School Overviews
Albany Community
Charter School
65 Krank Street
Albany, NY 12202
518.433.1500
www.albanycommunitycharterschool.org
School Leader: S. Neal Currie Jr.
The Albany Community Charter School opened as an elementary school in September 2006. The school provides an extended day and a school year of 200 days to emphasize literacy skills as a foundation for all learning and regular assessment to prepare students for attainment of state learning standards. Each classroom has two teachers, and tutoring and homework assistance are available. Students also receive instruction in character education. The school works in partnership with Community Partners, Inc., which operates the highly successful Community Day Charter Public School in Lawrence, Massachusetts — one of the best academically performing charter schools in that state. Albany Community Charter School opened for kindergarten and first grade and has expanded to grades K-4 serving approximately 300 students.
Brighter Choice Charter
School for Boys
116 North Lake Avenue
Albany, NY 12206
518.694.8200
www.brighterchoice.org
School Leader: Darryl Williams
Brighter Choice Charter
School for Girls
250 Central Avenue
Albany, NY 12206
518.694.4100
www.brighterchoice.org
School Leader: Darryl Williams
The Brighter Choice Charter School for Girls and the Brighter Choice Charter School for Boys, both of which opened in September 2002, offer a 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. school day, a year-round school calendar, expert teachers in core academic subjects, a classical liberal arts education, an enriched visual and performing arts curriculum, the use of original historical documents to teach American history, computers in every classroom, school uniforms, and a unique single-sex public school environment. The Brighter Choice Charter Schools currently serve 240 students each in grades K through 4.
Henry Johnson
Charter School
30 Watervliet Avenue
Albany, NY 12206
518.432.4300
www.hjcslearn.org
School Leader: Robert Warmack
The Henry Johnson Charter School, an elementary school named in honor of the Capital District's most famous hero of World War I, opened in September 2007. The school is modeled after the highly successful Milwaukee College Prep Charter School, which operated as a Marva Collins school. Ms. Collins is one of the nation's renowned educators, and her methods have been highlighted in books and on such television programs as 60 Minutes. The Henry Johnson Charter School provides an extended day and a 193+ day school year, has academic and behavioral expectations and focuses on teaching core academic subjects and values. All of the students wear uniforms. The school now offers kindergarten through third grade and enrolls 280 students. Henry Johnson Charter School will grow to offer K-4 for up to 375 students.
Achievement Academy
Charter School
42 South Dove Street
Albany, NY 12202
518.533.1601
www.achievementacademycs.org
School Leader: O'Rita Swan
Achievement Academy is a college preparatory public middle school that opened in Albany in the fall of 2005. Achievement Academy features a small school environment, an extended school day, a 200-day school year with up to 15 additional summer days of remediation, a rigorous curriculum requiring mastery of core skills and knowledge with a particular focus on math, reading and writing, frequent academic assessment, and school uniforms. Achievement Academy opened with grade 5 and continues to expand to enroll a maximum of 260 students in grades 5-8.
Albany Preparatory
Charter School
75 Park Avenue
Albany, NY 12202
518.694.5005
www.albanyprep.org
School Leader: Erin O'Meara
Albany Prep is a middle school that opened in Albany in August 2005. In addition to offering extended instructional periods for core academic subjects, an extended 7:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. school day, and 195 day school year, the school's academic design is one based on academic excellence, global citizenship, and appication of knowledge. Additionally, Albany Prep offers a small school environment, enrolling approximately 230 students in grades 5-8.
Brighter Choice Charter Middle School for Boys
395 Elk St.
Albany, NY 12206
518.703.6100
http://www.brighterchoicems.org
School leader: Darryl Williams
Brighter Choice Charter Middle School for Girls
395 Elk St.
Albany, NY 12206
518.694.5550
http://www.brighterchoicems.org
School leader: Vanessa Threatte
BCMS for Boys and for Girls are upward expansions of the highly successful Brighter Choice model. The schools will serve fifth grade beginning fall 2010 and expand one grade level each year thereafter. BCMS will offer differentiated and single-gender instruction, commitment to technology use, group seminars to support the positive social and emotional development of adolescents, individualized high school placement counseling, and an extended school day and year-round school program. Over the next four years, the schools will grow to serve grades 5-8 and 200 students each.
KIPP Tech Valley
Charter School
1 Dudley Heights
Albany, NY 12210
518.694.9494
www.kipptechvalley.org
School Leader: Dustin Mitchell
Based on the highly-regarded Knowledge Is Power Program (KIPP), KIPP Tech Valley is a college preparatory middle school that opened in Albany's Arbor Hill neighborhood in August 2005. KIPP Tech Valley's school design includes high expectations for student achievement and discipline, double periods of instruction in English Language Arts and Mathematics, an extended 7:30 a.m. -5:00 p.m. school day, extended school year, bi-weekly classes on Saturdays, daily tutoring and enrichment, school uniforms, and teachers available by cell phones for extra help. During its first year, KIPP enrolled 90 students in grade 5 and expanded to enroll over 300 students in grades 5-8.
Albany Leadership Charter High School for Girls
19 Hackett Blvd.
Albany, NY 12208
518.694.5300
www.albanyleadershiphigh.org
School leader: Melissa Jarvis-Cedeno
Opening in August of 2010 with grades 9-10, Albany Leadership Charter High School for Girls is the first all-girls public high school in the city of Albany and the State of New York. The mission is to prepare young women to graduate from high school with the academic and leadership skills necessary to succeed in college and the career of their choosing. Albany Leadership High will offer a college preparatory course of study, Leadership Development programs, and a competitive sports program in a small, safe and highly-disciplined school culture. Lead by a dynamic team of leaders, the soon-to-be premier college preparatory high school for young women in the Capital District, will grow to serve approximately 300 students in grades 9-12.
Green Tech High
Charter School
321 Northern Boulevard
Albany, NY 12210
518.694.3400
www.greentechhigh.org
School Leader: John Taylor, Jr.
Green Tech High Charter School, opened in fall 2008, is an all-male school that provides a high quality, college preparatory education for Albany students in a safe, small-school setting. The school offers an extended school day, a longer school year, extensive literacy instruction, and programs that emphasize environmental awareness and technological proficiency. Green Tech High has a college-preparatory focus, including a rigorous academic curriculum that fulfills the state's performance standards and course credits to obtain a Regent's diploma. The school will grow to serve 300 students in grades 9-12, while maintaining a low student-teacher ratio of 12:1.