River Falls Rotarian and retired educator Dr. Carole Mottaz started the meeting with a review of both the 25-year history of the Renaissance Academy and some of the principles around its approach to education. She noted that the Renaissance Academy is part of the River Falls School District, which is not always the case for charter schools. In presenting the history, Carole talked about details involved in a charter from the US Department of Education. Mottaz also talked about how the school started in its first location, how the program grew and moved over time, and how the RA is now located in a very basic, practical structure. Head Teacher Peggy Skogen took us on a tour of the classrooms including the shop where students get hands-on experience with woodworking equipment. Classes for science, language arts, and other parts of the RA curriculum occur in other parts of the facility. At several points in the tour, Peggy pointed out student-built shelving that saved RA and the District significant money over commercially bought equivalents.
After the tour, Ms. Skogen went through basic information about the RA -- grades included, number of students, the teachers, their specialties and qualifications, and other aspects of the program. She emphasized connections with other educational opportunities and connections for the students including RFHS, CVTC, UWRF, and work programs as well as eligibility for RFHS extracurriculars. Some students are not interested in post-secondary education while others go on to further their studies. Students learn about life skills they will need including how to seek employment, interview skills, basic personal finance management, and other learning outside of academic coursework. For more about the program, see the pdf of the RA brochure by clicking on "Download Files" in the Tidings. Apologies if you have to rotate the pdf.