BY JESSICA STEELEY
Clarkston News Staff Writer
Stereotypes and preconceived notions often shroud the idea of alternative schools, as students are well aware.
“People who have never been here, they’re literally like, ‘oh, that’s for all the bad kids,’ but there’s great people here, great staff, great teachers,” said Renaissance High School junior Lucas Voyles.
Senior Tyler Baldwin said before he came to an alternative school, he heard they were bad solutions and only for kids who don’t succeed. He thinks people need to get to know the school to change their opinions.
“Many people say this is a bad school to be at but really it’s the best school,” said senior Angel Curtis.”Everybody’s nice – nobody says rude, inappropriate things.”
All of the four students interviewed said they choose to go to the alternative high school over other high schools.
“It’s like any other high school, just more unique,”Curtis said. “I’ve been here for two years and I absolutely love it. I wouldn’t change my mind to go to any other high school.”
She chose to go to Renaissance because the smaller class sizes allow students more one-on-one time with the teachers. Curtis said the school staff is amazing and respectful, they want to see students succeed.
Similar to other high schools, Renaissance serves students in grades 9-12, September through June. Many of the students agree it’s the best school they’ve been to.
“Out of every high school I’ve ever attended or been through, most of them don’t have teachers like they have here,”Baldwin said. “Here the teachers are all about you, the teachers are all involved in what you want to learn and what you don’t want to learn.”
Baldwin has attended high schools all over the state, but has spent two years at Renaissance, where he plans to graduate from.
Senior Devin Cobern said he likes the environment better than other high schools. Cobern transferred from Oxford High School and thinks Renaissance is a better opportunity for him.
Voyles went to Clarkston Junior High and expressed he didn’t feel accepted or welcome there and didn’t want to go back, so he interviewed at Renaissance.
“They were just really welcoming like they really wanted me here. They wanted me to help, they wanted me to succeed and I felt like I’d get a better learning experience,” he said, describing the school population as a family, everyone knows each other and doesn’t judge.
Curtis agreed, saying everyone at the school gets along and she’s never been more accepted into a school.
“The kids here are amazing,” Baldwin said. “When I first started here I actually thought it was overwhelming to see a student playing a guitar in the office and I thought it was amazing that, this being an alternative school, I would never see that anywhere else.”
Outside of just a more intimate environment, Baldwin goes to the school for credit recovery. He said he’s able to get credits faster and students are also able to receive credits through volunteer work and hours at a part-time job.
Renaissance High School Director Christa Fons said many students come to the school for credit recovery. Unfortunately, if they don’t get the credits on time, the students may not be able to finish because they’re too old, Fons said.
That’s why the school just approved a new program for students 20-22 years old who are still working to get their high school diploma, Fons said. The program starts Jan. 9. These students would take classes at the school under instruction from Renaissance teachers, but they wouldn’t be mixed with the 9th-12th grade students.
“It’s going to be a flexible schedule for these students, because some of them do work and have families and children,” Fons said. “We’re looking at something that’ll be a blended-type instructional, online, possibly cohort group, that’s housed here in the school during the day.”
Currently the program is taking place with four or five former Renaissance students who weren’t able to receive their diploma in their original time at the school, but Fons said it could be a route some current and future students can take.
The program will follow the same school calendar as the high schoolers, though Fon said many of them should be able to complete their diploma in one semester.