the advocate
news from the Iowa Association of Alternative Education
Letter From the President
Hello to all of the alternative educators reading the first volume of The Advocate! I am very excited about this step toward improving IAAE communication. I hope you enjoy being connected and enthusiastically share our newsletter far and wide, encouraging all alternative education advocates to grow with us as we support students in Iowa and beyond.
I want to take this opportunity to share with you the vision and goals that the IAAE Board has undertaken this year. You can find detailed information in our 2022-2023 Strategic Plan, linked below. However, here are a few exciting highlights:
Like many other organizations, the pandemic hit us hard. After things returned to a semblance of normalcy, our board got to work planning our next conference: the event that brings and holds us together. Last year's conference was a success on many levels, but we quickly realized that our reliance on the conference left our organization vulnerable. Losing two years to the pandemic had caused us to decline in numbers and in connection to each other.
This year's board spent the summer reimagining IAAE membership and the value that comes to you, our community. Our goal moving forward is to grow membership by improving communication, support, and advocacy within the organization.
This newsletter is a key target of that goal. We hope you all will follow/subscribe to reconnect with us and with each other. Further plans include networking events, online resources, and easily-accessed opportunities for professional development to support alternative educators statewide.
We are very excited about our upcoming spring conference in downtown Cedar Rapids, on April 6 & 7th at the DoubleTree Hotel & Conference Center. (You can register below!) In addition to great speakers, vendors, and community building, we will also be voting to update our membership structure: moving away from conference attendance as the sole way to establish your position as a member.
I am honored to represent you as President of the Iowa Association of Alternative Education. My time on the board has helped me grow as an educator and has given me great pride knowing I will have a hand in its future success. I leave you hoping you will take the same risk, and consider running for an open board position this spring. Please reach out to our elections chair, Josh Baxter (joshua.baxter@carlislecsd.org), if you have questions or would like to submit your name ahead of the conference.
I look forward to seeing you all in April. Until then,
Chuck Tonelli
Science Teacher
Metro High School
School Spotlight
(If you have a team of alternative educators we should know about, please send us a line at iowaalted@gmail.com.)
Marshalltown Learning Academy
In winter 2008, the Board of Directors of Marshalltown Community School District determined that Marshalltown Learning Academy would serve non-traditional, at-risk secondary students.
MLA serves those young adults who need a flexible schedule in an alternative learning environment. The Marshalltown Learning Academy offers credit deficient students in grades 9 through 12 the opportunity to earn Marshalltown High School diplomas to indicate their mastery of the standards and curriculum required of all Marshalltown students.
Students who attend MLA are encouraged to participate in MHS-sponsored activities, including debate, speech, drama, athletics, music, and journalism. Studies show that students who participate beyond the academic program have higher achievement. Students also have the opportunity to take classes at Marshalltown Community College for college and high school credit.
All students must be aware of their potential for success. Most students have a much larger capacity for success than they realize. All students should be guided and coached to critically evaluate his/her life goals, and encouraged to create an action plan for achieving their goals.
Marshalltown Learning Academy strives to make possible a smooth transition for students from high school into higher education, the military, or the world of work. Emphasis is placed on teaching students how to learn so they are able to function in society as self-reliant, self-supporting, contributing individuals. By helping students meet established academic standards, and by reinforcing positive attitudes about school and learning, MLA hopes to instill their desire for continued learning beyond high school.
The staff at Marshalltown Learning Academy believes that every human being is worthy of dignity and respect. The staff models dignity and respect for students. All staff members seek to guide every student to accept the credit for their successes and responsibility for their individual actions.
(From the Marshalltown Community School District website. Principal Eric Goslinga is pictured above.)
Quick Facts
- Opened in 2008
- Serving ~100 Students
- 5 Core Teachers
- 2 Special Ed Staff
- 1 iJAG Staff
- 1 Full Time Therapist
Philosophy
- Marshalltown Learning Academy targets Social Emotional Learning (SEL) with a blended model. Students engage with some content online and with some content in the classroom. There is a blend of teacher-facilitated learning and small group work.
- MLA loves to prioritize student voice and agency.
- More and more, MLA is emphasizing hands-on project-based learning.
Special Projects
- MLA recently began a new hydroponics initiative!
- Algebra classes are engaging students through the use of Virtual Reality (VR) headsets!
- Language Arts classes are meeting in small group book clubs! The LA teacher, students, and school social worker come together to choose books that target SEL topics related to current student concerns.
Take a Breath With Us
(Submission deadline: March 31, 2023)
Iowa Association of Alternative Education
Email: iowaalted@gmail.com
Website: https://sites.google.com/view/iaae/home?authuser=0
Facebook: facebook.com/iowaalted
Twitter: @iowaalted
“The more healthy relationships a child has, the more likely he will be to recover from trauma and thrive. Relationships are the agents of change and the most powerful therapy is human love.”
- Bruce D. Perry, M.D.