

Dec 08 News - Jobs/ Big Grants/ Volunteer Opportunities

2008-12-04T07:11:00.000-08:00

Originally sent to the school email list 12/2/08.

Principal Search Underway
The search for the Principal of Palouse Prairie School opened November 1. The search committee is progressing through screening the pool, calling references and a telephone interview. MARK YOUR CALENDAR. December 18 we are hoping to have an event where the finalist can meet the community and you can offer structured confidential feedback to be considered by the Board. Obviously, things are still in a formative stage, but we hope to see you at 7:30 in the Fiske Room of the 1912 Center.

Big Grant
On November 21, Shirley Rau at the Idaho State Board of Education announced that Palouse Prairie School was awarded a Federally funded Charter school startup grant (pre-opening/post-charter) of slightly more than $650,000 over three years. This is the second part of the startup grant process, Palouse Prairie School received $20,000 Vision grant (pre-charter) in March 2008. (See the Daily News story.)

The grant will fund many start-up activities, including training in Expeditionary Learning for the Principal and teachers, and other professional development for Principal and school board members. It also funds materials for the school library, computers and classroom furniture. While it funds ADA-related remodeling, it does not fund facilities or remodeling in general. Those funds still need to be secured.

Volunteers Needed
We need to develop advertising materials for the spring enrollment period in Feb-March. The COOP's deadline is the 20th of the preceding month, so work needs to happen now to be ready before Christmas. Graphic design/ layout help is needed.

We also need to get more information out than fits in a newspaper ad or tri-fold brochure: Architectural sketches of the new school, information about school lunch and calendar, etc., a rich picture of what the school will be, in addition to the Expeditionary Learning model. For that we need a multipage brochure designed. Some of the copy and images exist, but other parts are still missing. Writing and design/layout help are needed. We need to go to press in January.

Board Openings
Linda Sterk has served on the Board since the beginning of this process. Janet Granja has served this past year, and her husband was on the first Board, so she's also part of the founding effort. We appreciate their vision to have EL in Moscow and are thankful for their efforts getting things started. They have decided its time to step aside and so we have openings for two new Board members. Board job descriptions are posted on the website. We could use both K-12 expertise and finance/business backgrounds. If you are interested, reply to this email.

Financial Angels Needed Also
Despite the great news about grants, we also need to build a line of credit to help with our cash flow. When the school is running we'll gradually build a cash reserve, but right now we don't have that. The economy and banking being what they are, getting a loan for operating capital is "challenging." But AmericanWest Bank has helped find a solution, and you are part of it. Essentially, you help secure our loan by opening a Certificate of Deposit at the Bank and pledging it to secure our loan. Please consider how you can help, and reply to this email for more details.

Palouse Prairie receives large grant from Idaho Department of Education

2008-12-01T20:17:00.000-08:00

By Halley Griffin, Daily News staff writer
November 26, 2008
appearing in Moscow-Pullman Daily News - DNews.com

The Palouse Prairie Charter School recently received a $671,949 grant from the Idaho State Department of Education, and will use the money to train the school principal, board and teachers.

The school has been in the works for several years and is slated to open for business next fall.

The school also may use some of the grant money for computers, furniture and library books, or certain remodeling projects, said Nils Peterson, chairman of the Palouse Prairie board of directors.

"This is hugely helpful," Peterson said. "We applied for $650,000. You need all that sort of stuff to start up a school."

Palouse Prairie will receive $200,000 of the grant this year, and will receive two more payments later on if it meets its yearly goals.

The Idaho Department of Education applied for federal funding to provide grants for schools developing innovative programming, Department of Education School Choice Coordinator Shirley Rau said.

Eleven schools were awarded grants that can be renewed for up to three years. Three of the awardees are start-up charter schools, she said. Idaho currently has 31 charter schools, with six more scheduled to open next fall.

Rau said Palouse Prairie's application stood out to the panel of reviewers.

"Palouse Prairie's application was very unusual in the fact that it had an extremely high level of professional development," Rau said. "The reviewers were very impressed with their proposal."

Palouse Prairie Charter School will operate on an expeditionary learning outward bound model, in which students learn through an "integrated inquiry process," Rau said. In other words, if students are studying the effect of rainwater on the local environment, their reading, writing, math and science classes will all be integrated into the study of rainwater.

"It's not an easy educational model to implement or replicate," Rau said, adding that the school's grant application also stood out because of its high percentage of funding devoted to teacher development in the expeditionary learning model.

"That will really make that a good, solid school," Rau said.

Peterson said the school is searching for a principal.

"We're just about to start screening candidates," Peterson said. "We would like to have a contract for the person in January."

Ashley Ater-Kranov is chairwoman of the principal search and a member of the school's board of directors. She said the board will begin reviewing applications this week, conduct phone interviews next week, and hopefully have the finalist come for an in-person interview in mid-December.

"What's nice is that we have quite a few (applicants) within Idaho," Ater-Kranov said.

Peterson said the board of directors would like to have the principal involved in the search for teachers and student recruitment.

Palouse Prairie Charter School is a free public school, and is open to anyone. There are spots available for 87 children in kindergarten through fifth grade. Enrollment will be open from February to March.

"Things are really revving up, and we need as many people as possible to help us do our start-up work," Ater-Kranov said, adding that there are two open positions on the board of directors. Job descriptions are posted on the school's Web site, along with contact and application information.

Palouse Prairie also received $100,000 from the J.A. & Kathryn Albertson Foundation in August. That donation was unrestricted, so the school may use it for salaries, remodeling and operational expenses, Peterson said.

On the Web: www.palouseprairieschool.org.

Halley Griffin can be reached at (208) 882-5561, ext. 239, or by e-mail at hgriffin@dnews.com.

Palouse Prairie School Awarded Startup Grant

2008-11-21T22:09:00.000-08:00

On November 21, Shirley Rau at the Idaho State Board of Education announced that Palouse Prairie School was awarded a Federally funded Charter school startup grant (pre-opening/post-charter) of slightly more than $650,000 over three years. This is the second part of the startup grant process, Palouse Prairie School received a $20,000 Vision grant (pre-charter) in March 2008.

The grant will fund many startup activities, including training in Expeditionary Learning for the Principal and teachers, and other professional development for Principal and school board members. It also funds materials for the school library, computers and classroom furniture.

While it funds ADA-related remodeling, it does not fund facilities or remodeling in general. Those funds still need to be secured.

You can read the grant materials at this link

http://www.box.net/shared/ergm44q8t3

Summit Trip a Success

2008-11-21T21:32:00.000-08:00

We ended up with 13 people. There were a wide variety of reasons people visited, from students studying Interior Design and Education to parents wanting to know more.

The Summit staff was incredibly inviting and friendly. I felt very welcome and free to observe and talk to the staff. I was very impressed to see that there was a program on Fridays where the 7th /8th graders were tutoring the Kindergartners. There was also a
kind of assembly where kids of all ages got into groups and were given tasks they had to keep working to figure out the best way to achieve their goals ( getting a beanbag to a partner across the room).

I enjoyed seeing the level of respect the children were given. I and four others had a very nice Q & A with the Principal [Krislock]. He was absolutely amazing. He is so knowledgeable and friendly. ( I wanted to steal him for our school !!) He also spoke separately with the design students. I am really glad I went. --Gabrielle

Tour to Summit EL School Fri Nov 14

2008-10-17T10:16:00.001-07:00

Parents wanting to see EL in action are invited to come on a tour of Summit School in Spokane Valley. We have organized these trips in the past, and they provide interesting insights to EL in action.

Depart Moscow Rosauers at 7:00AM sharp Friday, Nov 14, to get to school in time for the opening (there is no opening bell). Back in Moscow by about 3:30.

Please sign up (below) to help our planning. We'll help coordinate car pools if you want, indicate on the form. We will limit the trip to 25 people so as not to overwhelm the school.

Website for the Summit School.

Map with driving directions from Moscow .

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Palouse Prairie School Summer Adventure

2008-09-19T21:54:00.001-07:00

Originally published in the Moscow Food COOP News, October 2008

By Donna Mills, PPSEL Volunteer

This past July, members of Palouse Prairie School of Expeditionary Learning offered a chance for children in the area to experience a hands-on look and feel of Expeditionary Learning. The subject was local sustainable and organic agriculture. The two-week class was full of many opportunities for the children to get their hands into the local agriculture. They visited a local organic farm and learned how an organic farm is different from a non-organic farm. The children participated in a creating a plot at the Moscow Community Garden and after harvesting the garden, they gave their vegetables to Backyard Harvest. The project let them see food travel from the soil to the community. There were many wonderful activities that the children explored, including worm composting, honey bee pollination and a look at the connection between farming and wetland conservation. The experience culminated in a project in which the children painted a PCEI trailer to show what organic and sustainable gardening looks like. Watch for the newly painted PCEI trailer as it travels through town to work at local watersheds.

This experience exemplifies one of the ten design principles of an expeditionary school. The eighth design principle, “The Natural World” says: “A direct and respectful relationship with the natural world refreshes the human spirit and teaches the important ideas of recurring cycles and cause and effect. Students learn to become stewards of the earth and of future generations.” What a fantastic experience the children participated in.

Please join us for a workshop "A day in the life of an Expeditionary Learning School,” October 11, 9-noon. This free workshop will be led by a school designer from Portland and will be held in the new west wing of the 1912 building. Please RSVP at http://PalousePrairieSchool.org. For more volunteer opportunities, contact nilspete@gmail.com.

Parents' Workshop with EL School Designer, Sat Oct 11

2008-09-04T22:17:00.000-07:00

Expeditionary Learning Schools is sending a school designer to facilitate a morning workshop for parents and interested area teachers. The tentative title is "Day in the life of an EL School." Parents will participate in activities that give both the flavor of an EL school day and take a deeper look into how the 10 Design Principles make EL different from traditional school curriculum. (Area teachers are welcome to attend and learn more about active learning strategies.)

The session is scheduled for the new West Wing of the 1912 Center.

9-Noon, Saturday Oct 11
Admission Free, but advance signup requested.

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Tour to Summit EL School, Fri Sept 26

2008-09-02T09:15:00.001-07:00

Parents wanting to see EL in action are invited to come on a tour of Summit School in Spokane Valley. We have organized two of these trips in the past, and they provide interesting insights to EL in action.

Depart Moscow Rosauers at 6:45AM sharp Friday Sept 26 to get to school in time for the opening (there is no opening bell). Back in Moscow by about 3:30.

Please sign up (below) to help our planning. We'll help coordinate car pools if you want, indicate on the form. We will limit the trip to 25 people so as not to overwhelm the school.

Website for the Summit School.

Map with driving directions from Moscow .

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Yard Sale, Sat. Sept 20

2008-09-01T06:42:00.000-07:00

Saturday, Sept 20, 8-noon
Emmanuel Lutheran Church
1036 W "A" St Moscow

Fund raiser for Palouse Prairie.

Three ways to participate:
1. Drop off items to be sold. Friday 3-6PM at the church
2. Volunteer to help with the sale or setup (nilspete@gmail.com, or show up)
3. Shop till you drop. (And talk to us about Palouse Prairie)

Palouse Prarie Awarded $100K Albertsons Grant

2008-08-23T16:36:00.000-07:00

Press Release Aug 21

Palouse Prairie School has received a grant of $100,000 from the J.A. and
Kathryn Albertson Foundation as part of the Foundation’s program to support
educational choice.

“We are very thankful. This is an important gift, it allows us to get the
project moving in advance of receiving state funds,” said Nils Peterson,
chair of the Palouse Prairie Board.

This fall, an Expeditionary Learning (elschools.org) school designer will
facilitate a three-hour “Day in the life of an EL class” for parents. This
will be a hands-on simulation of key EL activities and an in-depth way for
families to learn more about the EL model. Also this fall there will be a
trip to visit Summit School, an EL school in Spokane Valley.

Palouse Prairie to Collaborate with U of I Design Students

2008-08-20T22:38:00.000-07:00

Originally published in the Sept 2008 Moscow Food COOP News

Written by Donna Mills, volunteer writer

This fall an Interior Design class at the University of Idaho will take on the project of designing the remodel of the Now and Then Antiques building for the Palouse Prairie School of Expeditionary Learning (PPSEL). Palouse Prairie plans to open as a K-5 charter school in August 2009. The project requires UI students to learn about Expeditionary Learning (EL) and how space impacts the ways teaching can occur. The students will treat this class project as a job. They will create different designs for the school in group projects and then choose the one they feel is best and refine it.

This partnership between the PPSEL and the UI students exemplifies one of the ten design principles of an expeditionary school. #6 Collaboration and Competition says: “Individual development and group development are integrated so that the value of friendship, trust, and group action is clear. Students are encouraged to compete not against each other, but with their own personal best and with rigorous standards of excellence.” It will be exciting to follow the progress of the UI students as they design, redesign and eventually produce a project that rises to a rigorous standard of excellence.

Its great to see the principles of EL developing during the processes of opening the school. As the school develops and grows toward it’s opening in the fall of 2009, there will be many opportunities to witness the other nine design principles.

Watch for opportunities to learn more about Palouse Prairie and Expeditionary Learning this fall. A “Day in the life of an EL class” is being planned for parents. There will also be a trip to visit Summit School, an EL school in Spokane Valley. The PalousePrairieSchool.org web site has opportunities to volunteer, links to EL resources and more information about the school. Contact nilspete@gmail.com

Celebrating the Summer 08 Expedition

2008-08-05T08:32:00.000-07:00

Our two-week summer camp ended with a celebration on Aug 2 out on the PCEI campus. It was not really an "Expedition" in the full ELS sense, more a 'taste of an expedition.' Like an expedition each camp day was structured like an ELS school day and the children were engaged in an integrated curriculum related to sustainable agriculture, learning a range of things, from growing "FAST plants" to doing some work in the community gardens. The celebration Morris country harvest dancing.

The Celebration was also a chance to mark the approval of the Charter and a shift to the next phase of the task -- opening a school.

Dancers take a bow.

Charter Award Potluck and Celebration, Aug 2

2008-07-28T08:58:00.000-07:00

Help us Celebrate!
Saturday August 2, 2008
5:00pm to 7:00pm.

PCEI Campus, 1040 Rodeo Dr
Moscow, ID

Come celebrate finally getting the Palouse Prairie charter approved and the completion of our summer camp adventure on sustainable agriculture. Kids have been planting and monitoring fast plants from seed-to-seed and working in the Community Garden and learning some dancing (busy two weeks)

Please invite a guest who might want to learn more about Palouse Prairie School

Children's program
A short program capping the 2-week summer experience will happen about 5:15.

Potluck about 6PM

Grilled salmon (thanks to a Palouse Prairie donor).
There are several vegetarian salads on the way, you are invited to bring more delicious items to share.
Ice water will be provided.
Plates, cups and silverware will come from the "Plate Project," so hopefully we will be light on waste.

Questions, email Nils Peterson

Palouse Prairie Plans

2008-07-20T22:36:00.000-07:00

Originally published in the August 2008 Moscow Food COOP news

Twelve months and counting until Palouse Prairie opens an Expeditionary Learning charter school at the Now & Then Antiques location on Palouse River Drive in Moscow. With the help of many supporters, the Charter was approved June 26. If you want to catch up on the news, try http://WhyPalousePrairie.blogspot.com

Here’s a timeline. We are working on a conditional use permit (CUP) now. This fall will be designing the school facility, and planning food and transportation. Children will apply to attend in winter. Hiring of teachers will happen in the spring and remodeling and landscaping work will begin June 09.

We are ready for volunteers! Getting a CUP involves designing a landscape buffer between the building and the street. Natural Abode donated "Greening School Grounds" and Amy Grey (Backyard Harvest) pointed us to the Edible Schoolyard work by Alice Waters. Help with landscape design, or other CUP work is welcome.

We are also looking for a volunteer to write 300 words each month to keep friends of the school updated. Venues will include the DNews letters and the CO-OP news. We also need a Calendar-minder to think of, and maintain, the list all the events on the Moscow civic calendar (e.g., Ren Fair, Rendezvous) where Palouse Prairie should be involved. In addition to warm fuzzies and learning more about EL, volunteers will have a hand in deciding the 1001 things needed to open a school.

In September there will be several events for parents to learn more about EL, including a workshop and a trip to see an EL school in Spokane Valley. Watch our website for the most up to date information.

For volunteer opportunities and news, if you have an idea of something you want to contribute and to get on the email list, contact Nils Peteson, nilspete@gmail.com

HER VIEW: Charter schools provide quality education

2008-07-12T15:06:00.000-07:00

By Briana LeClaire,
July 11, 2008

Isn't it surprising when the Daily News reports the obvious? Readers were recently informed the Moscow School District will receive less money if it loses students to the new Palouse Prairie Charter School (July 4). Since public school funding has always followed the child, Idaho's public charter school law, created in 1998, has meant some public school funding has been following children into public charter schools for 10 years. In other words, this latest story gives a sour taste, but it is not news.

As the president of the Coalition of Idaho Charter School Families, I congratulate Moscow families on expanding their public school choices. The coalition is the voice of thousands of students, parents and teachers who together work to make Idaho's public charter schools a success story. While the choices offered by Idaho public charter schools may not be for every student, these options meet a critical need for many Idaho families. Offering high-quality curriculum, flexible, individual instruction, and the oversight of certified Idaho teachers, charter schools are helping many students to thrive outside of traditional public schools.

From teachers' union leaders to homeschoolers, everyone agrees educational choice is desirable. Many Idaho school districts have embraced choice and present parents with different options. Idaho's largest school district, Meridian, offers a performing arts elementary school, technical-professional schools, year-round schedules, and will offer an International Baccalaureate high school starting this fall. Ten years ago, the Boise School District was losing students and it responded with school choices including a math and science junior high school, dual language schools, a Harbor Method elementary, a Montessori school and more. Choices in the form of charter schools are in dozens of Idaho communities including Kuna, Twin Falls, Sandpoint, Mountain Home, Nampa and Pocatello.

Until now, Moscow's major public school innovation has been the Moscow Charter School, which was chartered by and is funded through the Moscow School District. It is popular, boasting an enrollment of 146 students, 20 children on the kindergarten waiting list, and 41 waiting altogether. The Palouse Prairie Charter School further increases choice in Moscow. Opening in fall 2009 with 75 students and aiming for 200, it will be an Expeditionary Learning school. Expeditionary Learning is a proven educational model that has had success both nationwide and regionally at the 10-year-old ANSER Charter School in Boise, Pocatello Community Charter School and Summit School in Spokane Valley. The idea of an Expeditionary Learning school in north Idaho is very exciting news for those of us in the charter school movement.

The chartering process is demanding, with an outcome that is far from certain. As was reported in the Daily News, after several attempts Palouse Prairie's charter was finally approved in June. Because of a perceived competition for resources, the chartering process can lead to animosity. Divisiveness might sell papers, but what will benefit all the publicly schooled children in Moscow, traditional and charter alike, is a spirit of collaboration where each school excels to meet its students' needs. Because one-size-fits-all never fits anyone correctly, it's time to stop expecting one type of school - or even one type of public charter school - to fit all public school students.

Parents should have the right be as involved in their children's education as they want to be. The families of Palouse Prairie public charter school have labored for years to bring forth an innovative, effective and inspiring school that will enhance the entire region. I encourage you to learn more about both of Moscow's public charter schools and the choices they offer. Who knows? One of them may even be the best fit for your family.

Briana LeClaire, a former Moscow resident, is the president of the Coalition of Idaho Charter School Families. Her children are enrolled in the Idaho Virtual Academy, a virtual public charter school. She lives in Meridian.

Biz Bits: Business stays put for now, and then could move later

2008-07-12T15:00:00.000-07:00

Charter school won't displace used furniture, antique store yet
By Murf Raquet
July 12, 2008

Larry Woodbury has owned the building that houses Now & Then, a used furniture and antique store, for years. H took over the business in December. He recently reached a deal to lease part of the building to Palouse Prairie Charter School.

"It looks like they'll take over the upstairs in June 2009," Woodbury said. "Until then it's business as usual."

That message was lost after it was announced that Palouse Prairie would receive a charter and had a site for the school.

"I don't want people to think we're closed," he said.

In October 2009, the school will take over the basement. At that point Woodbury will move to a new location or continue the business from his barn in rural Moscow.

He also could look at selling the business or taking some inventory to antique shows.

The building has 4,000 square feet of space on each floor and formerly housed the Moscow High School wood shop.

Remodeling for classrooms and offices is planned before the school becomes operational.

Woodbury has done extensive cleaning at the business and upgraded the inventory, including European antiques such as hutches and washstands. He's also adjusted prices to make items more affordable.

Woodbury purchases a portion of the store's inventory locally, including clean mattresses, he said.

In addition to Now and Then, Woodbury owns and operates Four Seasons Lawn Care and rental apartments.

"There's plenty to do to keep busy," he said.

The school's lease is for three years with an option to renew for another three years.

Now and Then is located at 310 E. Palouse River Drive. Business hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday through Saturday. For more information, call (208) 882-7886.

MSD could pay a price for new charter school

2008-07-04T14:56:00.000-07:00

By Devin Rokyta, Daily News staff writer
July 4, 2008

Palouse Prairie Charter School's impending opening could affect the amount of money the Moscow School District receives from the state.

It also could limit any potential new hiring by the district.

Palouse Prairie officials expect to enroll 75 students when the school opens in the fall of 2009, and its latest plans call for its four-classroom school to be located at 321 E. Palouse River Drive - the current location of the Now & Then antique shop.

The school initially will enroll students in grades K-6, but expects to eventually expand to serve seventh- and eighth-graders as well.

Tim Hill, deputy superintendent of finance at the Idaho Department of Education, said state funding is derived from a complicated formula that takes into account a school's average daily attendance, grade level of students and staff experience. Schools receive more money for high school students than elementary-age students, and more for staff members with experience. According to state figures, the Moscow School District received an average of $8,052 per student for the 2006-07 school year.

While there are several variables in determining funding and exact figures can't yet be determined, the potential loss of 75 students could have negative consequences for the school district, Superintendent Candis Donicht said.

"A key number in the funding formula has to do with head counts," she said.

Money for some of Palouse Prairie's budget will come from the state using the same funding formula. Moscow Charter School is chartered by MSD and receives funding through the district.

The district should have a better idea of Palouse Prairie's effect on its budget in the spring, when the new charter school releases its roster.

"It remains to be seen," Donicht said. "For funding purposes and staffing purposes we should know soon.

"What it boils down to is you have to staff appropriately for the students you are anticipating," she added. "You don't need additional teachers if the student numbers don't warrant it. No one can afford to be overstaffed, but we can't afford to be understaffed either."

In the worst-case scenario the new school could result in a loss of jobs for the district.

"That remains to be seen," Donicht said. "With a new school starting up it's not likely that we will be adding teachers."

Palouse Prairie's charter was approved last week, when the Idaho Public Charter Commission voted to reverse an earlier denial of the proposed school's charter petition.

Palouse Prairie officials first sought charter approval through the Moscow School District in 2006. However, board members stopped the process in September 2006 and decided to apply for a charter through the state commission instead.

The commission denied the school's initial attempts to secure a charter because of concerns related to its budget and the lack of a suitable facility. The Palouse Prairie board of directors had proposed two possible sites for the school, including a spot near The Silos development in east Moscow and the first floor of the 1912 Center in Moscow.

School officials satisfied those concerns at an appeals hearing by proposing a new location on Palouse River Drive and securing two grants that addressed budgetary issues.

The school still must secure a conditional use permit from the city of Moscow and address several remodeling issues before the school can be opened. Devin Rokyta can be reached at (208) 882-5561, ext. 237, or by e-mail at drokyta@dnews.com.

Thank you to supporters

2008-07-03T21:29:00.001-07:00

Originally written as a letter to the Editor of the Daily News in response to the article on PP getting its charter:

Thank you for the story covering the awarding of a Charter to open Palouse Prairie School. I want to express my appreciation for the enduring and diverse support of friends of our Expeditionary Learning School. From the original Board who kindled the spark, to all those who have come forward with guidance, funding, facilities, and encouragement, I appreciate everyone's contributions.

I would also like to invite the community to participate in the process of developing the school to serve the area. Expeditionary Learning is an inclusive curriculum that combines collaboration and hands-on projects with high academic achievement and community involvement. Anyone interested in learning more or getting involved can get on an email list by contacting Nils Peterson. There is still time to enroll children in our summer expedition on sustainable agriculture by visiting the website. More information for prospective families will be coming out during the fall and winter, with applications being accepted in Spring 09 for school opening in August 2009.

Palouse Prairie granted charter

2008-06-27T21:31:00.000-07:00

Proposed school plans to locate on Palouse River Drive, open to students in fall 2009

By Devin Rokyta, Daily News staff writer
June 27, 2008

Palouse Prairie Charter School officials cleared a major hurdle Thursday in their attempt to open a school in Moscow, when the Idaho Public Charter Commission voted to reverse its earlier denial of the group's charter petition.

School officials hope to locate the four-classroom facility at 321 E. Palouse River Drive - the current location of the Now & Then antique shop - and have the school open for students in August 2009.

Nils Peterson, chairman of the Palouse Prairie board of directors, said the school expects to enroll 75 students in grades K-6 for its inaugural year. School officials plan to eventually educate seventh- and eighth-graders as well.

The proposed school first sought its approval through the Moscow School District in 2006. However, its board members stopped the process in September 2006 and decided to apply for a charter through the state commission instead.

The state denied the school's first attempts at securing a charter because of concerns related to its budget and the lack of a suitable facility. The Palouse Prairie board of directors had proposed two possible sites for the school, including a spot near The Silos development in east Moscow and the first floor of the 1912 Center in Moscow.

Commission Chairman Bill Goesling of Moscow said school officials addressed those concerns at an appeals hearing in late May and at Thursday's meeting. The new location they proposed on Palouse River Drive alleviated location concerns and they secured two grants that addressed budgetary issues.

"This gave us a more comfortable feeling that they had the resources and the facilities to make a go at it," Goesling said.

Peterson is pleased to see the proposed school is now making headway.

"It's been three-and-a-half years getting this far and we are excited to finally get out of the starting gates," Peterson said. "This was not a one-person show, this was a team effort."

The school still must secure a conditional use permit from the city of Moscow and address several remodeling issues before the school can be opened. Peterson is confident the city will approve a permit.

"I think we can make a convincing case and I think the location we found is not going to be problematic to its neighbors," Peterson said.

Moscow School District Superintendent Candis Donicht is on vacation and was not available for comment.

More information about the Palouse Prairie Charter School can be found at PalousePrairieSchool.org.

Devin Rokyta can be reached at (208) 882-5561, ext. 237, or by e-mail at drokyta@dnews.com.

Denial Overturned - Charter Awarded

2008-06-27T07:25:00.000-07:00

In a historic move, the Idaho Public Charter Commission just voted to reverse its decision of March 6 and to approved the Palouse Prairie School of Expeditionary Learning's Charter petition, to open in August 2009. The decision was based on new materials developed since the March denial and submitted first to an Appeals officer and then refined and submitted to the Commission today.

The location that Palouse Prairie proposed as its first choice facility is currently Now & Then Antiques at 321 East Palouse River Drive. Commissioners expressed concerns over remodeling costs and the budget and urged attention to resolution of those issues as well as beginning planning for pupil to-school transportation to the site.

I want to express tremendous thanks to Palouse Prairie's supporters for getting us this far. Its been a long road, and now the work really begins.

Expeditionary Learning emphasizes teamwork as part of its learning strategy and the greatest successes of Palouse Prairie to date have come from teamwork, among the Board and between the Board and parents and supporters. The next phase, from Charter to Opening in 2009 will require more learning teams, and the Board welcomes contact from supporters with offers of collaboration and other resources.

Next steps include clarifying remaining remodeling issues and then moving forward with a contract to lease and obtaining a Conditional Use Permit from the City of Moscow to operate a school.

Families interested in learning more about Palouse Prairie are invited to consider enrolling children in a summer expedition this July 21-Aug 1. More information and enrollment is available at the website: PalousePrairieSchool.org

Palouse Prairie Awarded Charter

2008-06-20T22:41:00.000-07:00

Unpublished article written for Moscow Food COOP news

Written by Nils Peterson, Board Chair

In a historic move, the Idaho Public Charter Commission just voted to reverse its decision of March 6 and to approved the Palouse Prairie School of Expeditionary Learning's Charter petition, to open in August 2009. The decision was based on new materials developed since the March denial and submitted first to an Appeals officer and then refined and submitted to the Commission today. The location that Palouse Prairie proposed as its first choice facility is currently Now & Then Antiques at 321 East Palouse River Drive.

This news item exemplifies one of the ten design principles of an expeditionary school. # 5 Success and Failure says: "All students need to be successful if they are to build the confidence and capacity to take risks and meet increasingly difficult challenges. But it is also important for students to learn from their failures, to persevere when things are hard, and to learn to turn disabilities into opportunities.” The March denial and appeal process was an occasion for the Palouse Prairie Board to learn from perseverance. Additional work to discover and research the Now & Then facility and access to additional grant funds turned the corner.

Expeditionary Learning emphasizes teamwork as part of its learning strategy and the greatest successes of Palouse Prairie to date have come from teamwork, among the Board and between the Board and parents and supporters. The next phase, from Charter to Opening in 2009 will require more learning teams, and the Board welcomes contact from supporters with offers of collaboration and other resources.

Next steps include clarifying remaining remodeling issues and then moving forward with a contract to lease and obtaining a Conditional Use Permit from the City of Moscow to operate a school. The PalousePrairieSchool.org web site has opportunities to volunteer, links to EL resources and more information about the school. Contact nilspete@gmail.com

Palouse Prairie and Systems Change

2008-03-21T15:18:00.000-07:00

Originally published in the April 2008 Moscow Food Coop newsletter

"We are satisfied with our model, it produces the results we want." That was Superintendent Donich's answer declining to collaborate with Palouse Prairie on an Expeditionary Learning model school in Moscow School District. That answer summarizes Clayton Christensen's argument in "Innovator's Dilemma" for why successful organizations don't adapt to new markets. Christensen teaches at Harvard Business School and studies why some of the best run companies in America declined or failed.

COOP members have been voting to change systems, like the agri-industrial complex, that are not sustainable and healthy. Your choices are reforming food systems and making businesses consider the whole and wholesome. The traditional school may not produce results you want because it doesn't assess the way it should. “This isn't a multiple-choice world," Wayne C. Johnson, VP for worldwide university relations at Hewlett-Packard (Wasley, P. 2008. Tests Aren't Best Way to Evaluate Graduates' Skills, Business Leaders Say in Survey, The Chronicle of Higher Education)

In March, Palouse Prairie charter school was awarded one of Idaho's first Vision grants, worth $20,000, to start a tuition free, non-religious, public school in Moscow, offering the integrated project-based curriculum called Expeditionary Learning. Our vision is to offer an inclusive, respectful and supportive learning environment that nurtures the individual as a thoughtful participant in our local and global community. The grant and a generous donation from Tri-State, will be used for school planning and to offer a summer expedition, giving Moscow hands-on with Expeditionary Learning.

We are appealing the Charter Commission's denial of our school's petition, networking in the community to develop facilities options, and moving forward to offer educational choice. You can vote for school change. A survey on our website will let you tell us what you have to offer. You can also learn more about us and the EL model.

Palouse Prairie denied charter

2008-03-12T21:12:00.000-07:00

Be sure to read the last 2 paragraphs of this article -- the glass is more than half full!

By Hadley Rush, Daily News staff writer
Tuesday, March 11, 2008 - Page Updated at 12:00:00 AM

Palouse Prairie Charter School officials still hope to open their doors in fall 2009 despite having their charter application denied last week in Boise.

The Idaho Public Charter School Commission turned down the proposed Moscow charter school's application Thursday. It was the second time Palouse Prairie officials had applied for a charter from the commission.

Commission Chairman Bill Goesling of Moscow said the proposed school will receive official notification by the end of the week, declining its application.

He said there were two major areas of concern - the school's budget and the lack of a suitable facility.

"When they made the first application, we (also) mentioned those concerns," Goesling said.

Idaho Charter Schools Program Manager Tamara Baysinger said the commission was pleased with Palouse Prairie's educational program, but there wasn't sufficient evidence that the school would succeed financially.

"The commission acknowledged that the petitioners did a lot of work," Baysinger said. "Unfortunately, there still wasn't an adequate facility."

Baysinger said although it's possible the school still could open in 2009, that is unlikely.

The petitioners would either have to go through the appeals process or start over with a new charter petition, which could take eight months to a year, she said.

Nils Peterson, chairman of the Palouse Prairie board of directors, had previously identified two possible sites for the school, including a spot near The Silos development in east Moscow and the first floor of the 1912 Center in Moscow.

Silos officials had offered to build a facility for the school, Peterson said.

Peterson said a charter school commissioner had recommended Palouse Prairie "find an angel to help with the facility issue."

"We thought we had found an angel in the offer from The Silos to build us a facility, but commissioners expressed concerns that the facility was small and would ... be outgrown," he said.

Peterson said the use committee for Heart of the Arts, Inc., which manages the 1912 Center, has "provided Palouse Prairie a draft of its application questions for tenants."

"I'm really pleased," he said. "This gets us closer to having the conversation with HAI about leasing space."

Heart of the Arts Executive Director Jenny Sheneman has said it's probably not feasible to have a charter school in the 1912 Center due to space constraints.

Sheneman also has said there would be problems with parking spaces, as well as occupancy regulations.

"It's a community center and we don't necessarily want to occupy it with a school," Sheneman said.

Sheneman said Palouse Prairie's projected opening date also would take the 1912 Center out of the running. The first floor of the center likely won't be ready for occupancy until 2010.

"The timetable is just ridiculous," she said.

Peterson wrote in a Monday e-mail to the Daily News that despite "uncertainties at present," he still thinks the 1912 Center is an appealing option.

"We will work with (the center) to see if those (uncertainties) can be nailed down," he wrote.

Peterson wrote that the board also will continue to look for more location options.

"We are continuing to work with a Realtor looking for other solutions," he wrote. "It looks like a buyers' market right now. I welcome anyone with a creative idea."

Peterson indicated that the State Department of Education awarded a $20,000 Vision grant to Palouse Prairie officials. The money will be used for staff support, board training, curriculum design and planning for the Palouse Prairie summer expedition.

Peterson said the summer expedition program is scheduled for the last two weeks in July.

Hadley Rush can be reached at (208) 882-5561, ext. 239, or by e-mail at hrush@dnews.com.

Daily News:Palouse Prairie Charter School eyeing 2009 start date

2008-02-06T21:33:00.000-08:00

By Hadley Rush Daily News staff writer

Wednesday, February 6, 2008 - Page Updated at 12:00:00 AM

The ongoing search for a facility and past budgeting problems have again pushed back the opening date of the proposed Palouse Prairie Charter School.

The school, which hoped to open its doors this August, now won't be up and running until at least 2009, said Nils Peterson, chairman of the school's board of directors.

"The charter went to Boise" Tuesday, he said. "The commission meets on March 6, and we hope to have our charter approved then."

Upon approval, Peterson said charter school officials will move forward in securing a school facility and begin to recruit students in grades K-6.

Peterson has said the school eventually will expand to serve seventh- and eighth-graders.

"We are targeting an enrollment of 72 to open," Peterson said. "That's kind of a compromise between how small and how big (the school needs to be). We know we need to start small and that we need to recruit children away from other (schooling) alternatives."

The proposed school first sought its approval through the Moscow School District in 2006. Its board members stopped the process in September 2006 and decided to apply for a charter through the state commission instead.

"The charter was reviewed in April of 2007 by the charter commission," Peterson said. "They asked us to come back with better answers to a three-part problem."

Peterson said the commission asked charter school officials to work on budgeting, facility and enrollment issues.

"Their concern was that the budget needed to reflect a realistic facility cost," Peterson said. "And so the work that we have done in the last nine months has been primarily to address those concerns."

Peterson said he has high hopes the charter will be approved.

"I don't expect the charter would be rejected, but there might be some other issues we'd need a better job of addressing," he said.

Peterson said charter school officials are considering renting classroom space in two different areas of town.

"The 1912 Building is an appealing option because of its potential for us to grow there," Peterson said. "We have asked the Heart of the Arts board, who manages the 1912, (if the charter school could) start with a three-room facility and grow from there. We're interested in the first floor."

Peterson said The Silos development in east Moscow also has offered rental space at a cost of $13 per square-foot per year.

"The owners there have offered to build and rent to us a small school facility, but the site is limited and we'd quickly outgrow it (within) two years," Peterson said.

Brenda von Wandruszka of Moscow Realty, one of the developers behind The Silos, said Silos officials offered rental space to the Palouse Prairie Charter School because they're eager to help the school get on its feet.

"We want to help them facilitate their school," von Wandruszka said. "We would build on to the Silos to help them as soon as their charter is ready to go."

Peterson said the 1912 Center may be a better fit because of location.

"The 1912 building is really centrally located and the Moscow School District provides great busing right across the street," Peterson said, referring to Moscow High School. "We could start small and add a classroom a year for several years. We're prepared to pay a commercial lease, but I don't know what price the Heart of the Arts would set."

Peterson said Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna recently made grant money available to school organizations before their charter is approved.

"We are applying for a grant right now, which would help support a summer expedition camp in July 2008 and other planning activities," Peterson wrote in an e-mail. "Luna's efforts have brought new energy to our group, and we are confident we'll be able to open in 2009."

Peterson said the summer camp is scheduled for the last two weeks in July in Moscow.

"The theme is sustainable agriculture," Peterson said. "We'd like to work with Backyard Harvest - a middle man that helps fresh produce move from people's back yards and orchards to various kinds of food banks. (We'd like) to involve the children in that service activity."

Peterson said the grant funding would secure a venue to host the camp and pay for insurance.

"We will get out marketing information when we have facility and insurance problems solved," Peterson said.

Peterson said he's excited to get plans for the school off the ground.

"We have disappointed parents several times now, but this process has proven to be much longer and more difficult than any of us banked on," he said.

For more information about the Palouse Prairie Charter School, visit its Web site at www.PalousePrairieSchool.org.

Hadley Rush can be reached at (208) 882-5561, ext. 239, or by e-mail at hrush@dnews.com.

First Post

2007-11-21T07:02:00.000-08:00

This blog is the newsletter of Palouse Prairie School of Expeditionary Learning.

You can subscribe to the blog by RSS.

The website of the school is PalousePrairieSchool.org where recent posts for this blog, and the School Boards' blog and the Board calendar appear, along with other resource links.

Notice and Wonder

2007-04-14T09:24:00.000-07:00

On Fri, April 13, I visited Summit School in the Spokane Valley, now in its 4th year as an Expeditionary Learning school. I was impressed by the ability of children in the Kindergarten class to cooperate and to reflect on their performance.

The scene: The children were seated in a circle that included us adult visitors. They did a greeting around the circle, greeting the neighbor on each side of them by name.

Before starting the next activity, the teacher asked the children to talk about ideas of success. She noted that there might be other kinds of success besides doing the activity. Students offered: good listening or good directions, improvement in the activity, cooperation (working together). [I later noticed that these might be dimensions in a rubric for assessing the activity.]

The teacher introduced the task called "four-man pushup." The task involves four children lying on the floor in a square, where each child hooks their feet over the mid-back of one student and has another's feet over their back.

The first round was a demonstration by one team, with a chance to observe by the others.

The challenge was for the students to communicate to one another about what was required to get into this arrangement, who should lay down first, who put their feet up to fit the next child in, etc. Then when they were ready, they counted 1-2-3 and pushed up with their hands, raising all four bodies.

Following the activity, the teacher directed one child to get a marker and another a piece of paper and for the team to make notes on their performance. They each wrote an observation about the activity. All this happened quickly and smoothly, clearly this activity was practiced.

All the while the other children watched the performance and the teacher provide a little meta-analysis (noting the turn-taking during the reflections, or how one student offered to scribe for another who spoke her observation.

Divided into teams of four, the whole class did the activity, in an organized and cooperative manner.

What was also impressive was that the teams could quickly be formed, and that each team found its own leadership, did the activity, and moved on to reflected on what they did, making sure each make a written contribution.

Back in the big circle the teacher asked the children to reflect on their reflections (called Notice and Wonder) and look for "Big Ideas" that could help them in this activity and in other activities. The students came up with: "Worked together" and "On topic."

Why Palouse Prairie

Director comes to new charter school after more than 12 years in Atlanta schools

Palouse Prairie officials getting building ready for classes to start this fall

Palouse Prairie hires first teachers

Library getting ready

Student Centered School

Charter Document

Idaho schools to see 3.2 percent cut

New Moscow charter school nearly full of students

Lottery Complete -- another milestone passed

Impressionist Art -- March 21 project for kids

Research on Family Involvement in Kid's Education

Tag cloud of Palouse Prairie Priniples and Values

Possibility of layoffs spooks Moscow District teachers

The role of Adventure

The Enrollment Marketing Campaign

Student-Parent-Teacher Conferences

School location changes to Browns Furniture facility

Reflections on EL Leadership conference

Idaho charters face hurdles finding homes

Online reviews of area EL schools

Dec 08 News - Jobs/ Big Grants/ Volunteer Opportunities

Palouse Prairie receives large grant from Idaho Department of Education

Palouse Prairie School Awarded Startup Grant

Summit Trip a Success

Tour to Summit EL School Fri Nov 14

Palouse Prairie School Summer Adventure

Parents' Workshop with EL School Designer, Sat Oct 11

Tour to Summit EL School, Fri Sept 26

Yard Sale, Sat. Sept 20

Palouse Prarie Awarded $100K Albertsons Grant

Palouse Prairie to Collaborate with U of I Design Students

Celebrating the Summer 08 Expedition

Charter Award Potluck and Celebration, Aug 2

Palouse Prairie Plans

HER VIEW: Charter schools provide quality education

Biz Bits: Business stays put for now, and then could move later

MSD could pay a price for new charter school

Thank you to supporters

Palouse Prairie granted charter

Denial Overturned - Charter Awarded

Palouse Prairie Awarded Charter

Palouse Prairie and Systems Change

Palouse Prairie denied charter

Daily News:Palouse Prairie Charter School eyeing 2009 start date

By Hadley Rush Daily News staff writer

First Post

Notice and Wonder