Middle schoolers get a head start in college
Early College, which operates in conjunction with Baldwin and Putnam County School Systems, is designed to help prepare students for college, with a special focus on students who are traditionally underrepresented on college campuses. Early College Principal Camille Daniel-Tyson said that the curriculum, until the eleventh grade, is the standard public school curriculum, only in a college environment.
“In the eleventh grade, they begin college classes and take those college classes eleventh and twelfth grade. And upon high school graduation, they would have up to two years of college credit,” Daniel-Tyson said.
The Early College program in Georgia began in 2005 with a single school in Atlanta and expanded from there. Today there are 12 Early College schools across the state. Georgia College Early College came into existence in 2006, with 55 seventh graders. Each class is limited to 55 students, giving the school total enrollment of 165 students. Eventually, GCEC will include grades 7-12.
Early College biology teacher Lisa Thompson explains why she enjoys her job.
“One of the advantages of teaching here is that the classes are smaller, instead of having 28-30 students, I have 18-19 students, I work with a staff that truly believes that every student can achieve at very high levels, and so I don’t have to fight any preconceived stereotypes that teachers might have about our students. It’s a very positive attitude.” Thompson said. “I live in Macon. There are many schools that I could teach at in Macon, but I choose to drive here instead, so I really love it.”
Oneisha Lee, a ninth grader at GCEC hopes to major in chemistry in college.
“Since starting this program, it’s been a lot better. I’m not saying that we’re better than anyone else, but we’ve learned more. They’re preparing us for what we need to know in the future. Like, college classes aren’t going to be as fun as high school and middle school classes, but we have to get used to it,” Lee said. “They’re really preparing us, trying to get us ready for the future. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
Lee also said that she was learning a lot more at Early College. One of her favorite things about Early College is “having teachers who really believe in us.”
Jackie Campbell, another Early College student who wants to be a lawyer, said that Early College was different.
“Here if we’re behind, they’re not going to just move on, they’re going to want to help us and make sure we’re not behind,” Campbell said. “At my old school, they would give us the book and say, ‘Do it,’ and we’d have to learn it on our own, but here they help us through it and take us step-by-step.”
Her favorite part of Early College is the equality with which the teachers treat their students.
“It’s not that if you’re different, then, oh, well, you’re not going to learn it, it’s we’re going to help you, either way,” Campbell said.
Posted by Colonnade Archives
on Oct 10 2008. Filed under News.
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