After success with its public charter high school, Stanford Schools Corporation launched its first public charter K-8 school—East Palo Alto Academy: Elementary School—on August 29. Stanford runs the school in partnership with Ravenswood School District, where 90 percent of students are classified as low income. This year, the new school enrolled 150 kindergarten, first- and sixth-grade students, who were chosen by lottery. The academy will add two grades per year, anticipating an enrollment of 450 by 2010. Principal Nicki Smith aims to have each student proficient in literacy and mathematics by the end of third grade. The academy also serves as a site for developing and assessing educational innovations and for student teaching for those enrolled in the Stanford Teacher Education Program.
The School of Education announced in October a $20 million loan-forgiveness program for STEP graduates. Judy Avery, ’59, launched the program with a $10 million gift, which the University will match. Seventy-five percent of students in the STEP program, who earn a master’s degree and teaching credential in one year, took out a student loan last year. Those who apply for loan forgiveness will have half their loans forgiven after teaching in a public K-12 school (or in some cases a private school that benefits underserved communities) for two years. After four years of teaching, the balance of the loans will be cancelled. Research has shown that those who teach at least three years are more likely to remain in the field.
“Well-trained teachers are desperately needed in low-income communities, and the teachers most likely to teach in and remain in these communities grew up in them,” says School of Education Dean Deborah Stipek. “If we are to attract promising prospective teachers from these communities, we must have a way to make a Stanford degree affordable. Judy’s gift—and the University’s matching commitment—gives us that opportunity.”
