Having three stand-alone charter schools is not “completing the loop.” Quite the contrary, this structure is egregiously stressful on students and faculty. It is detrimental to our community’s children to acclimate to a specific school culture and academic curriculum only to have them potentially move to another system. Students deserve a stress-free transition from elementary school to middle school and then to high school.

Along the way, they will understand expectations of school culture and master the academic model. For seven years, I’ve supported 9-R and every private school option; as a brain researcher and writer, I have delivered pro-bono teacher seminars to both. As an inaugural participant in the One Community One Goal campaign, I expounded the virtues of educational community choice and collaboration.

However, a 9-R charter school that purports to “close the loop” of two schools it does not oversee is nonsensical. Only MMS and AHS are in a position to close that loop. MMS has been working with the Charter School Institute to grow down into a K-5 program; this will happen soon. First, MMS focused on a head of school search, achieving improved academic testing results and securing facility ownership. Now, CSI will work with MMS to grow down.

MMS’s culture of support, innovation and academic excellence will be integral to the K-5 program, from which students can move seamlessly into middle school at MMS. District 9-R has worked hard on student and staff-focused goals. Many 9-R staff members supported MMS’s and AHS’s goals; I support every 9-R affiliate. However, the specific K-5 program under discussion is for MMS to offer. It will close their loop.

Nancy Heleno

Durango