WHAT'S NEW

• Millennium Charter High School Petition

BACKGROUND

The Millennium Charter High School is slated to open in the fall of 2012 with a freshmen class of 50 students. The school will be housed in the Media Center for Arts Education and Technology (MCAET) and will add one class each year until it spans grades 9-12 and a maximum enrollment of 200 students.

The Monterey County Office of Education has the role and responsibility to exercise leadership by applying its state-of-the-art media technology in advancing educational best practices. In this process, we will optimize use of our existing resources for the benefit of students and teachers countywide.

Funding for the school’s facilities will come from a part of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s award of $3.6 million in federal funding to MCOE for local technology projects. An additional $660,000 grant by the California Department of Education’s Career Technical High School program will be locally matched. And, funding of staff of the Millennium Charter High School will be through average daily attendance and other funding available to charter schools.

EVOLUTION OF MCOE’S INVOLVEMENT IN EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY

The road to the charter high school and MCAET has been long. The county office laid the groundwork back in the 70s with previous boards of education and in recent years administration and staff have continued to pave the way.

MCOE sought after federal grants that created the infrastructure of broadcast towers countywide and the existing television station was modernized to what is now known as MCAET. MCAET initiated the use of current technology and returned to offering educational opportunities and career training to students.

Today, Monterey County is uniquely positioned to conduct a widely recognized state-of-the-art program.

KEY BENEFITS OF MILLENNIUM CHARTER SCHOOL AND MCAET

The proposed new high school and MCAET boasts performing and visual arts in traditional formats integrated with core subjects so that students are able to better engage and understand real-world scenarios. Both also meet California state standards in arts and career technology, and model High Tech High in Southern California, as well as other charters schools throughout the country.

Not only will these educational structures provide opportunities for students, the high school and MCAET will offer professional development for teachers and serve as a benefit to our regional occupational program outside of school hours, enhancing the county office’s mission of providing professional development for teachers and administrators in three key ways:

• Serve as a demonstration site where teachers can conduct ongoing, practical demonstration of best practices and how they can incorporate them into their classrooms;
• Offer workshops featuring how technology and 21st century skills can be infused into all curriculum areas;
• Convene quarterly dialogues with interested teachers and administers to explore ideas and experiences that address the county’s educational challenges.    

The key benefits of MCAET include a digital media laboratory, television production, website and content development.