About Our School

 

 

What Kind of Student Benefits from

Alice King Community School?

• • Students with curiosity and drive, who bring their own passions and interests to their studies
  • Students who use projects to express their creativity
  • Students who want to be known by name
  • Leaders, artists, programmers, filmmakers, actors, and writers
  • Explorers who want to find and develop their talents
  • Students with families who may work non-traditional schedules, such as police, military, entrepreneurs, and medical workers who are able to support student learning on Fridays
  • Students who want a sense of community and belonging
  • Students who want to make a positive impact on the world, and understand that that can begin now
  • Students who want to keep learning, regardless of whether they are already above grade level, on grade level, or a little behind
  • Students who understand that a good school will challenge them, regardless of their ability
  • All kinds of students who want to learn, build relationships, and grow!

What Does AKCS Offer?

• • Leadership in Project-Based Learning, from Film Prize, Jr to Future City, from National History Day to STEM Fair
  • A small school that finds a way to respond to student needs, passions, and interests. 
  • The New Mexico State Charter School Students of the Year for the past two years.
    

Middle School at AKCS

• • A Block Schedule that builds relationships between students and with teachers by combining Humanities and STEM into one course.
  • Differentiated Learning that challenges students at, above and below Grade Level without overwhelming them.
  • Staff that responds to student leadership by offering extracurriculars around student interest. 
  • A looping, multi-age curriculum that allows seventh graders to mentor sixth graders through our rigorous curriculum. 
  • A full recess after lunch.
  • A High School-Ready complete Learning Management System that allows students to respond to and correct work based on feedback, and allows parents to track assignments and grades in real time
  • Algebra I in 8th Grade for High School credit.
  • The flexibility of Passion Projects that allow students to build their own areas of interest 
  • Opportunities to serve their community and to lead by being in student clubs and government, acting as mentors and facilitators for younger students.

 

 

History of AKCS

 

Alice King Community School (AKCS) is a tuition-free public charter school authorized by the Albuquerque Public Schools district serving students in kindergarten through 8th grade. Our mission is to provide a school where students thrive academically and socially in a multiage setting. AKCS has been in operation since the 2006-2007 school year and has successfully completed three charter renewals (2010, 2015, 2020). The most recent renewal was completed during the 2020-2021 school year. 

 

Alice King Community School originally was named the North Albuquerque Community Cooperative Charter School.  The school was renamed in 2010 after New Mexico’s former first lady, Alice King.  The wife of Governor Bruce King, Alice King was known for her work with children and is credited with creating the state’s Children, Youth and Families Department.  We are proud to have our school named after such a remarkable woman!

 

Previously housed in two different locations, AKCS is now in its permanent home. The Alice King Community School Foundation purchased and renovated our spacious new building, which houses 450 students.  We also own a small building, affectionately referred to as “The Annex,” located directly across the street from our main building where elective classes are held on a daily basis.

 

The philosophy of multiage grouping is the cornerstone of AKCS’s instructional practice and the heart of the school’s charter.  Research indicates that children in multiage classrooms benefit both socially and emotionally.  In the multiage classroom, children progress at their own pace, view themselves as successful, learn from their peers without competition, and have the opportunity to mentor.  Older children gain confidence, increase their self-esteem, and learn how to care for and nurture others.  Younger children have the opportunity to interact with older children, increasing their level of learning.  In multiage classrooms, differences among students are accepted and respected.  Each child is held to high expectations in all settings at his or her own level of development.  Effective large and small group learning experiences are used, which allow for each child’s continuous progress.

 

Teachers use a variety of resources to develop a curriculum that meets the needs of students and provides a rigorous academic program that addresses the Common Core State Standards.  Curriculum is written collaboratively for English Language Arts (ELA) and math, integrating science and/or social studies. Students learn presentation and listening skills while collaborating and problem solving with one another on school and home projects.  Art, music, technology, and PE are taught on a weekly basis to all students using curriculum developed by the teachers of these disciplines.

 

Social-emotional learning provides students with experiences that develop the knowledge, concepts, strategies, and skill that are needed in a diverse and changing world. At AKCS, teaching social-emotional skills is as important as teaching academic content. Through the school’s social-emotional program, great cognitive growth occurs through social interaction and the staff work to create a safe and joyful environment for all students.

 

In 2016, AKCS expanded to include grades six and seven, with eighth grade being added in 2017.  The middle grade program utilizes the multiage model used in grades K-5.  Students are placed in “families” that stay together as they rotate from class to class.  Core classes consist of math, science, humanities, and ELA.  Each family also has an advocacy teacher with whom they meet twice daily.  Advocacy classes work on social/emotional, communication, and leadership skills, as well as other topics that are relevant for this age group.  

 

The AKCS teaching staff is diverse in terms of years of experience, areas of expertise, and educational attainment.  All teachers have a New Mexico state license and hold various endorsements.  In addition to regular and special education teaching staff, educational assistants and other support staff are hired to meet the needs of students.  As part of their contract, teachers participate in 21 professional development days per year.  The focus of the professional development sessions includes curriculum development, data analysis, and social-emotional learning. A goal of AKCS is to have an Educational Assistant in every classroom. AKCS has been recognized as top work place by the Albuquerque Journal.

 

Students at AKCS attend school Monday through Thursday, with some occasional Fridays for students in grades 6-8.  Students in grades K-5 have a total of 159 school days and grades 6-8 have 166 days.  AKCS has a longer school year, due to the shortened school week, to ensure that the number of hours required by the state of New Mexico are met.  School typically begins the last week of July and goes through the end of May. For our families living on the west side of Albuquerque, AKCS offers two buses that pick up and drop off at Sagebrush Church.

 

AKCS is the home of many award-winning students over the year! Students from AKCS have placed at the state and national levels for the Spelling Bee, chess tournaments, STEM fair, and National History Day competitions. Students have the opportunity to participate in a variety of extracurricular activities. Afterschool clubs vary from year to year, but typically include Chess Club, Art Club, Cheer and Dance, Yoga and Mindfulness, Music/Guitar, Performing Arts, etc. AKCS has an all-inclusive middle school sports program for both boys and girls. 6^th-8^th grade students can compete with other charter schools in cross country, flag football, basketball, volleyball, soccer, and track.

 

AKCS is governed by a governing council comprised of parents and community members with varying backgrounds and careers.  The role of the AKCS Governing Council is to develop policy pertaining to the school’s charter and to provide oversight of the operation of the school.  The Governing Council meets on the second Wednesday of every month at the school, and the public is invited to attend. 

 

There are a variety of ways for parents and community members to get involved at AKCS.  The Alice King Community School Foundation is an active group of volunteers who meet monthly to work on fundraising efforts that support the instructional focus of the school.  The Foundation provides funding assistance for programs, resources, and facility enhancements.  The AKCS PTA is a group of parents who work with the school staff to support the students and the school.  The PTA hosts events and fundraisers that allow families to get involved in their child’s education.  In addition to the opportunities described above, parents are encouraged to volunteer in their child’s classroom to assist with small group instruction and material preparation.  Volunteers also can be room parents, help with class parties, chaperone field trips, and teach students by sharing their expertise.  Anyone who would like to volunteer at AKCS must attend a school-sponsored Volunteer Training and have an approved current background check.

 

AKCS has a single overarching goal-- to nurture, excite, and motivate children to learn. All facts of the school, including staff, curriculum and instructional practices, parent and community involvement, and governance, work together to achieve this outcome.