New day for Aurora charter high school New day for Aurora charter high school (September 05, 2001)

**Charter school has new administrator, new site in its third year.

By Marjorie Mader

The first charter high school on the Peninsula starts its third year with renewed optimism and vigor after weathering a trying second year.

Aurora High _ originally named Bay Area Charter High School, or BACH _ started classes last year in a park and later moved into a remodeled storefront space in downtown Redwood City, while continuing its search for a permanent site. Classrooms were no longer available at the McKinley School campus in Redwood City where the charter school opened in September 1999 for its first year.

"Once you get the site issue settled, then everything falls into place," said Alice Miller, a founder of BACH , the business manager and technology coordinator for Aurora and a member of the school's nine-member board.

The good new is Aurora High will move into its new home in four to six weeks. Space formerly used as the instructional materials center for the Redwood City School District at 2745 Spring St., Redwood City, is being remodeled.

Classes will begin on Tuesday, September 4, in Aurora's present space in the Police Activities League building at 2107 Broadway in Redwood City.

Besides leasing more suitable space, Aurora has hired a new, experienced administrator. She is Terri Ryder, an administrator for the past five years at Mid-Peninsula High School, which moved last year from a school site in Palo Alto into a new building at 1340 Willow Road in Menlo Park.

Ms. Ryder was involved in the Boston University-Chelsea project, the first time a private entity took over a public school system that was failing. She worked from 1988 to 1990 with junior high school students doing community service, part of the project that turned around the Chelsea schools.

After earning a master's degree in social work from Boston University, she moved to Washington, D.C., and worked with nonprofit social service agencies for three years. Ms. Ryder then returned to graduate school and received a master's degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She had completed her undergraduate work at the University of California, Irvine.

"I've always been committed to public education and small schools," said Ms. Ryder as she launches the new school year at Aurora.

Enrollment is slightly under 100, with a capacity for up to 120 students this year, she said. The majority of the students are freshmen and sophomores.

Aurora has hired three new teachers: Chris Gripkey, English; Scott Hannon, social studies; and Janet Shahkarami, consumer and family studies. Returning teachers are Jennifer Sammut, who came to Aurora mid-year and will teach math, from algebra to trigonometry; Misla Barco, Spanish; and Mary White, science.

Aurora was listed last year as one of the top 100 wired schools in the country by Family PC magazine. It continues its emphasis on technology and strong academic performance, said Ms. Miller. The school offers the requirements necessary for admission to University of California schools.

Class sizes range from 20 or 22 students on the high end, to classes of six to 10 students. Among the offerings, in addition to core classes, are art, music, fashion design, UNIX programming, video production and drama.

Each student has a personalized learning plan, called "PLP," that sets individual goals. Teachers monitor progress. The charter school offers two-hour block classes, and follows a flexible schedule that enables students to plan their programs so that they can start early or later, or spend the entire day at school.

About 30 percent of the sophomores took classes at Canada College in Woodside last year, said Ms. Miller.

Aurora has become a member of the California Interscholastic Federation. The school has offered some sports, such as martial arts, girls volleyball and boys soccer.

Each parent is required to contribute 80 volunteer hours each year. While the majority of Aurora's students come from Redwood City, enrollment is open to all students in the Sequoia Union High School District and other areas. Chartered by the Redwood City School District and operated under a joint agreement with the Sequoia Union High School District, Aurora is a tuition-free public school.

For additional information, call the school office at 361-1344.