School has marks of success

Today, there are 300 kids in downtown Charleston studying the possibilities of biomedical sciences, dissecting complex algebraic formulae, and talking about Alfred Wegener's theory of continental drift.

You know, just your typical middle school stuff.

These students are sitting in clean, well-lighted trailers practicing decidedly 21st-century education. In some classes, they don't even use textbooks; they have laptops.

Although still in its infancy, this is an impressive place. Take a tour and you'll find a motivated faculty, interested students, involved parents.

By the way, this is a public school.

It's hard to understand why anyone would have a problem with another good school, open to the public, on the peninsula. But ever since a group of parents had the idea for the Charleston Charter School for Math and Science, people have been taking potshots.

There have been folks -- including officials with the NAACP -- who say this is an attempt to resegregate county schools and eventually take over the old Rivers Middle School building.

It sure doesn't look that way -- it looks more like a success story in the making.

More than numbers

Critics say the charter school threatens the chances of a planned downtown technical school. But Math and Science officials welcome the idea of the Lowcountry Technical Academy of Health, Human and Public Services, saying it fits well with their biomedical sciences curriculum.

It appears there is plenty of room for both at Rivers. Math and Science plans to cap enrollment at 480; Rivers would hold more than 700 students, not including all those well-appointed trailers.

Much of this controversy seems unfounded. The truth is, Math and Science couldn't be more diverse: 49 percent of the students are black, 44 percent are white.

These kids come from all over the county, and slots are awarded by lottery. The student body and, frankly, its board look like Charleston.

The school needs a more diverse faculty, but Principal David Colwell, who was formerly at North Charleston High, has never failed to increase diversity in his school staff. Most believe he will do the same here.

Numbers are nice, but the real story is in the classrooms. There, you don't see black kids and white kids -- you see students who mix and mingle in class and could not care less about racial politics.

Maybe they should give lessons.

A good idea

This is the kind of concept that could help steer kids into careers that are in high demand and pay well, something South Carolina could certainly use.

For some time now, some activists and politicians have been trying to divert money from public schools to fund vouchers to send more kids to private schools. These folk claim public schools are going to have to be more competitive. This school seems pretty competitive.

So people ought to calm down, sit back and see what happens. This could be a good thing for public education in more ways than one.

Reach Brian Hicks at 937-5561 or bhicks@postandcourier.com. Read more columns by Brian Hicks here.