ECI Academy‘s 10 Year Charter Contract Renewal: A Renewed Commitment to Students and the Community
The Texas Education Agency approved Education Center International Academy’s (ECI Academy) petition for a 10 year charter school contract renewal. This is a significant milestone for ECI Academy which received the much awaited and encouraging news February 4, 2016 in a letter from TEA Commissioner of Education Mike Morath to Jerry Blankenship, the ECI Academy board chairman. After the contract is finalized by TEA, the renewal will be effective August 1, 2016 and will expire on July 31, 2028. ECI Academy began as an accredited public charter school founded in 2000 by Dr. Donna Townsend who serves as Superintendent. Currently, ECI Academy has three campuses, Rowlett, Sunnyvale, and Royce City. All schools serve students from Kinder to 8th Grade. From the onset of its charter, ECI Academy continues to provide free and appropriate public education with more of a private school feel. Smaller class size provides a greater sense of community with greater individual attention and guidance. A charter school is one that fills a particular need or niche in education. ECI Academy strives to bring a more global and diverse student population together, and through Texas mandated educational objectives and student expectations, charter schools provide children with the necessary skills needed in the 21st century. Traditional education in the “3R’s” are certainly stressed and instruction is consistently checked and confidently tweaked to meet the challenges of the Texas based curriculum and student expectations. Technology training and innovative educational applications are also a high priority in the classroom. Administrators, teachers, parents, and students are all in learning curve partnership together, and as the technology grows, ECI Academy plans to be on the forefront. Texas Education Agency charter school accreditation and the contract extension awarded to ECI Academy is reflection of its commitment to excellence proven both educationally and financially. Decisions are made from on a strong administrative and community based paradigm from the top down and from the bottom up in both planning and implementation. It is a true testament to ECI Academy’s determination to succeed, its tried and proven longevity, and with a confident and realistic commitment for the future. Congratulations ECI Academy!
-- Dr. Samuel G. Cooper, Teacher (et al.), ECI Academy
