The Little School That Could

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Shining Rock Classical Academy: Haywood County, North Carolina’s first public charter school.

On August 19, 2003, after an incredibly long, grueling, and everything-that-I-didn’t expect-to-happen labor, I gave birth to my first child, Aidan. It was love at first sight.

Twelve years to the day after his birth, after another incredibly long, grueling, and everything-that-I-didn’t expect-to-happen laborious effort, I helped “deliver” a new school to our community. It too was love at first sight.

The night before school started, Aidan told me he was excited that Shining Rock opened on his birthday because it was “the best gift ever.” I’m going to assume he wasn’t referencing how I may have permanently scarred him by my homeschooling efforts. 😉

Our county’s public schools do an amazing job achieving their goals. Anyone who disputes that is simply ignoring the facts. Two of my own children have had the privilege of experiencing this at Junaluska Elementary with the loving and competent guidance of Kristie Easler, Stephanie Mehaffey, and Jessica Ottie (as well as other teachers who provided ancillary services). I appreciate every single day my children had with these amazing women and at this school.

So then what’s the issue, you might ask? Why would I spend the last three years of my life, pouring countless hours into unpaid work to create a new type of school, all while facing ongoing criticism and skepticism, if I believe that our schools achieve educational success? The answer requires a bit of a history lesson.

I won’t bore you with an explanation of why I started homeschooling–you can read it here if you’re curious. The reason I started the journey, however, is vastly different than the reason I continued. In short, the benefits and life lessons gleaned from incorporating regular experiential, place-based learning, especially if it involved time in the natural world, became just as important to me as them attending a school with even the highest ranking test scores.

It was this particular day that tipped the scale for me. Education could no longer be regularly limited to the confines of a classroom when the world was merely a few steps away–especially when the immediate world is western North Carolina. The effects of “breathing room” outdoors crossed the divide into our “classroom” at home, equipping my kids with a better sense of themselves and a deeper appreciation for environmental stewardship. It’s a reciprocal relationship with far reaching results.

And so began the dream of Shining Rock Classical Academy.

I do not presume to know the best educational approach for every child. Anything but, in fact. What I believe, however, is that one size does not fit all when it comes to education. My own three children are a testament to my belief in that statement, as I have chosen a unique path for each of them over the past six years.

Shining Rock was created for those who place value in the merit of our approach to learning. Our school will be great for some and others will decide they are more comfortable elsewhere. Neither option is “less than” the other and each are worthy of consideration. It would be hypocritical of me to assume I know the best route for someone else’s child and to admonish their choices, simply because it isn’t the path I chose for my own children.

There are valid criticisms of charter schools, just as there are valid criticisms of traditional public schools….and private schools…and parochial schools…and home schools. The point is that there is no perfect school or method of creating and operating them. We, like every other educational institution, will make mistakes along the way. As long as our successes significantly outweigh our failures though, my belief is that we are worthy of respect and for the chance to create something different than the status quo. I am thankful that we live in a country which gives us the freedom to take that chance.

Speaking of gratitude, I am thankful for the strong contingency of parents who were willing to take the risk on “outside the box thinking” and enroll their child in a school without history backing its name. It takes courage and trust to act in the face of uncertainty, and the galvanizing effect that has already created in our school is palpable. We are not just a school, we are a family, and we will succeed because of it.

I am thankful for the support of community members, family, and networks, for they have seen the value in our mission and embrace it with us–whether it be through a donation for our fundraiser, volunteering time or resources, or simply sharing a kind word. My gratitude runs deep.

I am thankful for our teachers and staff, who practice what they preach and do it with a smile on their face. They too took a risk on a new school, leaving secure jobs and stable lives. Now that I am intimately acquainted with a “day in the life of a teacher,” I am even more disheartened by how undervalued our teachers in this country are, by way of salary scales. It is a testament to their passion for alternative education that they took a chance on us. They, of course, are why we have been so well received by our parents and supporters from day one.

I am thankful for Ben Butler, our principal. His dedication, eternal optimism, determination, and belief in every child’s abilities inspires me. His immense love for our school and every individual in it is evident daily.

I am thankful for Lake Junaluska Assembly. Their decision to give us a temporary home was nothing more to them than a business transaction. For me, however, it symbolized much more than that, as it gave our school its start.

Most importantly, I am thankful for the 226 children whose beautiful faces I see every day when I walk into the school. In years to come, I will grow to love many students, but only these will hold this sacred place in my heart, whose presence made the dream into a reality.

The little school that could, and can, and will.

If there is no struggle, there is no progress. ~Frederick Douglass1500K for Shining Rock Update

I can’t hold in the excitement of sharing the good news that our family has completed nearly every step of our 1500 kilometer goal! We have less than a mile remaining before we are finished with our fundraising hikes!My commitment and work for Shining Rock is a daily endeavor, and I’m thankful I have the flexibility in my schedule to help it succeed. Regular blogging about our family hikes has had to take the back burner temporarily to more pressing matters; however, there are pending posts to reflect hikes we have completed over the summer on an epic family vacation that we hope inspires others to travel the same paths. I promise, they’ll be posted soon. .

For now, here’s how the mileage shakes out and a sneak peak of what’s to come with blog posts:

Miles Hiked in Yellowstone National Park: 176.5
Miles Hiked in Grand Teton National Park: 115.8Miles remaining: 0.8!!!

To date, we have reached 76.2% of our $25,000 goal for Shining Rock Classical Academy’s experiential programming!! THANK YOU to all of you who have contributed–your donations have already been put to work with school-wide and individual classroom field trips!

If you’ve been waiting until the end to contribute, to make sure we made good on our promise, I think it’s safe to say we’ll succeed! Here’s how you can help with our mission to provide engaging, educational, and downright awesome opportunities for our students, especially for those who might not otherwise have these experiences in their lives:

1. Send a check to 222 Methodist Drive, Lake Junaluska, NC 28745, made out to Shining Rock Classical Academy.

2. Click on this link and you’ll be taken to Crowd Rise, an online fundraising website, where you can donate with a credit card.

All contributions are tax deductible and we will send you a receipt with our 501c3 information

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