New Independent Charter School in Madison Empowers Students Through Democratic Decision-Making

Strategic Insights -

A new independent charter school is launching in Madison, Wisconsin, with a unique twist on traditional schooling: students will design the school from the ground up. Milestone Democratic School, set to open in late August, aims to empower students through democratic decision-making, personalized learning, and community-based experiences. The school's motto is "by youth, for youth," reflecting its commitment to student-led governance and agency.

Key Takeaways:

  • Milestone Democratic School will have students personalize their curriculum, suggest and develop courses, and sit on governing bodies, including the governance board, design team, school meeting, community engagement, and educators cooperative.
  • The school's design team, made up of students recruited from the Madison area, has been crafting plans for the school since 2018, but has had to adapt to virtual meetings and Google Docs conversations due to the pandemic.
  • Milestone plans to serve the Madison area's educationally disadvantaged populations, including students of color, children experiencing homelessness, and students from migrant families.
  • The school will be governed by five bodies, each with its own responsibilities and areas of oversight, with board members elected by the entire school community each year.
  • Students will work with advisors and family members to develop a "graduate profile" and create a "personalized learning plan" that aligns with the school's eight learning goals and acts as the curriculum for the term.
  • The school will be doing away with traditional practices of letter-based grades and numerically ranking students, instead assessing progress based on a student's "mastery" of defined skills.

Statistics:

  • The school is seeking a minimum enrollment of 30 students across grades seven through 12 and has a cap of 64 students in total.
  • The school received a five-year, $800,000 federal implementation grant to help cover start-up costs, such as purchasing laptops and furniture.
  • Milestone is budgeting $848,444 for 2020-21, with most of the funding coming from an approximately $8,900 per pupil payment from the state, along with federal funding and the start-up grant.
  • The school will have four staff members for the 2020-21 school year, including two advisors and a paraprofessional and office duty role.
  • The school has joined the Mastery Transcript Consortium to develop an assessment system based on a student's mastery of skills rather than measuring seat time.

Sources:

  • "New school." _The Wisconsin State Journal (Madison, Wis.)_, 2020.
  • "Wisconsin State Journal" at www.wisconsinstatejournal.com
  • "Tribune Content Agency, LLC" at Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC