'I Dream Big Academy' again seeks MPS nod for charter school

A proposed charter school that’s attempted twice before to get approval from the Montgomery school board pitched a newly shaped plan Thursday night, hoping to launch I Dream Big Academy for sixth to 12th grade in the fall of 2024.

Montgomery Public Schools Board of Education hosted public forum for potential new charter school on Thursday night. The applicant, I Dream Big Academy, explained plans to open a sixth through 12th grade school that could open fall 2024, if approved.

A vote will take place whether or not to authorize the school before the end of January.

The charter school is in its third application cycle with the district, according to MPS Charter School Liaison Dr. Vernet Nettles. In their first cycle, the board voted against their application due to financial concerns. Nettles said the school withdrew its application last school year in their second cycle.

Founder/ CEO and Head of School Angela Lang told nearly full house in the Central Office auditorium that the school had listened to feedback over the past two years. She said that she had heard 116 families express interest in the school.

Many audience members were wearing "I Dream Big" shirts.

"What we heard was a desire to provide a middle school option and increase opportunities for high school graduates to obtain jobs," Lang said.

Students would have the option to explore five career areas: construction; entrepreneurship; health; aerospace and aviation, and technology. Lang said they had identified these five areas after analyzing workplace data and industry needs in the area and state.

Lang explained that freshmen would begin connecting their interests to a career path, and, in tenth grade, would have the opportunity to take dual-enrollment courses to earn certifications in specialized technical fields. Those certifications would prepare them for internships and job shadow opportunities. By 12th grade, they would take on apprenticeships.

"We all know if you want your teenager to really work hard at something, it has to be something that they care about," she said.

The school would move into the former Virginia College campus on Atlanta Highway, at Bell Road.

MPS puts out a call for charter school applications each November. Nettles told reporters after the meeting that I Dream Big was the only applicant this year.

After the district vets the application — Nettles said it’s an internal process, not a public one — a public vote will be taken before the end of January. If a charter is approved, it would have a two-year window to open a school. Charter schools not approved by MPS can appeal to the state.

Previously, MPS has approved conversion charter schools, and LIFE Academy charter was approved in 2020.

Prior to MPS's role as an authorizer, the state approved LEAD Academy as Montgomery's first charter school.

Jemma Stephenson is the children and education reporter for the Montgomery Advertiser. She can be reached at jstephenson@gannett.com or 334-261-1569.

This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: 'I Dream Big Academy' again seeks MPS nod for charter school