Company Profile
IDEA Public Schools
Company Overview
IDEA Public Schools prepares students from underserved communities for success in college and citizenship, and is committed to developing students with the academic, social, and leadership characteristics needed to apply, matriculate, and succeed in a four-year college or university.
Throughout its history, IDEA's proven college preparatory approach has made a lasting difference in the lives of hundreds of students. In a region with a high school dropout rate that hovers at fifty percent, IDEA's battle cry of "College for all children - No excuses!" rings loud and clear.
IDEA transforms the far off dream of college acceptance, matriculation, and graduation into reality. IDEA students don't take for granted the opportunity that has been afforded them, ambitously applying and being accepted into top colleges and universities across the nation.
Company History
During their stint as Teach for America corps members, Tom Torkelson and JoAnn Gonzales founded the IDEA Academy, the first IDEA Public School, in Donna, TX in 1998. They created the after-school program as a way to help combat some of the major educational deficiencies they saw in their students, focusing the program on student achievement and college readiness.
With the motto of “No Excuses!” the program saw quick success, and the state granted a charter to IDEA in 2000. Beginning with only 4th-8th grades, the original flagship campus in Donna has expanded to become a K-12 campus, and four more schools were launched in 2006 in Brownsville and McAllen. Four new schools, 2 primary and 2 secondary, are planned for a Fall 2008 launch in the communities of San Benito and Mission.
The flagship campus in Donna graduated its first class of seniors in 2007, one hundred percent of whom are currently enrolled in a four-year college or university. Thirty-one seniors graduated in the Class of 2008 at the Donna campus in June of 2008 and 100% of those students have matriculated to a four-year college or university. Three-fourths of all IDEA graduates are first-generation college students.
IDEA Public Schools launched an ambitious expansion plan in 2005, titled "The 2012 Plan," after its goal of launching 22 IDEA schools across the Rio Grande Valley by the year 2012. Click here to learn more about IDEA's expansion.
Notable Accomplishments / Recognition
IDEA College Preparatory was recently named as one of the top 20 high schools in the United States by US News & World Report. To read the article click here:
http://www.usnews.com/articles/education/high-schools/2008/12/04/best-high-schools-top-charter-schools.html
Benefits
Hiring Stipends
• $1,000 hiring stipend for new IDEA classroom teachers signed before the first day of school (excludes math, science, or special education – see below)
• $7,000 math, science, special education stipend given over 3 years for new IDEA classroom teachers
o $3,000 in the first year, $2,000 second year and $2,000 third year
o $1,500 stipend fourth year and beyond
Content and Continued Education Stipends
• $1,000 Stipend for all teachers with Masters Degrees
• $1,500 Stipend for all teachers with Masters Degrees in specific content area and teaching assignment in same content
• $1,500 Stipend for Special Education certification and placement (certification stipend for new hires kicks in during fourth year)
• $1,500 Stipend for Math or Science certification and placement (certification stipend for new hires kicks in during fourth year)
• $1,500 Stipend for Primary Teachers (PreK-5) with Bilingual certification and placement
• $3,500 Stipend for National Board Certification
Longevity Milestone Bonuses for Classroom Teachers
• $3,500 after fifth year of teaching at an IDEA School and returning the following year to teach
• $4,000 after tenth year of teaching at an IDEA School and returning the following year to teach
• $4,500 after fifteenth year of teaching at an IDEA School and returning the following year to teach
• $5,000 after twentieth year of teaching at an IDEA School and returning the following year to teach