Gordon Parks High School
Encyclopedia
Gordon Parks High School is a public alternative learning
center in Saint Paul, Minnesota
. The school, founded in 1991, was originally called the Saint Paul Area Learning Center. The school was named Unidale Alternative Learning Center for several years, after the local strip mall
it operated in; this was often shortened to ALC Unidale. In 2007, a permanent building was built for the school and it was renamed. The school serves high school aged students who are categorized under "at-risk" criteria or are far behind in graduation. The school is the largest of seven alternative day school programs that are run by the Saint Paul Public Schools district.
Along with a new building, the school was renamed. Suggestions were accepted, and the winning entry was made by social studies teacher Ted Johnson. The school was named after photographer, film director and local icon Gordon Parks
. Parks grew up in Saint Paul, attending local high schools such as Mechanic Arts High School and Saint Paul Central. Parks, like many of the students the school targets, struggled with events outside of school and eventually dropped out.
In 2003, Saint Paul Public Schools purchased a parcel of land about a mile and half west of the Unidale Mall on University Avenue
from 3M
. Construction for the new facility was planned to start in 2005, costing $7 million. When construction bids were higher than expected, the price tag went up to $8 million; the project was then postponed to allow for planning to reduce costs. Construction started in late November 2006, after price concerns had been resolved. The building opened in early December 2007, with a total cost of $7.5 million. It was dedicated one day before the two year anniversary of Gordon Parks' death. He died on March 7, 2006; the building was dedicated on March 6.
When the new building was proposed, the initial plan called for a 44000 square feet (4,087.7 m²) facility. The finished product featured a new gym and cafeteria in a 34000 square feet (3,158.7 m²) building. Ownership of the new facility is saving the Saint Paul Public Schools district $300,000 dollars from rent in the Unidale strip mall. The building also has new science labs, computer labs, and bigger art and industrial technology
areas.
The building was designed by Wold Architects and built by Jorgenson Construction, Inc. The sloping glass walls in the front entrance were designed to emulate the many car dealerships that are located along University Avenue. The school was built to be environmentally friendly, and the Saint Paul Public Schools district intends to apply for a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
Certification.
The school has a closed campus. Previously students were free to come and go as they pleased, which is considered an open campus. Many students would not return after leaving for lunch. Now students must arrive by 8:00 a.m. and remain until noon, or arrive by 1:00 p.m. and stay until 5:00 p.m.. Exceptions are granted for students who are in job programs, or must take care of their family. To meet the needs of the students, the school has social workers, counselors, special education teachers, educational assistants, and on the job training.
The school has developed a specific program focus that includes film, photography, writing, and art, that uses the life of Gordon Parks as an inspiration and guide. The students of the school, in partnership with the Minnesota Historical Society, are documenting stages of transition along University Avenue through the stories of elders, business owners, and residents affected by the Central Corridor (Minnesota)
Light Rail Transit (CCLRT) project. The students learn more about the history of this neighborhood and document the stories of the CCLRT project that might not otherwise be told, and share the images that might not otherwise be seen.
This project, titled "Transitions: University Avenue ] is a multi-year project, produced entirely by students, who began by documenting the controversial stage of pre-construction along the avenue. As the construction moves forward, the students create documentaries on area residents and businesses and the impact the CCLRT has on them. The goals are to preserve important history, increase awareness of this community in transition, and highlight the work of the students of Gordon Parks High School.
GPHS partners with the Human Rights Program at the University of Minnesota
in a pilot creative writing curriculum. Titled the Scribes Fellowship, the students develop writing skills and confidence by focusing on personal reflections of human rights that affect their community. Community/school gardens, sustainable agriculture and the issue of food justice are the first items explored.
Spring 2011 Graduation 2011 Graduation was held at the Roy Wilkins Auditorium on June 8, 2011. The ceremony was recorded by the Saint Paul Neighborhood Network (SPNN), Cable Channel 16. Playback Dates for Gordon Parks High School and AGAPE (ALC)will be on
Monday June 20, 27, July 11, 18, at 9:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m
Alternative education
Alternative education, also known as non-traditional education or educational alternative, includes a number of approaches to teaching and learning other than mainstream or traditional education. Educational alternatives are often rooted in various philosophies that are fundamentally different...
center in Saint Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul is the capital and second-most populous city of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies mostly on the east bank of the Mississippi River in the area surrounding its point of confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Minneapolis, the state's largest city...
. The school, founded in 1991, was originally called the Saint Paul Area Learning Center. The school was named Unidale Alternative Learning Center for several years, after the local strip mall
Strip mall
A strip mall is an open-area shopping center where the stores are arranged in a row, with a sidewalk in front. Strip malls are typically developed as a unit and have large parking lots in front...
it operated in; this was often shortened to ALC Unidale. In 2007, a permanent building was built for the school and it was renamed. The school serves high school aged students who are categorized under "at-risk" criteria or are far behind in graduation. The school is the largest of seven alternative day school programs that are run by the Saint Paul Public Schools district.
Campus
The Saint Paul Area Learning Center opened on February 1, 1991. Its initial student body consisted of 500 full and part time students. The school first opened in the Unidale Mall; it was located in a leased 8000 square feet (743.2 m²) building. The small space was expanded at various times. The largest expansion occurred in 1997, when the building was expanded by 6000 square feet (557.4 m²). Eventually, the building grew to be 18000 square feet (1,672.3 m²). The school, with tiny classrooms and no windows, cost the school district $300,000 in rent a year. The rented space became too small, and the school district decided to build a new building; this was in part due to pressure from developers of the Unidale Mall.Along with a new building, the school was renamed. Suggestions were accepted, and the winning entry was made by social studies teacher Ted Johnson. The school was named after photographer, film director and local icon Gordon Parks
Gordon Parks
Gordon Roger Alexander Buchanan Parks was a groundbreaking American photographer, musician, poet, novelist, journalist, activist and film director...
. Parks grew up in Saint Paul, attending local high schools such as Mechanic Arts High School and Saint Paul Central. Parks, like many of the students the school targets, struggled with events outside of school and eventually dropped out.
New building
University Avenue (Minneapolis-St. Paul)
University Avenue in the Minneapolis–St. Paul region of Minnesota begins near the Minnesota State Capitol in Saint Paul and extends westward into neighboring Minneapolis, where it passes the University of Minnesota, and then turns north to pass through several suburbs before ending in Blaine,...
from 3M
3M
3M Company , formerly known as the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation based in Maplewood, Minnesota, United States....
. Construction for the new facility was planned to start in 2005, costing $7 million. When construction bids were higher than expected, the price tag went up to $8 million; the project was then postponed to allow for planning to reduce costs. Construction started in late November 2006, after price concerns had been resolved. The building opened in early December 2007, with a total cost of $7.5 million. It was dedicated one day before the two year anniversary of Gordon Parks' death. He died on March 7, 2006; the building was dedicated on March 6.
When the new building was proposed, the initial plan called for a 44000 square feet (4,087.7 m²) facility. The finished product featured a new gym and cafeteria in a 34000 square feet (3,158.7 m²) building. Ownership of the new facility is saving the Saint Paul Public Schools district $300,000 dollars from rent in the Unidale strip mall. The building also has new science labs, computer labs, and bigger art and industrial technology
Industrial technology
Industrial technology is the field concerned with the application of basic engineering principles and technical skills in support of industrial engineers and managers...
areas.
The building was designed by Wold Architects and built by Jorgenson Construction, Inc. The sloping glass walls in the front entrance were designed to emulate the many car dealerships that are located along University Avenue. The school was built to be environmentally friendly, and the Saint Paul Public Schools district intends to apply for a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design consists of a suite of rating systems for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings, homes and neighborhoods....
Certification.
Students
The school serves students aged between 16-21. Students who enroll must qualify under one or more "at-risk" categories. These include homelessness, pregnancy, children and chemical dependency, as well as being at least one year behind for graduation or having any other characteristic that would place a student at a disadvantage. In the 2006-2007 school year roughly 279 students attended Gordon Parks High School. Sixty-two percent of students qualify for free or reduced lunch, which is the school district's measures of poverty. Eight percent of students qualify for special education.Academics
Students must finish school before turning 21 years old. In 2007, the school's 12-week trimesters were changed into smaller six week mini-terms, and then in 2011, even smaller three week terms in order to improve attendance. Students that miss more than three days in a three week mini-term do not earn full high school credit. As a result of this change, attendance increased by 100%, though daily attendance is still about 50%. It takes 60 hours of class work to earn one credit.The school has a closed campus. Previously students were free to come and go as they pleased, which is considered an open campus. Many students would not return after leaving for lunch. Now students must arrive by 8:00 a.m. and remain until noon, or arrive by 1:00 p.m. and stay until 5:00 p.m.. Exceptions are granted for students who are in job programs, or must take care of their family. To meet the needs of the students, the school has social workers, counselors, special education teachers, educational assistants, and on the job training.
The school has developed a specific program focus that includes film, photography, writing, and art, that uses the life of Gordon Parks as an inspiration and guide. The students of the school, in partnership with the Minnesota Historical Society, are documenting stages of transition along University Avenue through the stories of elders, business owners, and residents affected by the Central Corridor (Minnesota)
Central Corridor (Minnesota)
The Central Corridor is a light rail line under construction that is to cover the stretch between the downtown regions of Minneapolis and Saint Paul in Minnesota...
Light Rail Transit (CCLRT) project. The students learn more about the history of this neighborhood and document the stories of the CCLRT project that might not otherwise be told, and share the images that might not otherwise be seen.
This project, titled "Transitions: University Avenue ] is a multi-year project, produced entirely by students, who began by documenting the controversial stage of pre-construction along the avenue. As the construction moves forward, the students create documentaries on area residents and businesses and the impact the CCLRT has on them. The goals are to preserve important history, increase awareness of this community in transition, and highlight the work of the students of Gordon Parks High School.
GPHS partners with the Human Rights Program at the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
in a pilot creative writing curriculum. Titled the Scribes Fellowship, the students develop writing skills and confidence by focusing on personal reflections of human rights that affect their community. Community/school gardens, sustainable agriculture and the issue of food justice are the first items explored.
Spring 2011 Graduation 2011 Graduation was held at the Roy Wilkins Auditorium on June 8, 2011. The ceremony was recorded by the Saint Paul Neighborhood Network (SPNN), Cable Channel 16. Playback Dates for Gordon Parks High School and AGAPE (ALC)will be on
Monday June 20, 27, July 11, 18, at 9:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m
External links
- Gordon Parks High School official website
- Construction of Gordon Parks High School circa summer of 2007 via Google Street ViewGoogle Street ViewGoogle Street View is a technology featured in Google Maps and Google Earth that provides panoramic views from various positions along many streets in the world...
- Transitions: University Avenue, Minnesota Historical Society
- Video made by St. Paul Public Schools on Transitions Project
- GPHS School Continuous Improvement Plan (SCIP) for 2010-2011
- Human Rights Program, University of Minnesota