FAQ

Here are some of the questions we receive most often from parents, students, and community members. However, this is not a complete list of questions by any means. Therefore, if your question is not answered below, please contact us at (586) 253-2108. We would love to hear from you!

 

What, exactly, is a charter school?

 

Charter schools are independently operated public schools that have the freedom to design classrooms that meet their students’ needs. All charter schools operate under a contract with a charter school authorizer – usually a nonprofit organization, government agency, or university – that holds them accountable to the high standards outlined in their “charter.” It is common to see charter schools led by former teachers who wanted to take the lessons they learned in the classroom and apply those lessons to an entire school.

 

Is there any tuition charged to parents in your school?

 

We do not charge tuition. Our school is a free, state-funded, public school that is open to all students.

 

 

What is Concept Schools and Where are all of the Concept Schools located?

 

Since 1999, Concept Schools has been a leading educational advocate for the national charter public school movement and is known for sharing its resources with traditional schools in order to advance the educational experiences for all students.

 

Concept Schools is a nonprofit charter management organization that provides a high-quality, STEM-focused, and college-preparatory education through a network of charter schools while offering exceptional programs, comprehensive services, and opportunities to partner in education. 

 

Concept Schools serves more than 14,000 students in 34 K-12 campuses across the U.S. in the following regions:

• North Ohio Region,
• South Ohio Region,
• Michigan Region,
• Missouri Region,
• Illinois & Iowa Region,
• Minnesota Region,
• Indiana Region.

 

How do I apply to your school?

 

You can enroll online by clicking here or you can call our school to speak with an administrator who will answer any questions you may have.

 

 

Is my child guaranteed a seat if I submit an application?

 

As with all charter schools, we are a public school that is open to everyone. If there are enough seats available to accommodate all of the applications we receive, then your child is guaranteed a spot. If we receive more applications than available seats, we hold a public lottery to randomly select students to fill the seats. The rest of the students are placed on a waiting list, as it is likely that seats will become available. For more information see our application process.

 

Are students required to wear uniforms?

 

All Concept-managed schools have a dress code or uniform policy, although individual school policies may vary slightly. In all cases, the dress code requires clothing to be neat, modest, and non-distracting to others. Please see our Student/Parent Handbook for details about our uniform policy.

 

Do you provide bus transportation?

 

No, we do not provide any bus transportation at this time.

 

What is your curriculum like?

 

We are proud to offer a rigorous and challenging curriculum uniquely designed to prepare our students for high academic achievement in successive schooling environments. Our goal and mission is to graduate students who have not only had the opportunity to achieve academic excellence, but who have also acquired the knowledge and skills necessary to thrive in high school, college, and beyond.

 

We implement Concept School’s design and educational model in our building. Our goal of preparing all students for success in college has led us to take a unique approach to developing our curriculum. Our curriculum has been designed to support any state’s standards, along with an exceptional college-prep approach that articulates the specific knowledge and skills students are expected to master in each content area at each grade level.

 

Although we emphasize math, science, and technology education, we teach all other core subject areas. Giving our students a well-rounded and diversity-rich education has always been a major facet of our teaching philosophy. We also take pride in continuously providing our students with many opportunities outside of the classroom to increase their engagement in the school and community at large.

 

 

Are your teachers fully certified?

 

The Federal No Child Left Behind Act requires that all classroom teachers must be certified and highly qualified. We attempt, in all cases, to employ highly qualified teachers who meet the requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act. We also conduct extensive interviews and a background check process with all of our teachers to ensure that they meet and, in most cases, exceed state requirements. MMSA believes that students cannot reach their highest potential without extremely talented and highly qualified teachers to help facilitate the productive process of learning.

 

 

I’ve heard that charter school students don’t perform as well academically as their traditional public school peers. Is that the case at your school?

 

Actually, it’s quite the contrary. Student achievement varies from school to school based on how long the school has been in operation and how long the students have attended, but the results of state standardized test scores show that most of our students are outperforming their peers at their local public school districts.

 

 

What type of extracurricular programs do you offer?

 

We offer intramural sports programs, including basketball, soccer, volleyball, and cross-country. In addition, there are also after-school clubs such as drama, chess, cheerleading/dance, orchestra, Spanish, etc. In addition, we offer local, national, and international field trips for our students, staff, and parents.

 

 

I’ve heard that charter schools take the “best students” from public schools. Is this true?

 

We understand that this is a common misconception, but the truth is that parents and students choose their charter schools. MMSA is open to all students and we are proud to serve a very diverse student body. All Concept-managed schools are located in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods and our student population is representative of the communities we serve.

 

 

What is your discipline policy?

 

Our goal is to address the needs of students through a quality education program. To be 100% effective and to fulfill this goal, we believe that students need a positive, safe, and orderly learning environment in which teaching can take place without disruption. We believe that students who do not abide by the rules of good conduct are interfering with the learning process and safety of others, as well as minimizing their own opportunities to learn.

 

We implement a school-wide discipline policy that is communicated to parents and students before the academic year starts. The school-wide discipline policy is included in the Student/Parent Handbook.