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High Tech High

Transforming Education for Today’s Youth

By Heather Petrek, Arts & Education Editor

Vision is imagination’s invitation to act on intuition, to construct new possibilities, and to open doors that turn dreams into reality. When High Tech High (HTH), a charter school founded by a group of San Diego business leaders and educators, first opened its doors in the year 2000, many high-schoolers’ aspirations of personal achievement and academic growth were realized. Larry Rosenstock, the founding principal and CEO of HTH, and Gary Jacobs, Chairman of HTH’s Board of Directors, were two of the original collaborators at the inception of an educational system that would prepare students for success in college and today’s business world.

Doors opened faster and faster as philanthropists across the nation saw the power of Rosenstock’s vision for education, propelling HTH into reality. Over the next few years, High Tech Middle opened at the former Navy Training Center in Point Loma, followed by HTH International, HTH Media Arts, and High Tech Middle Media Arts. In 2005, Explorer Elementary Charter School joined HTH, allowing High Tech to span grades K-12. HTH Chula Vista and HTH North County are new to the High Tech family.

In 2006, HTH was granted a statewide benefit charter, allowing the organization to open up to ten new high schools throughout California with oversight directly from the state board of education instead of through local school districts. High Tech schools are tuition free, and welcome parental involvement.

Mara Sanders, director of development and community engagement at HTH, says, “We are building for the future. Our schools are long-term investments in the community, preparing students for college, careers and civic life. As public schools, charter schools receive funding from the state, but unlike traditional public schools, charter schools receive no public monies for facilities. We rely on philanthropic support to create our award-winning campuses.”

HTH schools are liberal arts schools where students use technology in all areas of study. “We experiment and improve so we don’t get stuck in a particular way of doing things,” says Sanders. “Our teachers’ salaries and benefits are competitive and often slightly higher than salaries at local districts. We don’t offer tenure because we feel that our students are better served with everyone on one year contracts, which are renewed as long as everyone is satisfied with the progress of learning and the results achieved.”

Principles setting High Tech schools apart from traditional education are:

• Personalization - keeping schools and classes small, building strong relationships among students and faculty. Individual students’ needs are met through advisory and project-based learning. Each advisory group consists of one staff member and 12-15 students, meeting regularly to discuss academic goals, college, and other life issues.

• Adult World Connection – meshing students’ school experience with the adult world through internships, “power lunches,” and exhibitions. In internships, students partner with businesses to gain insight into particular fields of study. “Power lunches” invite professionals onto campus to chat with students. Exhibitions offer community members and business people opportunities to view and critique student work.

• Common Intellectual Mission – offering rigorous course work to all students. Every HTH high school student must complete all requirements for admission to the UC system. High Tech schools offer no advanced placement courses, and don’t track students based on academic ability, race or class.

High Tech students are exposed to subjects in detail. Rather than covering a lot of material with time to do it only superficially, HTH teachers cover fewer topics in depth. One could say that HTH courses are an inch wide and a mile deep, versus the traditional courses, which tend to be a mile wide and inch deep. As a result of the rigorous, hands-on, curriculum, 100% of High Tech students are accepted to college, with 80% achieving acceptance to four-year institutions of higher learning.

HTH North County, located at 1420 W. San Marcos Blvd, presently exists in temporary buildings, serving 140 freshmen. Next school year offers space for 150 freshmen and a few more sophomores. The permanent high school building will be completed by fall 2009. HTH plans to open a middle school at the same location, expected to open in 2009. Nikki Hinostro, director at HTH North County, oversees the schools’ development. “Building relationships with people who are energized about learning is exciting,” Hinostro says. “HTH grows the student socially, academically, emotionally and physically. Our students are encouraged not to accept the status quo, but to ask why things are the way they are, then look at whether or not they should be this way, interacting with adults in the business world, asking questions that are applicable to their lives. It’s not about the answers; it’s finding the right questions. There is incredible potential in students who are taught to think critically. It’s meaningful to see them so engaged in learning.” For further information, visit: www.hightechhigh.org. SMM

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