My photographer pointed out the black tape on the floor. There were several long, rectangular boxes outlined on both sides of the hallway.
"Do you know what that's for?" Mike asked, explaining that this wasn't his first visit.
"Nope, " I said.
"The kids have to line up and walk in those lines when they pass from class to class," he said.
Sure enough, the uniformed students lined up right inside the boxes. No talking. No slouching. Look straight ahead.
Teachers walked up and down the lines, correcting poses, telling the students to maintain a "track pose."
"I see straggling heads," the principal yelled. "You can tell which ones are the fifth-graders. It's their first year here."
Welcome to True North Rochester Preparatory Charter School.
It's the academic version of boot camp. In its third year, the school has about 300 students in grades fifth through seventh. An eighth grade will be added next year.
We went to a math class, which began with the a series of chants and cheers. It's a way of keeping the kids energized and enthusiastic. After all, they attend class from 7:40 a.m. to 4:40 p.m.
"You're child will be tired!" reads a parent hand-out.
The children are required to sit with their hands folded on their desks. They raise their hands and wait to be called on by the teacher. They must speak loudly and clearly, as public speaking and expressing one's thoughts is part of the curriculum.
The seventh-graders I interviewed were some of the most well-spoken kids I have ever interviewed. A girl said when she attended regular public schools, she had a "plethora" of days off. The principal told me that "plethora" was a word students learned last year.
If a student gets in trouble, they have to sit down with the Dean, and go through a lengthy exercise "talking through" what could have been done differently. A parent is called to pick the child up that day, and if they don't show up, a staff member will bring the child home.
I wished I could have spent more time here; the school was just one part of my story on a longer school year. (Rochester Prep holds classes an extra 15 days a year.)
Rochester Prep is a charter school, which means it's a public school with the freedom to run things the way it wants. The school has higher test scores than city schools, and had the highest passing rate on 6th grade math than any other school in Monroe County.
I have often wondered what would happen if the city schools adopted a "zero tolerance" policy for discipline and academics. I think I just witnessed it.
