ST. LOUIS, MO (December 19, 2011) — Alan Olkes, Acting Executive Vice President of Imagine Schools in St. Louis, today issued the following statement in response to the release to the school governing boards of the school improvement plan progress reports by their sponsor, Missouri Baptist University.
“We take each student’s education seriously and we strive to provide the best learning environment for the children who rely on our educators every day. Over the past year, Imagine Schools in partnership with the governing boards worked with MBU to develop improvement plans for the Imagine campuses in St. Louis.
The school improvement review conducted in November by Missouri Baptist University was thorough, detailed, and constructive. The school improvement reports acknowledge the progress we have made thus far, and provide detailed recommendations to address the areas targeted for additional improvement. There is much more work to be done to fulfill the goals set forth in the improvement plans, and ultimately, our goal is to improve instructional strategies in order for students to advance on the MAP assessments. With only a few months before the state testing in April, our staff is energized, focused, and committed.
We are disappointed by the action to revoke the charter for Imagine Academy of Academic Success. In the areas cited for improvement for all the campuses, we have made additional progress toward our goals since the reviews took place, and we are committed to continuing to improve. In cooperation with the governing boards, our school and regional staff is developing detailed action plans to implement the reports’ specific recommendations. In coordination with Imagine’s national office, our St. Louis team is bringing in more resources and educational expertise to ensure that these schools deliver on the high quality education that our students need and deserve.
Working together with the schools’ boards and Missouri Baptist University and with the children’s best interest foremost, every Imagine educator and staff person working in St. Louis is doing everything necessary to improve our students’ educational growth and outcomes. The reports provide the guidance we need to succeed for this year and beyond, and we accept that challenge and responsibility.”
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Imagine Schools educates approximately 3,800 Kindergarten through 12th Grade students in St. Louis. Alan Olkes is the Acting Executive Vice President for Imagine Schools in St. Louis. For more information, visit www.imaginestlouis.com
*** NEWS STATEMENT ***
For Immediate Release
Contact: Lori Waters, 703-740-2887, lori.waters@imagineschools.com
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