It is great to see my school profiled as a Top News story in today's Herald. 
Education Alternative
Sarah McGinnisCalgary Herald
Monday, May 07, 2007
Matthew Riddell signed up for a private high school because he knew he struggled with math and science.
Weeks before classes started, the then 15-year-old was dropped from the program.
They didn't have enough teaching support to help him in his trouble subjects, he said.
Riddell was frustrated. He has cerebral palsy and didn't want to fall through the cracks as his classmates moved on towards graduation. Then, a friend at the Alberta Children's Hospital told him about Calgary's Alternative High School. She described a place where students learn at their own pace in small classes from teachers who focus on more than tests or grades.
"This school makes me want to wake up in the morning. It makes me feel welcome," Riddell said two years after starting at Alternative High. "This school is going to make me who I am in the future."
Ensuring that almost every Alberta student makes it to graduation day has become top priority for Alberta Education. Last year, 77.4 per cent of Alberta students completed high school within five years of entering Grade 10. Ultimately, the province wants at least nine out of 10 students to get their high school diploma.
This week, Alberta Education released a report on high school completion rates that stresses the need for community mentoring and innovative learning styles to meet the new targets.
The stakes are high. A person without a high school education is expected to earn $1 million less over their lifetime than someone with a post-secondary education, according to Alberta Education.
The lure of making instant money in a booming economy is enticing too many teens out of school, said Alberta Education Minister Ron Liepert.
"Alberta youth can earn so much money doing jobs today they are not going to like doing 10 years from now. I think (finishing high school) is more important today than it has ever been. Our challenge is to find out how we do it," said Liepert.
Alternative High School has become a model for keeping at-risk kids in class.
It's a small school with only about 120 students compared to 1,200 to 1,500 at most other senior highs. A relaxed college-campus atmosphere permeates the building. Teens weave in and out of classrooms with travel coffee cups in hand. There are no bells or buzzers indicating when lessons start or end. They tried using them for a few weeks, but the students didn't like it, explains Sean Elliott, 18.
Creating a small community feel is crucial to helping these students succeed, said Alternative High School principal John Fischer.
Teachers pull double duty, offering a full course load while acting as mentors to their pupils. Many kids need the extra support because sometimes life gets in the way of school, he said.
Fischer has students who have recently lost parents or siblings. There are kids who miss months of school to treat serious medical conditions and teens who are battling drug and alcohol addictions.
"There are kids out there who are homeless. Their parents are homeless. How are they supposed to complete high school when they're constantly moving from place to place," said Fischer.
Solving Alberta's drop out problem will mean attacking social issues that prevent kids from focusing on academics, he said.
Sixteen-year-old Brittany Neilson gives her friend a quick hug before joining a group of students hovering near the main entrance.
She likes that cliques don't exist at Alternative High. The semi-circle of students is a kaleidoscope of fashion choices. There are piercings, dreadlocks and black trench coats mixing with oversized T-shirts and jeans.
"Nobody here calls me sasquatch," said Neilson, who is at least six feet tall. "I don't come to school to be harassed."
For Mike Elliott, 16, having a voice in how his school is run keeps him coming back.
Rules at the Alternative High School are voted on by the entire student body. Once a week, everyone gathers in the gym for a general meeting. Students and staff can present and debate motions, but students must be included in the vote.
The democratic policy makes students take ownership of their school.
Instead of feeling pushed around by teachers and staff, "I have a say," said Mike Elliott.
The cluster of teens are quick to point out the value of strict rules and clear punishments for those whose actions are unacceptable. The school has a drug contract. Everyone promises not to drink or do drugs within 24 hours of being at school. Talk of partying or drinking over weekends is also prohibited.
It's not just teachers who are looking for violators, said Sean Elliott. Students are so focused on maintaining a drug-free environment they won't stand for classmates breaking the rules.
For Mike Elliott, the most effective aspect of Alternative High School is making learning individual. MacBeth can be taught through movies and comic books if Shakespearian language proves too challenging. Students can work at their own pace, suggesting topics of interest to keep them engaged.
"This is a school for people who hated normal school," said Mike Elliott. "We need more of them."
smcginnis@theherald.canwest.com
© The Calgary Herald 2007