While K-12 schooling has a lot of promising developments, it can feel like too much oxygen is consumed by the officious, bureaucratic reforms — like test-based teacher evaluation, the Common Core, or 10-hour state tests. Even charter schooling can feel suffused by heavy-handed regulation, politicized opposition, and the interest of advocates and funders in replicating a handful of familiar models.
That’s why it was a pleasant surprise today when Purdue President Mitch Daniels announced that his institutions will be launching Purdue Polytechnic Indianapolis High School in 2017. The STEM-focused charter school is designed to provide a bridge for inner-city students to a rigorous education in science, technology, engineering, and math. The aim is to eventually expand the school throughout Indiana. It’s hard to picture a more intriguing development than a slew of Purdue-branded STEM schools educating interested students across Indiana.
Rather than work to “reform” existing schools or partner with them to do a little cosmetic surgery on an existing charter school model, Purdue is leveraging its strength in order to prepare underserved students for Purdue, similar universities, or rewarding careers. Purdue faculty (especially from the technical fields) will develop the curriculum and teaching methods for the school, drawing on K-12 and post-secondary ed and tapping industry know-how. In grades 11 and 12, students will select specific pathways, in which they will earn college credit and industry credentials, and complete an internship.
This is a promising twist on the old notion of a university lab school. It draws upon university expertise, but not simply to serve faculty kids and not to serve as a playpen for ed school faculty. This is the kind of imaginative, practical problem-solving that’s marked Daniels’ tenure. And, just as Daniels’ earlier efforts on college affordability and productivity have spurred national discussion, here’s hoping that Purdue’s lead here will prompt other universities to consider doing the same on this front.
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