World-Class Charter School Opening This Fall in Midland; Midland Advantage Charter School to Offer a Free, Quality Education

Business Wire, April 19, 1999

MIDLAND, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 19, 1999--

The Board of Directors of the Midland Advantage Charter School and Advantage Schools, Inc. announced today that a parent information meeting and career forum will be held on Tuesday, April 20, at 6:00 p.m. in the East Bay Room of the Midland Center. The Midland Center is located at 105 North Main Street in downtown Midland. Interested parents and prospective faculty and staff are encouraged to attend.

A charter school is a tuition-free public school that operates independently of the local district under the guidance of a charter school board of directors. "Our goal is the highest possible quality of public education for all students in Midland," said Midland Advantage Charter School Board Chair Melinda Wheatley. Board member Ed Jones added: "Our selection of Advantage Schools to manage and bring to the school their record of proven effectiveness will help us achieve that goal."

"Our partners share our belief in the promise of charter schools and the Advantage model to transform urban public education," said Steven F. Wilson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Advantage Schools, which will provide education management services to the new school. "We are delighted that we will be able to serve hundreds of children in Midland, many of whom have never had a real choice in their schooling. We are eager to demonstrate the heights of academic achievement that children of all backgrounds can attain, as we've done in cities nationwide."

The Midland Advantage Charter School, scheduled to open this fall, will offer the city's families a new, public education alternative for children in kindergarten through fifth grade and will grow by a grade each year through grade 12. The school will devote attention first and foremost to building a firm academic foundation for all students. Using proven instructional methods like Direct Instruction, teachers will educate students in the classic liberal tradition.

From the first day of kindergarten, every child will set forth on an accelerated learning path. All students will achieve the highest standards in English, math, history, and science; study a foreign language starting the second grade; develop their aesthetic sensibilities; and learn to play a musical instrument.

The school's opening provides an unparalleled opportunity for educators to succeed in a setting that is safe, supportive, and reflective of the highest standards of professionalism. Led by a school director, the faculty and staff will include a professional development coordinator, behavior intervention specialist, site coordinator, 23 teachers, 11 instructional assistants, school secretary, receptionist, and food service and custodial personnel. Informational interviews will be conducted at the forum on Tuesday night.

Advantage Schools and the school's Board are actively pursuing top-notch Midland educators for the new Midland Advantage Charter School. "Our philosophy is that if a child has not learned, he has not been taught," said Advantage's Director of Instruction Dr. Kathleen Madigan. "We'll give teachers the tools they need to succeed in the classroom-state-of-the-art technology, a beautiful work environment, abundant professional development, and most importantly, curricula that is proven to work with all children. We respect teachers as highly skilled professionals and that comes across in everything we do."

Advantage Schools is a national leader in the emerging education management industry. Working under contract with local school founders, the company opens and operates new high-performance charter public schools in urban areas nationwide. Advantage opened its first schools in 1997 in Phoenix, Arizona, and Rocky Mount, North Carolina, both of which are meeting academic and fiscal targets. Last fall, Advantage opened six additional schools in Chicago, Illinois; Worcester and Malden, Massachusetts; San Antonio, Texas; Jersey City, New Jersey; and Kalamazoo, Michigan.

All schools managed by Advantage implement the Advantage curriculum and school design. Over 4,500 students are currently enrolled in Advantage schools. With the opening of ten new Advantage schools this fall, the number of students enrolled is projected to grow to over 10,000. In addition to Midland, new schools will open in Dallas and Houston, Texas; Charlotte, NC; Newark, New Jersey; Washington, D.C.; and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; among other cities nationwide.

For more information about student registration, please call (888) 292-2344, ext. 2547

For information about employment opportunities, please call (888) 292-2344, ext. 2580