EVERY FAMILY DESERVES A CHOICE
Not every parent can choose where a son or daughter goes to school. But when you have the freedom to make a choice – to choose a safe, structured environment with teachers who are dedicated to the ideal of helping each child reach his or her truest potential – great things can happen!

CHOICE
The Worcester area offers a wide range of educational choices – public schools, parochial schools, and private schools. But financial realities mean that not all choices are available to all families. Abby Kelley Foster Charter Public School was founded by a group of community leaders in Worcester dedicated to offering expanded choice in public education and to modeling innovation for the improvement of all public schools. We believe that every family should be able to choose the school that is best for their child, and we believe that public education can be of the very highest quality. Abby Kelley Foster accepts students chosen by a lottery system, without regard to financial status, educational background, academic ability, race, or other qualifying factors.

ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE
Every child deserves the fullest opportunity to achieve lasting success. At AKF, we set the bar high and work with each student to instill the inner conviction that he or she has the resources to live up to and even exceed such exacting standards. This approach is central to our philosophy of a rigorous, classical liberal arts education. When skilled, caring, dedicated teachers, in partnership with parents, work intensely with students to bring out their best, the results are impressive. For the second year in a row, Abby Kelley Foster achieved AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress), which measures student progress toward proficiency in English language arts and mathematics. This is an important indicator of success toward meeting the national goals set forth in the No Child Left Behind Act. Our Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) scores continue to rank favorably when compared to local public schools. But test scores tell only part of the story; our success is further evident in the level of academic engagement of our students, and in their positive attitudes toward learning. Students leave Abby Kelley Foster prepared to succeed in college and in life.

CULTURE
Ask teachers and parents what they believe to be the signature of Abby Kelley Foster, and most will tell you it’s the culture. There is a distinctive feel here, and it permeates the life of the school. You first notice it when you see students in attractive uniforms lining up in the hallways and transitioning between classrooms in an orderly and respectful manner. Then, it becomes even clearer when you see students quickly take their seats and become fully engaged in learning. Ours is a nurturing culture of structure, civility, order, mutual respect, and purpose, and it works because students and teachers consciously and collectively buy into the concept. Everyone has a stake in supporting and fostering this culture, creating an environment of focused education and personal growth. Teachers and students collaborate in a setting that is devoted to learning and that is largely free of the many kinds of distractions students often face. Make the choice to come and experience it for yourself.

CLASSICAL LIBERAL ARTS CURRICULUM
The philosophy of the classical liberal arts education is that a fully cultured human being is one who fulfills his or her personal potential no matter the ability level. Our goal at Abby Kelley Foster is to cultivate the unique strengths of each child so that he or she can realize this individual ideal. We believe that by immersing every student in music, the arts, foreign languages, and the great works of western civilization, we will immeasurably enrich each of their lives. No matter what students go on to pursue in their careers, the skills, personal qualities, and sensitivities they gain in studying the liberal arts will enhance every aspect of their lives. The liberal arts will help them become well-rounded adults who lead lives of greater fulfillment and interest. Highlights of the classical liberal arts curriculum at Abby Kelley Foster include a rich and comprehensive music and arts program, an interdisciplinary focus on character education, the study of Latin as a graduation requirement, and an extended school day and year.

CHARACTER EDUCATION
We believe that character education and academic learning are inseparable. Our mission, steeped in the classical liberal arts tradition, is to cultivate each student to achieve the fullest expression of his or her human potential. Lessons about the classical virtues of truth, honesty, perseverance, kindness, fairness, courage, respect, friendship, citizenship, and self-discipline are consistently woven throughout the curriculum, particularly within English Language Arts. Students grow and mature as young women and men while developing the personal qualities necessary for academic success. It is not enough to teach math, science, and history; students must also learn how to be good citizens and learners. The classical liberal arts approach to education not only develops the mind; it also builds sound character. Character education happens in many ways and in many places. It happens in the classroom, on the basketball court, – even in the hallways. It is part of the essential fabric of Abby Kelley Foster. It is found in the distinctive culture of the school. It’s in the unique way we do things. Our commitment is to helping parents raise students who can learn how to learn, who will enjoy learning for a lifetime, and who will contribute positively to their communities.

THE ARTS
Abby Kelley Foster believes a rich arts program contributes to students’ creativity and cognitive abilities, and helps to promote students’ success in math, reading, and other academic areas. The fine and performing arts are an essential component of the classical liberal arts philosophy. From Kindergarten through grade 12, students are exposed to a breadth and depth of artistic expression not often found in schools. Abby Kelley Foster has a comprehensive arts program that lets students explore the visual arts, music (with emphases on music theory, history, and performance), and dance. In the Abby Kelley Foster environment, many students who may not have had the chance to explore their creativity previously discover that they possess great artistic talents and enjoy developing them.

FACULTY
Teachers make the difference. Our strong curriculum and progressive pedagogical methods provide the structure, but it is our dedicated and caring teachers who make the academic program come alive for our students. Teachers choose to teach at Abby Kelley Foster because they believe teaching is a vocation, a way to make a difference in the lives of children. They, too, believe every family deserves a choice. In the supportive, respectful, and structured environment of Abby Kelley Foster, teachers can devote themselves to the mission of bringing out the best in each child. Here they have the freedom to craft innovative curricula and to utilize creative teaching methods to engage their students. Teachers come to Abby Kelley Foster from many backgrounds. Some become teachers through traditional means; others come to the profession as a second career, bringing a diversity of valuable experiences and fresh perspectives to the Abby Kelley Foster classroom. All share a commitment to offering the best possible education to all children, and all share in the belief that every child can reach his or her potential.

RESPONSIVENESS
There is no “one size fits all” approach to educating children. Children learn in different ways. Children have different learning styles, strengths, weaknesses, and needs, which change over time. Through smaller classes, mastery level teaching, ability grouping, small group instruction, and individual attention, Abby Kelley Foster works to meet the specific educational needs of each child. As a charter public school, Abby Kelly Foster has the freedom to create its own curricula. This means that as students’ needs change, the school can respond, not only on an individual basis, but at the classroom or grade level. As we practice our core philosophy of setting expectations high to lift our students up, we start with where they are now and build appropriately from that point.

PARENT ENGAGEMENT
We believe that children learn best when the educational process is a collaboration between teachers and parents. The partnership between the school and parents lies at the heart of Abby Kelley Foster Charter Public School. In fact, the school’s mission is to “assist parents in their role as primary educators of their children by providing a classical liberal arts education grounded in the great works of Western Civilization and aimed at academic excellence, musical competence, and character formation.” We encourage parents to participate in the education of their children and in the life of the school in many ways. Parents attend parent-teacher conferences, volunteer at school events, serve within our parents’ organization, and participate in many other school-related activities. Abby Kelley Foster also offers educational opportunities, such as computer courses, for parents who desire them. This helps parents to partner more closely with the school in educating their children.