Alternative Setting - Purpose

In order to better serve our students who are not best served in the traditional classroom setting, creating an alternative setting for them to achieve, and excel is paramount.

Alternative education can support student graduation by building positive relationships, focusing on students’ individual strengths, talents, social/emotional/behavioral needs and providing academic rigor and cultural relevancy of instruction. Alternative education settings may be responsive to student needs by providing unique programming, nontraditional hours, or hybrid experiences for students. Students enrolled may include those whose academic, social/emotional and/or behavioral needs are not being met by the traditional program or school. This will be an opportunity to identify a range of reasonable, proportional and consistently applied interventions and consequences to respond to behavior and to support positive behavior change in students. Also, to set an expectation that schools work in partnership with parents/guardians with the belief that they play an essential role in the behavioral and academic success of students.

Alternative schools provide the structure and support needed for parents struggling to help their children learn and make appropriate decisions (Gosen, 2011).

Fostoria Academy Vision Statement

Fostoria Academy Program provides a variety of educational options for students, including smaller class sizes, online education, blended learning settings and traditional classroom instruction. The programs focus on the students as individuals and develop plans to ensure that the students will be successful. All of the alternative programs offer additional support to students including on-site counseling and social work services. Discipline is addressed through positive reinforcement and behaviors are assessed to determine the underlying causes in order to return the students to a focus on learning. Mediations, parent meetings, wrap-around services and one-on-one student services are all methods by which needs are addressed to ensure students remain in school and have access to learning.

Fostoria Academy Goals

• Provide a nurturing environment for students to overcome challenges or obstacles.

• Help students learn life skills to improve social interactions with peers and adults.

• Support all students with positive behavior approaches that foster growth.

• Use socially appropriate behaviors that inspire student change, foster academic achievement, and strengthen social-emotional learning.

• Prepare students to graduate ready for college, career, and community.

• Provide quality, self-directed, flexible learning options to students.

• Work in partnership with parents/guardians with the belief that they play an essential role in the behavioral and academic success of each student.

Erika Hossler
Director
419-436-4149
ehossler@fostoriaschools.org

Aaron Weidner
Dean of Students
419-436-4149
aweidner@fostoriaschools.org

Catherine Vieira
Credit Recovery Teacher
cvieira@fostoriaschools.org

Meghan Taylor
Intervention Specialist
mtaylor@fostoriaschools.org