ATLANTA
Solidarity School
The Mission of Solidarity School is to provide its students with an excellent grade school education, in the context of a solid formation in the Catholic faith, and within a culturally sensitive environment. Solidarity School recognizes the unique talents and needs of each student, while emphasizing the importance of each student becoming a committed member of a larger community that includes family, school, church, and neighborhood. The School's programs focus on the intellectual, spiritual, moral, aesthetic, social and physical development of each student and are directed to forming individuals who are able to function effectively in and contribute to the positive development of their community.
Established in January 2001, Solidarity School and Solidarity Mission Village are Catholic-faith-based projects serving approximately 3,000 to 5,000 Hispanic immigrant families in Atlanta. Services are provided without pre-condition as to the faith of the applicant. The Village occupies a two-acre site housing a single 50,000 sq. ft. multi-user building that had historically been a venue for drug dealing, prostitution, the production of pornography and violent crimes including murder. In sixteen short months the School and the Village have stabilized the lives of countless potentially transient immigrant families offering them numerous reasons to remain settled in the residential community around the Village.
At the heart of the Village is Solidarity School, a philanthropically-funded grade school program. This extended day/eleven month school year program was initiated in the fall of 2000 with 12 Kindergarten students in a rented trailer located within the parking lot of a strip center. The program now occupies a very attractive and welcoming school facility and currently serves over 40 children with planned growth of one class of 20/24 children each year. Primarily as a consequence of its catchment area 100% of the students at Solidarity School are Hispanic although no non-Hispanic student resident within the catchment area would be excluded for admission to the School.
Given the varying levels of language proficiency and socialization experiences that were evident upon initial enrollment, students were grouped based not upon "grade levels" but upon a balanced consideration of age, development and aptitude. Students "move-up" based upon mastery of the curriculum and not based upon any concept of "social promotion". Solidarity School currently serves children between 4 and 8 years old and plans to expand its age focus to a maximum age limit of 12/13 years.
The Solidarity School curriculum is based upon the nationally acclaimed Core Knowledge Program supplemented by intensive phonics. Upon entering the School most students speak little if any English. The School imposes no academic criteria for admission or continued attendance. The School does demand a continuing standard of behavior that is respectful to the faculty and fellow students and conducive to effective schooling. By the end of their first year students are primarily studying in English and by the end of their second year are targeted to be pursuing a rigorous curriculum entirely in English and at grade level. The statistical objective of Solidarity School is that upon graduation its students as a group test at least one grade level above the overall pool of students within the public system. The practical objective is that each and every student should be equipped and motivated to achieve their highest potential in the educational institutions to which they advance.
While the "official" school day at Solidarity School concludes at 4pm many students remain until 5pm or even later to participate in mentoring programs where each child is matched up with a middle or high school volunteer from an area school or, simply because being at the school is a better option to being "home alone".
Plans are being formulated to provide graduates of the Solidarity School with a mentoring program to monitor and support their ongoing studies as they complete their middle and high school education and progress towards College admission opportunities. Subject to funding, the graduate mentoring program may also be extended to Hispanic students studying in neighboring public schools.
The faculty of the Solidarity School is highly motivated and committed, working both longer and a greater number of school days than would be the case in a "traditional" school and without the support staff and infrastructure offered by many schools. The atmosphere within the School is unfailingly welcoming and collaborative with simply yet smartly uniformed students warmly greeting visitors, eager to proudly show off their school and their individual achievements.
2640 Third Avenue
Sacramento, CA 95818
TEL (916) 451-4963
email: info@napcis.org
copyright 1995-2008 NAPCIS
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