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What makes our 5th through 8th grade classes unique and special? Individualized Learning Arts Integration Community Impact Partners There will obviously be many partners responsible for making this vision a reality. However, two primary partners will take on the responsible for implementing the mission of the Richland Academy – School of Excellence. The first, Richland Academy of the Arts, will provide the overall governance, project oversight and ongoing evaluation to ensure a clear alignment to the vision and mission of our School of Excellence. The second, Mangen & Associates (M&A), will provide the operational systems required for high-level academic, business and financial achievement.RICHLAND ACADEMY OF THE ARTSResponding to a tremendous community need, Richland Academy of the Arts was founded in 1991 as a non-profit and multidisciplinary community school for the arts, and serving area residents from as young as one month through senior citizens in group and individual instruction to an ever-growing student body. Located in downtown Mansfield, the Academy has not only developed a diverse and highly praised curriculum over the past seventeen years, but it has also played an important role in the renaissance and redevelopment of downtown Mansfield. In 1994, driven by sold-out classes, fully booked schedule of programs, insufficient space, and developing interest in a broader curriculum, the leadership of the Academy began to explore options for acquiring additional facilities. Adjoining property was secured for a total structure of 47,000 sq.ft. At that time the Board and community committees studied and developed the concept of hands-on science, given the natural link between the arts and the sciences. A Capital Campaign was launched and $4.5 million was raised with the help of local, state and national foundations including a $400,000 challenge grant from the prestigious Kresge Foundation and the State of Ohio. Richland Academy has evolved into a truly unique learning center within the state, one that now brings about a synergistic relationship between the arts and education. The 2004-2005 school year found the Mansfield City Schools new Entertainment: Marketing and TV Broadcast Program in Career Education located at Richland Academy. In the 2005-2006 the public/private partnership with Mansfield City Schools grew to include TV and Entertainment: Marketing Dance and the unique IMAC Conversion School offering graduation diplomas with career training in Building Trades and Integrated Digital Media. Richland Academy successfully completed an intensive application process in 2006 through the Ohio Department of Education to become a Sponsor of Community Schools in Franklin, Cuyahoga, Lucas, Richland and Summit Counties in Ohio. Recently, the Academy has expanded to Mahoning and Hamilton Counties. The Academy works with the Governing Authority and oversees the school’s performance and ultimately will develop arts programming. In the Fall of 2009 Richland Academy became a satellite campus for a Performing Arts Academy in music, theatre, dance and film. The College Tech Prep Program for Performing Arts is a partnership between Pioneer Career and Technology Center and Richland Academy in cooperation with The Ohio State University at Mansfield and North Central State College. Juniors and Seniors in 30 high schools comprising the consortium are able to participate. Current Academy collaborations include Friendly House—Club 36, Area Agency on Aging, Arthritis Foundation, Children’s Theatre Foundation, Mansfield Bicentennial/4th of July Production, Kingwood Center, Richland Newhope Center, Foundation Academy Charter School—Arts Exploration program, area Public Schools—Young Voices, Ohio State University at Mansfield and the Ohio Department of Education. RA Support Team:
RA Project Leader: Marianne Cooper, Emeritus Associate Professor of Music from The Ohio State University and the Richland Academy lead on this project, is the Founder/Executive Director of the Richland Academy of the Arts, specializing in music education, choral/voice and music theatre. Marianne has completed MM and PhD work in Educational Administration at Bowling Green State University and a BS degree in Music Education from OSU. She also studied at Tanglewood with Bernstein, Copland, Ross and Munch, toured nationally with the Norman Luboff Choir and appeared in music theatre, opera and oratorio in a three state area. In addition, Marianne has taught in the public schools in Michigan and Ohio, Bowling Green State University and Ashland University. MANGEN & ASSOCIATES Mangen & Associates is an Ohio based education and financial management firm specializing in academic, business and fiscal assessments for public schools and foundations dedicated to supporting public education initiatives (in Columbus, Cincinnati, Dayton, Bowling Green, and now Mansfield). M&A is dedicated to helping school leaders throughout Ohio obtain the resources necessary to improve educational opportunities for their students. Our core focus is to assist over-extended school leaders and charter School Board members by providing high quality academic and financial management support. M&A Support Team:
M&A Project Leader: Doug Mangen, the M&A lead on this project, is a licensed school treasurer with more than ten years of financial management experience with Ohio public schools. For the past seven years, Mr. Mangen has invested the majority of his time toward developing “academically-successful, financially-sound” charter schools in the Columbus, Cincinnati, and Dayton region. To date, Mr. Mangen and his support team have assisted more than 50 charter schools in establishing a strong internal controls system, growing their revenue base, and/or building a solid unencumbered cash reserve. Mr. Mangen developed a passion for public education while serving his first two terms on the Vandalia-Butler Board of Education and several projects with the Dayton Board of Education. During his eight-year tenure on the Vandalia-Butler Board of Education, the District’s academic standing improved from a rank of 27th out of 54 districts in 1997 (Continuous Improvement) to a rank of 3rd out of 54 in 2005 (Excellent). During this same time, the cost-per-student in the district improved from a ranking of the 7th highest cost in 1997 to a rank of 25th highest cost in 2005. Prior to starting Mangen & Associates in 2002, Mr. Mangen served 10 years as the Director of the Dayton Business Committee (an organization of 24 CEOs from large Ohio corporations), where he provided leadership for many higher education, K-12 public education, workforce development, and regional economic initiatives.
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RICHLAND ACADEMY SCHOOL OF EXCELLENCE
