See Jack learn

Amy and Theron DesRosier of Moscow did a lot of homework before deciding to send their son to the region's newest charter school.

Enrolling 5-year-old Jack in Palouse Prairie School of Expeditionary Learning boiled down to the school's innovative approach to education rather than an aversion to the traditional public school system, said Amy DesRosier.

"Probably because we've got lots of experience and we're older parents, we've been very careful about every choice we make for Jack," said the 43-year-old mother of one. "I read about expeditionary learning and I was very intrigued. Even though the school is not up and running yet, I think the concept sounds incredible, and I want to give it a whirl."

She and her husband, 48, are among a growing number of Idaho parents enrolling their children in tuition-free charter schools. Six new public charter schools are slated to open across the state this fall, including the Palouse Prairie School in Moscow, which will serve up to 87 students.

In addition, Moscow is home to the oldest charter school in the state. The Moscow Charter School is beginning its 11th year, and enrollment this fall is at 142 in kindergarten through sixth grade.

DesRosier said her nephew attends the Moscow Charter School and loves it. "It's really changed his attitude toward school," she said.

Touted as adventure-based education that involves hands-on exploration and a project-oriented environment, expeditionary learning is the primary appeal of the new school, said DesRosier. She believes the style will suit her son well.

" Jack is a high-octane kid, very active, and I want to foster his passion for learning and keep his natural curiosity and inquiry intact. These years are precious, and I just want the most I can get for him."

A creative director for Ednetics in Post Falls, DesRosier telecommutes from her home in Moscow. The company provides technology solutions to the education community. Her husband is a design consultant at the Center for Teaching, Learning and Technology at Washington State University.

The other parents involved in the new charter school are equally passionate about their children's education and the learning style that will be offered, DesRosier said.

Nils Peterson, board chairman, works as assistant director at the Center for Teaching, Learning and Technology at WSU. He's invested about three years into getting Palouse Prairie up and running, and his 8-year-old daughter will be attending the school when it opens.

"For me it's not about charter schools, it's about school reform," Peterson said, "and expeditionary learning is a powerful model."

Summer Clayton, the new director, recently moved to Idaho from Atlanta, Ga. She has not worked in a charter school before, but she has experience in a public school system that embraced the expeditionary learning-style model. The model is currently being used in schools in Boise, Pocatello, Spokane and Kettle Falls, Wash.

"We will still be using Idaho standards, but we can take our students deeper and give our students an authentic audience," Clayton said.

An example of the learning style is a math lesson that involves giving fifth-grade students budgets, she said. One may be a given a doctor's salary to work with, another gets a carpenter salary and someone else gets a restaurant worker's salary. They each research their dream car and have to figure out monthly payments, interest rates and other real-world computations, she said.

At the end of the assignment, they'll know how much their dream car will cost and whether they can afford it on their budget, Clayton said. Teachers may incorporate the arts by having the students draw cars or make models and write letters to their parents asking for a loan.

More information on the education model, enrollment and the school's philosophy is available online at www.palouseprairieschool.org. The Palouse Prairie School of Expeditionary Learning is located at 105 Lauder Ave. in the former Brown's Furniture building.

The school opens on Sept. 2, and like many kindergartners in the region, Jack's looking forward to his first day. "I'm excited to make new friends," he said.

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Sandaine may be contacted at kerris@lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2264.