BAXTER ACADEMY HEAD OF SCHOOL HONORED NATIONALLY AS “GAME CHANGER”

Portland, Maine - Baxter Academy for Technology and Science’s Head of School, Michele LaForge, has been chosen as one of ten Game Changers nationwide in global learning company Houghton Mifflin Harcourt’s inaugural Game Changer Award for charter schools. These ten educators, nominated by their peers, have demonstrated outstanding service to their schools and students through the use of innovative contributions aimed at driving student achievement. Ms. LaForge’s nomination cited her distinguishing achievement as innovative leadership during Baxter Academy’s startup years.

The ten recipients were selected based on two main criteria: originality of their contributions to education and their impact on student success and achievement.

Ms. LaForge’s nomination, by Baxter math teacher Pam Rawson, read in part: “Michele led Baxter Academy through its opening and continues to be an advocate when challenges are presented. This year the school, like many others throughout the north, saw an excess of snow days. She guided her staff in the creation and implementation of an “anytime/anywhere” learning plan that students could use during snow days in order not to lose instructional time. Many students participated, pushing learning beyond expectations. By advocating to the state charter commission to count these as regular school days, the school hopes to provide a possible solution to others struggling with the same issue.”

Ms. LaForge responded to news of the award by saying: “Being a part of Baxter is one of the best things I have ever done.  Possibly the scariest, but definitely the most interesting.  I am so proud of our school and I am grateful that my work has contributed in a meaningful way.  Thank you.”

“As a community, we are thrilled that Michele has received this much deserved honor,” says Kelli Pryor, chair of Baxter’s board of directors. “Students, parents, and teachers at Baxter know that Michele leads with a willingness to say yes. She joyfully embraces the messy process of making change happen in her students’ lives and in her school. Baxter Academy would not have met with its early success— its thriving students and its waiting list—without her tough-minded yet tender-hearted leadership.”

Inquiry leads learning at Baxter Academy for Technology and Science, a public charter high school free to Maine students. It opened in September 2013 and will graduate its first class in June 2016. Located at 54 York Street near Portland’s working waterfront, Baxter Academy has a project-based STEM curriculum emphasizing real-world problem solving and amplified by a robust humanities program that connects ideas across disciplines and cultivates strong communication skills. Students design innovative projects through Flex Friday, a unique program requiring initiative, perseverance, and collaboration, as well as reflection on the work and its impact in the community.