QEA Education Glows as shining example
City's Best Kept Secret
BY CHRIS BURCAW
Special Feature Contributor
Want to know Winston-Salem's
best-kept secret in education?
Here are a few hints: it opened in 1997; students who
come in at or below grade level increase their
performance by 50 percent on average within two
I years; student progress is often monitored on a daily
basis to encourage growth; and, as part of the North
Carolina Charter School Program, students'
education here is absolutely free.
For 15 years, Quality Education Academy (QEA) on
the corner of Lansing Drive and Carver School Road
has been educating students at an extremely high
level due to the passion and dedication of the
teachers, the desire of its students to succeed and the
drive of parents who want more for their children.
The school's mission statement reads, in part, "Our
vision is to create a sustainable educational
organization that develops a replicable, self
sufficient, wholesome community."
The unwritten mantra is "whatever it takes" to help
students excel, grow and succeed.
Alphonse Williams, a QEA eleventh grader,
summarized the experience of many students. "I.
like this school. I've been here since the third grade.
I tried going to a traditional middle school in eighth
grade, but this school (QEA) got a hold of me and I
couldn't wait to get back.
"The teachers know
and treat you like
family, and I know I
could not get the level
of education I get here
anywhere else."
"The teachers want you to do well, and they work
with every student to ensure a topic is understood by
all before moving onto the next thing," Williams
concluded.
As a K-12 school, students have the opportunity to
go to and remain in the same school environment for
their entire academic career. The passion for learning
and teaching starts with QEA's kindergarten class
and its teacher, Erin Winbush.
"I love it here," she said. "I have the freedom to really
teach my kids what they need to know to progress to
the next level. And the school as a whole is truly a
family environment where we encourage and
support one another," Winbush said.
Walking the halls of QEA, one quickly gets a sense
that teachers, students and administration alike
respect one another.
Uniforms worn by students create an air of equality.
Teachers address students as "Mr." or "Miss," and
students show their respect in return by
acknowledging their teachers as "sir," or "ma'am."
Another sense one prominently feels is "passion."
Teachers, students, parents and staff are there
because they want to be there.
"I have been teaching in Winston-Salem for over 20
years," said high school psychology teacher, Aisha
Booth-Horton. "I've been a teacher here (at QEA)
for the last eight and this is the only place I will ever
teach."
When asked why, Booth-Horton's answer is swift
and to the point: "as teachers, we are a team here.
Our students are taught to succeed, which means
encouraging them to learn from their mistakes, not
punishing for them. There is no 'me.' There is only
what 'we' as colleagues can do to raise the quality of
life for every student here. And if that means staying
late or working on weekends to help a student or
group of students, then that is what we do," she
added. j
"Whatever it takes" is a mantra repeated by the
school'^ chief academic officer, Tamara Turner.
"If we see a weakness in a particular subject, it is not
beyond us to hold open weekend sessions for students
who need the help to get it. We truly do whatever it
takes to help our kids learn and grow," Turner said.
If a student, or students, excels in a particular subject,
"we do whatever it takes to ensure they are challenge?
at every level. It's not unusual to have middle school
students taking high school honors English, as an
example," Turner added.
If a student shows an interest in a particular subject
not offered in the school's standard curriculum, he
or she can take online classes via the North Carolina
Virtual Public School System and get full credit.
Raquel Gutierrez, an eleventh grader, is a classic
example. She arrived at QEA in the third grade and
English was not her primary language. Today, .
Gutierrez is an ^honor student and is in her second
year of Latin via the public school online course
offering.
"I get more out of my education here than I think I
could get anywhere else," Gutierrez said. "I am free
to be myself, and am encouraged by my teachers to
do my best every day."
Technology is not lost on QEA students either.
The school features a computer lab classroom, a
mobile computer lab, Smart Boards, and the school
is moving to become more paperless as text books
and lessons published online become the norm.
The results for QEA's efforts speak for themselves.
The graduation rate over the past three years is 94
percent. In 2010, 100 percent of graduating seniors
went on to four-year colleges or community college,
and 33 percent of graduates went into college with
college credits they ea?jpd at QEA, or graduated
early. Many students going onto college do so with
academic scholarships.
A key ingredient to QEA's suceess in all grade levels
is parent involvement. Whether its reading stories to
younger students or learning lesson plans with
teachers in order to help in the classroom, it further
enhances the "family dynamic" the school exudes.
"Communication with parents is key, and we
encourage all parents to make their children's
education a family affair," said Shetelia Rooks,
QEA's third grade teacher. "1 love that I can talk to
parents every day, if that is what they desire, or if
that's what I need to do."
Does it make a difference? Rooks' entire class last
year passed the end-of-grade standardized state tesits
with score's of three's and four's, which equates t o
at, or above average when compared to other schools
in the district and state.
With over 400 students enrolled now and with plans
to break ground on a new 40,00& square foot hijgh
school building featuring a state-of-the-art gym, a
900-seat auditorium, and new classrooms, QEA
chief executive officer, Simon Johnson, is preparing
to manage significant growth at the school.
"Our five-star daycare/pre-school for ages one
through four has slots available for 25 additional
kids and it's our hope that the parents of tfitese
children see the many advantages our school offers
over traditional public schools when they make the
transition to elementary school," Johnson said.
For extra curricular activities in higher grades,
students can partake in band or chorus, enroll in the
Crosby Scholars program, which focuses on learning
about community activism and service, or be a part
of the yearbook club.
The Quality Education High School of Business and
Entrepreneurship is a rich learning environment that
is young adult centered, meets the developmental
needs of youth and adolescents as well as the
individual needs of students with varied learning
styles and addresses the multiple interests of the
students.
As far as sports, QEA's basketball program, headed
by coach Isaac Pitts, has quickly grown into a
nationally known powerhouse.
Since taking over the Fighting Pharaohs in 2008,
Pitts' teams have amassed a record of 102 wins and
23 losses, and many of his former players can be
seen playing on NCAA division one school teams,
such as St. John's, Georgetown and Wake Forest.
Once the new high school is built, the entire school
will be in a position to educate up to 650 students,
but with the greater student population, Johnson
contends little will change.
"As we grow, we will
continue building on
the strengths of each
student
"Quality Education Academy sets high expectations
for all in an atmosphere that is nurturing and
respectful.
"This is the culmination of a large part of our vision.
We are fully capable of providing a safe, loving and
user-friendly learning environment for all children
from one year old through high school. The value of
establishing long-term deep rooted relationships
cannot be over estimated as it pertains to the impact
on the development of emotional intelligence and
student achievement," Johnson said.
So, while the Quality Education Academy may be
Winston-Salem's best kept secret, one can see that
the secret to its success is teacher passion, student
desire, parent willingness, and the motivation for all
to be treated equally and with respect. It is a winning
formula that is worth looking into.
Enrollment is now open for all grade
levels, and tours can be arranged
during school hours by calling
744-7138. Office hours are 8 a.m. -
4 p.m., Monday - Friday. To learn
more, visit the school's web site
(www.qeschools.org).
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