Former D-11 board member to propose vocational charters

A for-profit education company wants to start two charter schools in Colorado Springs that would focus on vocational training.

The sites targeted are in Widefield School District 3 and Academy School District 20.

The company, Adventures in Learning K-12, is headed by Delia Armstrong-Busby, a long time educator who’s a former Colorado Springs School District 11 board member and was principal at Mitchell High School.  

The vocational program for students in grades 6th through 12th, would allow students to enroll in colleges courses. Students could possibly earn a two-year associates degree by the time they graduate from high school.

“It would a save a lot of money for students, because the charter school would be paying for the college credits,” she said. “It’s an innovative way to educate students for work in the real world.”  

Armstrong-Busby is  founder of Adventures in Learning K-12,  a company that helps districts with student academic skills development.

One attraction of the proposed program is that the students would receive a basic academic foundation while getting a head start in such areas as environmental studies, nursing or finance. For example, she says a student interested in culinary arts could get an internship and certified training under a local expert, starting in middle school.  

“I’m excited about this,” she said. “It’s something practical and accessible.”

Incremental certificates would be provided for skills work and field experience, which can be used for some college credit. It is also a carrot to keep kids in school.

Adventures in Learning will work with a technology company to design a career education package and also partner with local businesses that would provide mentorships and apprenticeships.

Armstrong-Busby was part of a  community group that suggested a community center and vocational program at Irving Middle School in D-11 when it closed in 2009. The district this year reopened the building to house adult and alternative education programs and is developing a proposal for a vocational program that, if approved by the school board, could begin as early as fall 2011.   

Officials for the Widefield and Academy districts say they have been contacted by the company and are awaiting more information.

 “We  have had a preliminary meeting and are anticipating an application to see detailed plans. We understand the school would have a vocational focus, but at this time we don’t have a lot of details other than that,” said James Drew, Widefield spokesman.  

Once the application is received, the school board would have 75 days to decide whether or not to approve the charter application.

Armstrong-Busby said she hopes to have the charters in place by August 2011.