"Parents
have a natural and inalienable right to educate their children, publicly and
privately as they see fit, and that right should be recognized and
encouraged." - Ronald Reagan
Options for education in the Montezuma-Cortez
RE-1 school district include charter schools, private school, and home
education. Home education can be done privately or through a public school
system such as Colorado Virtual Academy (COVA) which is also considered an
on-line public school.
Charter School
There
are two charter schools in the Montezuma-Cortez RE-1 school district. The first is Southwest Open Charter High
school. This school has 159 students
enrolled and offers grades 9-12. There is limited information about this school
on the district website, but contact information is provided. The school is currently making adequate
yearly progress in (AYP) 3 out of 6 AYP criteria.
 |
| [Photo from: www.phwatch.com] |
Advantages
of charter school include smaller teacher to student ratio and generally more
parental involvement. Disadvantages can include: transportation, less
extracurricular activities, and less support for students with special needs.
Private Schools
Lighthouse
Christian Academy offers grades kindergarten through tenth and has 28 students
enrolled. The school is limited in the support it can offer to students with
special needs. The tuition cost is $2,500.00 per school year. The school wears
uniforms which creates an additional cost of $200-$300 dollars. The school
tests students annually using the IOWA Basic Skills test and on average
students score above average. The school can be contacted for overall annual
test results.
Cortez Adventist Christian School offers
grades kindergarten through eighth grade and has 17 students enrolled. The cost
of the school is $1700.00 a school year. The school is willing to take some
special need students. The school tests students annually using the IOWA Basic
Skills test and on average students score above average. The school can be
contacted for overall annual test results.
Children’s Kiva is a Montessori school
which offers grades Pre-kindergarten and kindergarten; it currently has 47
students enrolled. Tuition for full day kindergarten is $575.00 a month or
$5,750.00 annually. The school offers a variety of programs such as ½ day or 2-5 days a
week program. The school has the ability
to take students with special needs and works with San Juan Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) to develop
IEPs for students.
Advantages
of private schools include a smaller teacher to student ratio, less discipline
problems, and generally there is more parental involvement. Disadvantages to
private school include: cost, transportation, differences in values between the
school and the families, less extracurricular activities, and minimal to no
support for students with special needs.
Home Education
Home
education can be done through private or public education. Many parents choose
a private umbrella school for accountability, grade and record keeping, and
sometimes curriculum. Home education
done through public education is often considered on-line education. The state
requires students that are home educated to be tested every other year
starting in third grade. A variety of tests are acceptable and most umbrella
schools or on-line schools make testing available to families. Many people feel
that home education does not provide families with adequate socialization;
however, many communities offer home school groups which allow children to meet
and have activities with other children.
 |
| [Photo from: www.dublin.k12.ca.us] |
Advantages
to home schooling include: curriculum designed to meet the needs of the child,
more one-on-one teaching and learning, learning disabilities can often be
addressed more specifically, students have more time to pursue academic goals,
and the ability to travel while still allowing children to complete school work.
Disadvantages include: less extracurricular activities and isolation especially
in rural areas.
References
Celis, W. (2002). Battle rock: The struggle over a one-room school in America’s vanishing
west. New York: Public Affairs.
Battle Rock Charter School in Cortez, Colorado.
(2012). Retrieved March 14, 2012, from City-Data.com, from http://www.city-data.com/school/battle-rock-charter-school-co.html
Southwest Open
Charter School. (2012). Retrieved March 14, 2012, from City-Data.com, from http://www.city-data.com/school/southwest-open-charter-school-co.html
Cortez Adventist Christian School. (2012). Retrieved
March 14, 2012, from Private School Review.com, from
Lighthouse Christian Academy. (2012). Retrieved
March 14, 2012, from Private School Review.com, from http://www.privateschoolreview.com/school_ov/school_id/5038
Children’s Kiva. (2012). Retrieved March 14, 2012,
from Private School Review.com, from http://www.privateschoolreview.com/school_ov/school_id/5229
Number of
Homeschoolers in the USA (2011). Retrieved March 14, 2012, from A to Z Home’s
Cool website, from
