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McKenna changes, becomes 'brick and click' school
Richard McKenna High School, once the school district's alternative school, has undergone yet another metamorphosis.
No longer part of the school district, McKenna will continue to serve "at risk" students in the area, but has merged with Idaho Virtual High School to become Richard McKenna Virtual High School.
The move reunites McKenna headmaster Jose Madarieta with the original principal of what became McKenna High School, Larry Slade. The two are partnering together, along with much of the original McKenna staff, to create a "brick and click" charter high school, with both classrooms and on-line curriculum.
Local students "will have a full-meal deal," said Principal Larry Slade. "We'll offer a small-school setting with a full curriculum."
The alternative education offered by McKenna, named after the noted author from Mountain Home, began back in 1990 as the Elmore County Alternative School, an experiment by the Mountain Home School District to provide an educational setting for students who, for one reason or another, were having problems in the mainstream setting at Mountain Home High School. Two years later it became Academy 2000, and in 1998 the name was changed to McKenna High School.
McKenna has graduated about 20 students each year of its existence, many going on to further schooling in either vocational schools or colleges.
Slade was principal most of that time, with Madarieta, arguably one of the best small-classroom teachers in the state, as one of the key instructors. Three years ago, Slade moved on to create Idaho Virtual High School, a charter on-line high school that serves nearly 400 students a year throughout Idaho, many in small, rural communities where access to a regular high school is difficult, or those who want to supplement home schooling.
Unlike Idaho Virtual Academy, a charter school that provides instruction for grades K-8, Idaho Virtual High School hasn't had any financial problems, but Slade admitted the confusion between the two on-line schools has caused him some problems. The name change alone, he said, should help.
When Slade left McKenna, Madarieta was offered the job of principal. He turned it down. "They shoot principals, don't they," he joked. Supt. Jerrie LeFevre assumed the administrative responsibility for the school while Madarieta became it's "headmaster," the on-site director of operations. That kept him in the classroom that he loves so much, working with the kids that mean so much to him. And typical of the man that he is, he rejected LeFevre's offer of a raise, accepting only a portion while insisting the rest be distributed among the staff at the school.
Earlier this year, Madarieta and Slade approached LeFevre with a plan to merge their two operations. "I had to think about it for a little bit," LeFevre said, "but I became convinced this would be the best thing for the kids. And that's all that counts."
"Jerrie and the board have always been very supportive of what we do," Slade said. "For them, it's always been about the kids, what's best for the kids."
So last month, the school district officially gave its blessings to the move.
On July 19, the staff of McKenna Virtual High School, with Slade as principal and Madarieta as dean of students, will begin interviewing area at-risk youth for the start of classes on Aug. 2 (call 580-2449 for an appointment). The new school will be located on the first floor of the building across from the golf course that houses the Job Service office.
The school, which will operate under a state charter, will be unique, combining what Slade and Madarieta believe are the best elements of the former district alternative school and the on-line high school.
Students outside the local area will still receive a full curriculum on-line. But local students will enjoy not only the full on-line curriculum, but the small-classroom personal setting that was one of the keys to the old McKenna success.
The old "semester" system has never been a part of the McKenna program. Instead, students receive intensive instruction in "blocks," of several weeks, focusing on one or two fields of study, before moving on to new blocks of curriculum. Each block satisfies a state graduation credit requirement.
In fact, the new combined operation expands the offerings, adding science and math courses taught by full-time instructors.
"It's the fulfillment of a dream," Madarieta noted. "It's a small-school setting with access to a full curriculum."
The instruction is rigorous. Students are expected to learn, to understand, and to think at a college level of understanding and insight.
And they are exposed to the best parts of culture, in art, literature and music. "They always thought that things like good art and literature were unapproachable. But they learn that they can think critically and appreciate them." There's no reason, he pointed out, that someone who works as a grease monkey can't also appreciate Shakespeare.
"Some of them never knew these things existed," Slade said. "It's like a whole new world has opened up for them."
The alternative school also operates with a different, no-nonsense approach to education than that normally found in mainstream public schools.
Students are usually referred to the alternative school because of behavioral problems, or problems outside of school that have made it difficult for them to operate in a mainstream setting. Many suffer from low self-esteem. Some are trying to raise families while they finish their schooling and have to work to support their families. Many suffer from a lack of self-discipline.
But at McKenna, they are not cut any slack. They are expected to be there, on time, every day. They are given clearly defined goals. If they fail to meet them -- they're out.
"We let them know clearly what we expect of them," Madarieta said. And if a student is dropped for failing to meet those standards, he or she is usually told what it will take for them to have a chance to rejoin the school.
The school focuses not only on getting kids the credit they need for a high school diploma, but the job skills they will need in the real world. "An employer won't put up with someone not showing up on time," Madarieta pointed out.
At McKenna, students are considered employees and the teachers are supervisors. Class time is referred to as "company time," and student gatherings are "company meetings."
"They learn how to behave as employees," Madarieta said. "We're working on a product -- the kids -- and trying to give them skills that will last them a lifetime and their children's lifetime."
The students also are expected to work hard, another life skill, because employers don't want employees who waste time.
And most of all, the staff insists that everyone, teachers and students, be respectful to each other. Verbal or physical abuse of others, or their property, will result in immediate dismissal.
"Jose has taught them good manners," Slade noted. "We've found that if you hold your expectations up, and make it clear that there are consequences if you don't meet them, then follow through with those consequences, that the kids respond. They like that.
"Sometimes, when we go over the rules, and we tell a kid we won't put up with any bullying, or teasing, or disrespect, you can almost see the sense of relief run through them. You can't believe some of the pressures these kids are under (in the mainstream school) sometimes," he said.
Consequences for breaking rules are used as a teaching tool. "We ask them what rule they broke, and they can tell you. We ask what the consequences are, and they know and accept it," Madarieta said.
"You follow a plan of action to build character. We're always trying to set things up so they're always trying to improve. We try to teach them that there is a method to success. One they learn it, they can do anything in life."
And it works. Year after year graduates of McKenna come back expressing their appreciation for what they learned, how the school changed them for the better, how it gave them hope for the future.
"They take pride in being here, in being 'McKenna scholars'," Madarieta said. "And we don't have a sports team."
"These kids usually don't belong to much," Slade said. "They're not on the football team or the debate team. But they want to be McKenna scholars. They even have t-shirts that they wear around town with pride."
And they learn about teamwork and social responsibility. They are required to take part in community service projects, to learn the joys and virtues of contributing their services for others.
"We emphasize that none of us are islands," Madarieta said. "We are a team."
"I tell them, be the change they wish to see in the world, and pass it on to their children."