Last Tuesday night, Mosaica, the Ohio Council of Community Schools (authorizer of five of our schools in Ohio), and STAR Academy (the school we manage in Toledo) co-hosted the Ohio premiere of Waiting for Superman, the highly praised film that won the Audience Award for Best Documentary at this year’s Sundance Film Festival.  The movie investigates the crisis in public education and documents our national failure to provide quality schooling to generations of inner city students, which it contrasts with the hope presented by high-performing charter schools.  The capacity audience included most of the STAR staff and board, as well as a number of other local educators and community leaders. There was also a post-screening discussion that gave voice to the raw passions evoked by this movie.

It is an impressive and inspirational movie.  Alternately edifying and heartrending, it is both charming and maddening – a motivational tour de force for what we do.  The topic is admittedly more complicated than can be dealt with fully or in depth in a hundred minutes – this is, after all, an elegantly structured, gripping and empathetic work of art, not an emotionless treatise – but by highlighting some of the issues, it will hopefully function as a catalyst to coalesce forces to create change for the better.

The film, which tracks the families of five students hoping to secure spaces in charter schools, includes interviews with some of our colleagues in the education reform movement, as well as with journalists, school district superintendents, union leaders and others.  It portrays the nation’s public schools as dysfunctional institutions, plagued by inconsistent policies and competing programs from federal, state and local agencies, and ill-served by teachers’ unions focused more on defending ineffective teachers than on enhancing student achievement.  (Variety says the movie makes Randi Weingarten, President of the American Federation of Teachers, look like “a foaming satanic beast.”)  A poignant quote from Geoffrey Canada and vintage clips from the ‘50’s TV version of Superman inspired the title, and John Legend provides a theme song.

The film’s director, Davis Guggenheim, also happened to direct An Inconvenient Truth, the Al Gore documentary on climate change that won an Academy Award.  He is skilled at taking mind-numbingly complex issues and changing the way people think about them.  Mr. Guggenheim undoubtedly has an agenda here – detractors have charged that he twists facts to fit that agenda – but it’s ultimately a captivating and emotional story about people attempting to find excellent schools.  To be sure, there are some factual errors – for example, it implies that Harlem Success Academy is the brainchild of Geoffrey Canada, even though it is actually unrelated to Canada’s Harlem Children’s Zone – and some may object to the hostile manner in which the film depicts relationships in the past between traditional public schools and charters or to the implication that the work at charter schools is magic.  But I don’t think the imperfections should detract from its power.

At Team Mosaica, of course, we know there are no silver bullets.  There is nothing mysterious about our achievements. It’s simply relentless effort by great teachers in a supportive environment, with high expectations and no excuses.  But if this movie is dismissed as polemic, its potential for good will be dead on arrival.  A commitment to transformational change in the way public education is delivered in the United States is fundamental to our future, necessary if the United States is to compete in the global economy, and critical to enable individual human beings be all that they can be.  This movie will serve an important purpose if its call to action motivates opinion leaders to support educational entrepreneurism, if it enhances parental involvement and community participation in schools, or if it refuels reformers’ passion.  At the very least, let’s hope it consolidates the country’s hearts, minds and political will to get the job done.

I urge you to see it and to partake in the conversations it will generate.  It will remind you why we do what we do, and why being allowed to educate children is a privilege we should respect.

Columbus, OH. (October 11, 2010) – The Ohio Department of Education (ODE) has recognized Columbus Preparatory Academy (CPA), as a School of Excellence.

According to the ODE, CPA earned this recognition by meeting nine of the 15 state indicators, with a performance index of 91.8. The performance index is a weighted average used by ODE, which reflects the achievement of every student enrolled for the full academic year.

CPA had made great gains; and in just a year, the academy raised their ranking of “Continuous Improvement” to “Excellent,” in all 15 of state indicators. In addition, CPA also earned a 100 percent attendance rate on their State Report Card and met Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) standards.

CPA is located at 3330 Chippewa Street Columbus, Ohio 43204.

About Mosaica Education, Inc.
Mosaica Education, Inc. is a global leader in education reform. Mosaica-managed schools have yielded superior academic results to date by utilizing a unique school design, which combines a proprietary curriculum Paragon®, with state-of-the-art technology.

Mosaica has served more than 40,000 students in the last 13 years. It currently operates  over 80 elementary, middle and high school programs in seven states, the District of Columbia and internationally.  Mosaica is using its years of experience working with schools in the U.S. to develop independent and private schools around the world, that provide quality education programs tailored to their particular needs and cultures.

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Atlanta, Ga. (Mosaica Education, Inc.) October 5, 2010 – Chad Carr, Regional Vice President was recently recognized by Partners for Success and Innovation (PSI) for his work on strategically increasing academic achievement in Columbus area schools. PSI offers high-quality services to help students improve their grades, attitudes, health and behavior.

Carr currently works a dual-role; he serves as the Regional Vice President for six Mosaica network schools in Ohio and the Chief Administrative Officer for Columbus Preparatory Academy (CPA). CPA is located at 1850 Airport Highway, Toledo, OH. 43609.

Carr played a key role in boosting student achievement at CPA. Under his leadership, the school made continuous gains. In 2007, the overall school academic performance score was a modest 67. The academic performance score increased to 69, in 2008, and 83 in 2009. By 2010, CPA’s overall school academic performance soared to 92.

As a result of Carr’s exceptional leadership skills, he received the Mosaica Education Regional Vice President of the Year, last year, and the Rising Star Award, the previous year.

To read the article online, click here.

About Mosaica Education, Inc.
Mosaica Education, Inc. is a global leader in education reform. Mosaica-managed schools have yielded superior academic results to date by utilizing a unique school design, which combines a proprietary curriculum Paragon®, with state-of-the-art technology.

Mosaica has served more than 40,000 students in the last 13 years. It currently operates  over 80 elementary, middle and high school programs in seven states, the District of Columbia and internationally.  Mosaica is using its years of experience working with schools in the U.S. to develop independent and private schools around the world, that provide quality education programs tailored to their particular needs and cultures.

Chicago, Ill. (Mosaica Education, Inc.) September 24, 2010 – Chicago Public Schools recently recognized Frazier Preparatory Academy, a public charter school in Chicago, Ill., for the second highest gains on the Illinois Standards Achievement Test (ISAT) among all charter and contract schools.

According to achievement data, 70.2 percent of students met or excelled in the ISAT as compared to 56.4 percent, in 2009. This is a 13.8 percent increase, and the second largest percentage increase, or gain, among the all charter and contract elementary schools, in Chicago.

“Our academic gains are the result of the hard work and dedication of our leadership and teaching teams,” said Lakita Little, chief administrating officer for Frazier. “We provide rigorous, standards-based, data-driven instruction and it yields academic growth.”

About Frazier Preparatory Academy

Frazier Preparatory Academy is a school of choice, open to all students residing in Chicago, Ill. The school incorporates a core curriculum with the Paragon Curriculum and a magnet-like, arts and technology focus that links core learning with multiple learning styles. Core curriculum includes top rated, phonics-based Open Court Reading, SRA Math (the nation’s top-rated math program), Harcourt Brace Science and Spanish.

The Paragon curriculum is interdisciplinary, engaging, discovery-based and multi-cultural. The hands-on approach of Paragon addresses the multiple intelligences and individual learning styles. This enhances students’ communication skills, analysis and self-expression.

Visit Frazier online, at http://frazierprep.org/.

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Phoenix, AZ August 6, 2010 – Mercury Online will open to Arizona students in grades K- 8 on August 16, 2010,. Mercury Online Academy offers a hybrid approach to education, by combining the benefits of a face-to-face learning with the flexibility of the online environment. These components make Mercury Online an innovative and unique approach to educating today’s students.

“Online education has changed drastically over the years,” said Gene Eidelman co-founder of Mercury AZ and President of Mercury Education, Inc. “With Mercury, instead of having a teacher lecturing students you have a teacher responding to the individual needs of your child, via the internet.”

Mercury Online Academy is a member of the Mosaica Education, Inc. network of schools, and uses the innovative Paragon© Curriculum, which is fully aligned with Arizona State standards. Paragon© combines the rigor of classical education with the relevance required by contemporary society. Students learn about character, ethics, empathy and self-esteem by studying the world’s great heroes, both canonical and unsung, and by stepping into the shoes of great historical figures, both real and imaginary.

Mercury AZ is open for enrollment for the 2010-11 school year. The academy offers teacher-directed online instruction at home or at one of the Mercury Tech centers. The two centers are located in Phoenix, AZ., at partner schools:

Ahwatukee Foothills Prep
10210 S. 50th Pl
Phoenix, AZ 85044

Humanities and Sciences Institute
5201 N. 7th Street
Phoenix, Arizona 85014
Classes this year will begin on August 16th, 2010. For more information on how to enroll at Mercury Online Academy of Arizona, visit http://mercuryaz.org.

Mosaica Education, Inc. would like to invite parents across the nation to enroll their children in one of our tuition-free, college prep, charter schools for the 2010-2011 school year.

Enrollment is now open to all Mosaica network schools, located in Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C., for students residing in the respective school districts.

All Mosaica school implements a thematic, interactive program that incorporates multiple learning styles. Mornings are dedicated to building solid skills in the core subject areas of reading, writing, math and science. While the afternoons are reserved for foreign language, music, physical education and a daily 90-minute block of the content-rich Paragon curriculum.

The Paragon curriculum is interdisciplinary, engaging, discovery-based and multi-cultural. The hands-on approach of Paragon addresses the multiple intelligences and individual learning styles. This enhances students’ communication skills, analysis and self-expression.

Mosaica schools also offer an emotionally and physically safe learning environment, access to computers and technology, committed and qualified teachers and staff and encourage parental involvement. Teachers will conduct regular goal setting conferences with individual children and their parents, to ensure the student’s success.

To find out more about each school and the grades offered, click here. It is imperative that parents submit enrollment applications for each student planning to enroll, as early as possible.

Mercury Online Academy of Southern California was recently featured on the morning segment of San Diego Living. Gene Eidelman, President and Co-Founder of Mosaica Education, Inc., discussed the success of the program as well as the unique benefits of online learning. View the video clip now:

San Diego Living Segment

About Mercury Online Academy of Southern California: Mercury Online Academy of Southern California is a tuition-free public charter school that combines high quality online instruction with essential face-to-face learning.  Highly qualified credentialed teachers deliver the online Mercury program to students at home or at one of our Technology Resource Centers. This opens up the best online educational opportunities from any location with an internet connection.

For more information on Mercury Online or to enroll in the program visit: http://mercuryonlineacademy.com.

ATLANTA, GA. (Mosaica Education, Inc.) July 23, 2010 – Gene Eidelman, President and Co-Founder of Mosaica Education, Inc., will be among other top leaders in education participating in a panel discussion at the Education Industry Association’s (EIA) EdVentures 20th anniversary conference.

Eidelman will participate in the “Legends: Two Decades of Leadership in Education,” panel for the EdVentures 20th anniversary conference, July 22 to 24, at Chicago, Ill. The conference will host more than 450 senior executives, business owners and educational leaders seeking office solutions, academic materials and assessment tools

“It’s an honor to participate in the Legends panel,” Eidelman said. “My hope is to encourage educational entrepreneurs to lead transformational change in education, taking place today around the world.”

Eidelman is responsible Co-founder and President for Mosaica Education, Inc. a global education company. In 1999, the Junior Chamber International selected him as one of the Ten Outstanding Young People of the World. He is a member of the Board of Georgia Charter School Association and the Coalition for Educational Choice. In 2009, Eidelman and his wife, Dawn were named Entrepreneurs of the Year, by EAI.

About the EIA
The EIA was formed in 1990 to serve entrepreneurs from these educational organizations that turned to each other for peer support, networking, professional development and advocacy. Today, EIA has more than 800 corporate and individual members and is the leading professional association for private providers of education services, suppliers and other private organizations who are stakeholders in education.

Atlanta, GA (Mosaica Education, Inc.) April 1, 2010 – Last night, Atlanta Preparatory Academy (APA) held a reception and Paragon night for its school community. City of Atlanta, Mayor Kasim Reed and other local community leaders were in attendance. The academy is located at 569 Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive NW, Atlanta, GA 30314.

Paragon Night, is a time to showcase what the students have learned in their Paragon studies. Paragon Nights are widely attended by the community and feature music, art and performances led by students. The theme for the event was the French and American Revolutions. The next Paragon Night will be April 5th at 5pm.

About Atlanta Preparatory Academy
Atlanta Preparatory Academy is a K-6 charter school for students residing within the Atlanta Public School district. Atlanta Preparatory Academy offers a college preparatory experience to all students at no cost.

On March 10th, Mosaica Education, Inc. will sponsor the 8th Annual Georgia Charter School Association Conference Welcome Reception. The reception will be held at the Marietta Hilton Hotel & Conference Center from 4:30pm -7:30pm.

The 8th Annual Georgia Charter Schools Conference, held March 10-12th, is the only statewide meeting for Georgia’s charter community. More than 400 teachers, administrator, parents, lawmakers and charter school supporters are expected to attend the conference.