Last week, I visited the campus of Treasure Coast Classical Academy (TCCA) at its temporary site on 34th Street in Palm City.
I was an early supporter of the school, dating back to when it was in its planning stages. There is no doubt in my mind that a school with this curriculum is needed in Martin County. It may not be for every student, but for those parents that believe in this model of education, TCCA is the place to send their children.
A misconception that many have is that it is not a public school. That is not true at all. The way a student gains admission is by filling out an application form online and then the students are selected by a lottery. There are points for siblings of existing students and for those whose parents are working at the school.
I toured several different classrooms, and it appeared the student population was representative of Martin County. There were white kids, black kids, and Hispanic kids. In almost every room, there were special needs children. It wasn’t any different that what you would expect in most school classrooms in the county.
What was not usual was that the kids in the third grade, for example, recited a poem by Maya Angelou and, in another room, the Preamble to the Constitution. They were studying literature and history by learning about the Roman Republic, not from a textbook but by reading original works. Math was tied into reading, even in the earliest grades, by solving word problems.
There is music and art taught every week to every child. P.E. is mandatory for every child in every grade — and they participate. The school is not overly concerned with teaching to state tests though each child will have to take the very same tests as any student in the state.
Like many schools, there is a “uniform” but here it seems the kids are wearing it. Ms. Swearingen, the principal, walks the campus gently asking students to tuck in their polo shirts or thanking them for walking quietly. She has a keen eye as she scans a classroom to see if every student is engaged with the lesson.
In the classroom, there is a desk for every student and the students work together as a class. Since kids are not handpicked, there are classes for those that need extra help just as in any public school. And, that is what the general public needs to understand. Contrary to the propaganda that you may have heard, this is a public school only without the many layers of bureaucracy dictating to the teachers.
Teachers are respected. They have a higher degree of control in preparing their lesson plans than those in the schools controlled by the District. Is this teaching method the best for every kid? No, it isn’t, and that is the point I am trying to convey. Parents and their children should have many different educational formats and options from which to choose.
Perhaps instead of calling these institutions “charters,” they should be known as magnet schools with a specialized curriculum. Every teacher has the same qualifications as any other Martin County educator. Any Martin County kid can enroll. There is no tuition. Children that attend are not chosen by tests, grades, or geographical area. It is a public school where all are accepted.
As a society, we need to break up the educational monopoly. One size meant to fit every child has not worked. The United States has a broken system that has resulted in some of the worst rankings in the OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development). Despite Florida’s mania for testing, we continue to have sub-par outcomes.
Education is meant to open the mind to all possibilities. Elementary education doesn’t teach a trade, occupation, or profession. It is to provide the student with the tools to be able to learn those things later. “The purpose of education is to give to the body and to the soul all the beauty and all the perfection of which they are capable.” Plato understood that formulaic dictum would not deliver the desired results.
Treasure Coast Classical Academy is one place that Plato will be studied. Not from a textbook but from reading Plato’s works. Whether the students of that school go on to be attorneys, writers, or welders, they will have learned not what to think but how to think for themselves.
Some in the educational establishment would argue that this is not a “true” public school. To me that argument is one that is more about control of educational dollars than public education. As a parent, grandparent, and citizen, I want to make sure that all children have the tools to be productive.
While I disagree with Mao Zedong about most things, he was correct when he said, “Letting a hundred flowers blossom and a hundred schools of thought contend is the policy for promoting the progress of the arts and the sciences and a flourishing culture in our land.”