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.”
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