The Times Herald (GA) - 'Code Yellow' at Odyssey

August 7, 2007

A little preparation goes a long way.

Case in point—when Odyssey School Principal Andy Geeter announced "Code Yellow" following a robbery at the BB&T Bank a stone's throw away from the charter school, the building was locked down with barely a hiccup in the day's activities.

Students continued getting-to-know-you games and reviewing multiplication tables.

Though a few staff members poked their heads in the hallway to find out what was going on before locking their classroom doors, students were, for the most part, oblivious to the swarm of law enforcement officers outside their building—in the White Oak Shopping Plaza on Highway 34 East—just before 2 p.m.

The suspect, armed with a handgun tucked into the waist of his jeans, was in and out of the bank in under a minute and was last seen running toward SonRise Baptist Church.

By the end of the school day, Geeter and his staff had prepared a release to send home with students, notifying parents of the event and the school's actions.

And just to be safe, no more than five students were allowed out the door at any time during the afternoon dismissal.

The Odyssey School, Georgia's first state-approved charter school located in Coweta County, is busting at the seams this year with 175 students, and 50 more on a waiting list. As the school's student body grows, the availability of space in the school's current facility appears to be the only snag in the school's growing success.

The school was recently approved by the Georgia Board of Education to operate Georgia's first K-8 public virtual school program.

The tuition-free program, Georgia Virtual Academy (GVA), will serve students statewide beginning Sept. 4.

The GVA will operate in conjunction with K12 Inc., a company providing curriculum and school services for online schools and traditional classrooms across the country. K12 will develop an individualized learning program for every student at the Georgia Virtual Academy in the areas of math, English/language arts, science and history, as well as a physical education/health course. Lesson plans and educational materials, including workbooks and hands-on materials, will be provided through K12 and shipped to students' homes.

The GVA will assign a state-certified teacher to oversee students. Teachers will communicate regularly with students and parents by phone, e-mail, Web-based "e-classrooms," and face-to-face meetings. They will provide students with assignments and offer guidance and support as students learn the material, as well as organize school "outings" for students and their families. Students will work with a "learning coach," usually a parent or other adult in their home, to help with the curriculum.

Because GVA is a public program, students will be held to the same accountability measures as those enrolled in public schools. Standardized tests such as Georgia's Criterion-Referenced Competency Test (CRCT) will be required, as will attendance and other academic measures.

The program is intended to offer flexibility or alternative educational opportunities for students who may be home-bound, bedridden or heavily involved in a sport or other activity.

Geeter believes the GVA is important because it offers families a choice. Parents who are interested in homeschooling their children but who are concerned about curriculum and student accountability can turn to the virtual school to ease these concerns.

"Families who aren't happy with the opportunities in their home communities are given another option, and that is important," Geeter said.

So far, the GVA has received more than 670 applications from interested families.