IDEA Public Schools: No Excuses in the Pursuit of Excellence
In 1997, Tom Torkelson and JoAnn Gonzales came to Donna, Texas as Teach for America corps members, intent on making a difference in one of the poorest regions in the United States. Donna, in Hidalgo County, is the type of disadvantaged community too often underserved by the conventional educational system. Here, more than a third of families live below the poverty line, more than half of adults lack a high school diploma, and 83% of children speak a language other than English at home.
After three years of teaching in the struggling local school district, Tom and JoAnn, drawing on the advice of colleagues and educational experts, decided to found a public charter school tailored to the community’s unique needs.
IDEA Academy opened in 2000 and immediately showed exceptional results. However, the students worked in modular classrooms, and the young entrepreneurs wanted a better environment for their students and teachers, with room to expand. “Self-Help worked with us when other people thought we were too young,” says Tom. “Working with Self-Help was like looking into a highly magnified mirror. We saw both our strengths and our weaknesses, and it forced us to put together a very strong business plan.”
With support from the U.S. Department of Education’s Credit Enhancement for Charter School Facilities program, Self-Help provided two loans that totaled more than $4 million, enabling construction of a permanent school on the original site, and expansion into neighboring communities. By 2006, a three campus system called “IDEA Public Schools” served more than 2,000 students in the Donna, Texas area.
The schools operate on a “no excuses” model, based on the belief that all students can achieve, regardless of social or economic background. The system called for small school size, a strong school culture, partnership with parents, and a school day that extends from 7:30 am to 5 pm. After only seven years of operation, IDEA has built the financial strength to qualify for low-interest bond financing that will fuel future growth. Self-help will use the proceeds from repayment to finance new projects.
The three schools are considered to be among the best public charter schools in the nation. More than 90% of students exceeded grade level expectations set by the federal No Child Left Behind Act, compared with 50-60% in the local school district. Every single IDEA student met the mandated goals. In 2005, IDEA Academy was added to the Texas Honor Roll, a distinction reserved for the top one percent of the state’s public schools. National funders such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation have recognized IDEA’s innovative approach and exceptional results. Once only a dream of two young, dedicated teachers, the schools have become a source of hope for a struggling community and a gateway to new opportunities for thousands of students.
