Learn About Christa McAuliffe Charter School Thursday; Lottery Deadline January 27

Share, email, print, bookmark SOURCE reports.

[broadstreet zone=”53230″]

FRAMINGHAM – The deadline to apply to the Christa McAuliffe Charter School for the 2023-24 school year is approaching.

The deadline is 11:59 p.m. on January 27, 2023.

The blind lottery for 127 sixth grade spots will be held on February 1. There will be a few spots available for seventh grade and grade 8.

The cost to attend the charter school is free.

“If there are open seats and no waitlist, we will conduct a lottery. If there are no open seats or if there is an active waitlist, a lottery will not be held that month. However, any lottery applications from that month will be included in the next month’s lottery. We will continue to run lotteries until we no longer have seats to fill,” said the school.

To register for the lottery click here.

The regional public middle school is holding an in-person information session on Thursday, January 12 from 6 to 7:30 p.m.

Recently, the interim Director of the School resigned for personal reasons.

[broadstreet zone=”54526″]

“The Board of Trustees is working hand in hand with staff to quickly bring in a qualified interim Executive Director to oversee operations of the school,” said Christa McAuliffe Charter Board Chair Bob Berman of Framingham. “During this short time without a Director we have a strong leadership team in place that is well equipped to handle day to day operations and any issues that may arise.”

The Christa McAuliffe Charter School is a regional public middle school for students in grades 6-7-8. McAuliffe is a credentialed EL Education school.

“McAuliffe’s hands-on curriculum inspires high achievement through active learning, character growth, and teamwork. McAuliffe is a diverse community of engaged, motivated learners — scholars and adults alike. At McAuliffe, scholars take ownership of their learning, guided by creative, passionate adults who navigate the balancing act of challenge and support. Our community values independence and individuality, while practicing collaboration, inclusivity, and acceptance. The EL Education model challenges scholars to think critically and to take active roles in their classrooms and communities, resulting in higher achievement and greater engagement in school,” according to the school.

The school does a lot of outside the box learning, including trips in nature and whitewater river rafting.

The school has eight core communities – Framingham, Ashland, Natick, Sudbury, Holliston, Hopkinton, Southborough, and Marlborough. Students in those communities are given preference in the blind lottery admission process.

The McAuliffe Charter School, according to the Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education has about 330 students in grades 6-7-8.

Ninety percent of the students come from the City of Framingham, said the school’s Director of Admissions and Community Outreach Gary Alpert.

[broadstreet zone=”58893″]

[broadstreet zone=”59946″]

The teacher to student ratio is 11-1, said Alpert

The school is a public school so it accepts students with individualized education plans (IEPs) and 504 plans. One in 20 students at the school have a disability, according to Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE).

According to DESE, 35% of the students, English is not their first language and more than half are considered low-income.

Of the roughly 300 students at the school, 35% are Hispanic, according to DESE

[broadstreet zone=”53130″]

Why Choose Christa McAuliffe Charter?

“We are having a great experience at McAuliffe. My daughter likes to go to middle school – that blows me away! I’ve seen real growth in my daughter in her time at McAuliffe – academically, socially, and in her ability to take responsibility and advocate for herself as a student,” said Framingham parent Betsy Fishman.

“I like that McAuliffe focuses on more than academics. The students need to be able to apply what they learn to the real world, and they give them opportunities to explore this through interesting projects and problems to solve. Another thing that makes McAuliffe unique is Crew. It is a wonderful place where the kids can explore who they are and what matters to them as they grow up,” said Fishman, who heads the Parent-Teacher Group at the school.

“The staff is very caring and invested in the kids. They treat the kids with respect and find lots of ways to connect with them. As a parent, I find it easy to reach teachers and they respond quickly, which I really appreciate. I’ve seen that the teachers are great at tailoring lessons to each student and making sure that the material is understood by everyone. I’ve observed that they regularly go above and beyond,”said Fishman.

[broadstreet zone=”58610″]

“To me, McAuliffe is all about our students taking a leadership role in their own education,” said Berman, whose son and daughter attended the school. “Student led parent/teacher conferences begin right away in 6th grade, empowering the students early on to set high goals for themselves and succeed in meeting those goals. They enter high school with the skills to advocate for their own learning. Both of my children attended McAuliffe, and in their own very different ways used the experience as a strong jumping off point for very successful educational careers.”

“Afterschool Enrichment classes are really interesting and affordable at McAuliffe,” added Fishman. “From dance and theater to gardening, cooking, mountain climbing, Dungeons & Dragons and American Sign Language, students are given an opportunity to explore all kinds of things. Honestly, I wish I could take some of the classes.”

Fishman said she likes that “McAuliffe is a smaller school — and its own district — which allows McAuliffe to be more nimble. If an issue arises, it is solved quickly and creatively. The staff really works as a team, not only with each other, but with families, as well. It’s nice to see that.”