Advanced Math and Science Academy Charter School

Infobox_School
name =Advanced Math and Science Academy Charter School


motto =
established =2005
type =Publicly funded 6-12 (future), 6-10 (current) Charter School
affiliation =
district =Marlborough, Hudson, Maynard, and Clinton
grades =
principal = Shelley Hinds
head of school =Barbara McGann
dean =Brian Pare
faculty =
staff = ~80
students =
enrollment =520
athletics =
conference =Massachusetts Charter School Athletic Organization
colors =Blue and Maroon
mascot =Eagle
free_label =
free_text =
free_label2 =
free_text2 =
location =201 (Lower School)/ 199 (Upper School) Forest St.
Marlborough, MA 01752
information =
website = [http://www.amsacs.org Advanced Math & Science Academy Charter School]

Advanced Math and Science Academy Charter School is a charter school founded in 2005. It is located at 201 Forest Street in Marlborough, Massachusetts in a remodeled office building. As a charter school, AMSA receives funding from school districts in which its students reside. According to the [http://finance1.doe.mass.edu/charter/projection08.html Massachusetts Department of Education, ] $55,669,262 ($10,270 per pupil) will be withdrawn from the local aid accounts of sending towns to fund the school. Students and their families have no direct costs other than uniforms and the fees for extra activities that have become common among most of Massachusetts' public schools. Admission includes completing an application, attending an open house, and taking math and language arts tests that are solely used to determine placement in the right level of classes. Preference for the limited spaces is given first to siblings of current students regardless of residence, then to residents of Marlborough, Hudson, Clinton, and Maynard, and finally to any resident of Massachusetts.

The school is currently divided into a lower school (grades 6-8) and an upper school (grades 9&10 (present), grades 9-12 (future)) thus making a distinction between two parts of one continuous school.

History

In February 24, 2004 the Massachusetts Department of Education granted the Advanced Math and Science Academy Charter School a five-year charter. Throughout the entire process there had been a lot of controversy surrounding the school and founder Julia Sigalovsky. Opponents of the school managed to delay the opening of the school by a year by filing numerous law suits against the school. The school had to convince lawyers to wait until the school's funding to recoup over $30,000 in legal fees [http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2005/11/17/steep_learning_curve Steep learning curve - The Boston Globe ] ]
The school finally opened on September 6, 2005, in time for the first day of school. The original class consisted of 250 sixth and seventh graders. In 2006 the school expanded to 400 students in grades 6-8. In the following years the school will expand to include grades 6-12 and serve over 900 students. The school's charter will be up for renewal following the 2010 school year.

Mission Statement

The Advanced Math and Science Academy Charter School (AMSACS) creates a learning environment that celebrates knowledge and where children of all backgrounds and abilities will excel in all subjects, especially math, science and technology, enabling them to succeed in the workplace of a modern high-tech world.

Legal challenges

A lawsuit filed by three local school districts (Maynard, Hudson, and Marlborough) charged that the Massachusetts Department of Education failed to observe its own rules in granting the charter. The municipalities lost their case when the Supreme Judicial Court ruled that municipalities have no right to judicial review of the chartering process. The [http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/homepage/x461644233 MetroWest Daily News] reported that local school districts have no role in the granting of a charter, that the State Board of Education has "the final decision" on granting charters.

Current courses

The Advanced Math and Science Academy Charter School currently offers a wide variety of classes. Below, is a list of courses the Advanced Math and Science Academy Charter School (AMSACS) has to offer:
* Algebra
* Geometry
* Geography
* History
* Computer Science
* Gym/PE Activities
* Art
* Art History
* Foreign Languages (Latin, Spanish, French)
* Health
* Chemistry
* Physics
* Biology
* World Literature
* English Language Arts (ELA)

Athletics

Lower school

The lower school Eagles currently participate in interscholastic Basketball and Track with other sports coming soon.

Upper school

The upper school Eagles are members of the Massachusetts Charter School Athletic Organization effective of the beginning of the 2007-2008 school year. Interscholastic sports currently known to be offered are:Fall Season
*Cross-Country (*)
*Soccer (*)Winter Season
*Basketball (|) - Junior Varsity Only
*Cheerleading Spring Season

*Track and Field(*) (*) -- Denotes Co-ed teams (|) -- Denotes separate boys and girls teams
With more coming in the following seasons/years

References

External links

* [http://www.amsacs.org/ Advanced Math & Science Academy Charter School homepage]
* [http://www.amsacs.org/Documents/AMSA_Charter.pdf AMSA Charter filed with Massachusetts, November 14, 2003]
* [http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0607/p20s01-legn.html Article from Christian Science Monitor, June 7, 2006]
* [http://www.boston.com/news/education/k_12/articles/2004/03/21/charter_school_suit_seen/ Charter school suit seen, Boston Globe, March 21, 2004]
* [http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2004/02/22/hostility_inflames_charter_school_debate/ Hotility inflames charter school debate, Boston Globe, February 22, 2004.]