Taylor International Academy gets go-ahead, has to wait for school to close
Taylor International Academy now has an official charter.
The Central Michigan University Board of Trustees on Thursday granted a charter school contract to the academy, which will be in Southfield.
The CMU Center for Charter Schools, which oversees and evaluates CMU-authorized charter schools, will work with TIA to execute its charter contract.
TIA’s charter school application was one of three accepted by the Center out of 41 submitted during the fall 2008 application cycle.
Other charter schools approved from the fall 2008 application cycle were Quest Charter Academy, which opened in fall 2009, and Detroit Leadership Academy, approved in September 2009.
“We’re very excited about the promise of each of these schools,” said James Goenner, executive director of the center. “They have outstanding boards and leadership teams.”
The Center accepted TIA’s proposal in anticipation of another charter school closing. Michigan law caps the number of charter schools and that number is at capacity, so TIA must have an open slot in order to have a new start-up.
Goenner said TIA’s application was granted, but officials still must wait for an opening before submitting a new charter contract to the Michigan Department of Education.
Goenner said TIA will offer its students the unique opportunity to participate in an international baccalaureate program with a sister school, the International School of Krakow in Poland.
TIA plans to add other international partnerships over time with schools in Africa, South America and Asia.
What’s next for TIA
TIA will open in fall 2010 if a charter slot opens and the academy is given a code number. Officials anticipate enrolling about 250 students from grades K-5.
In order to obtain a school code number to start receiving state aid, TIA’s development and leadership team will work closely with the Center to gather necessary documentation for a charter contract.
The center’s Deputy Director of Administration, Cindy Schumacher, said while TIA will ultimately be responsible for operating as a charter school, it is her job and the center’s to provide support.
“We work closely with the developers and leadership team to make sure they’re on track to open in September,” she said.
Schumacher said TIA has obtained the use of a facility and will now have to hire faculty and staff, recruit students and obtain all necessary equipment and supplies.
Goenner said TIA has a lot of work to do, but he is optimistic about the start-up phase.
“It’s a lot of work to start a brand new school, (but) we’ve been through their plans and they’re aggressively working on them,” he said.
