New Charter School Sets Its Sights on STEM Learning, College Readiness

Years ago, Walter Novillo founded a Twin Cities-based program called “Power of You” that gave financial aid to low-income, urban students planning to attend college.

But the program’s simple goal was complicated by a larger problem, Novillo said: Many of the students applying for tuition assistance simply weren’t prepared for the academic rigors of college.

So Novillo teamed up with education professionals, parents of prospective students and other volunteers to form the Science, Technology and Engineering Preparatory (STEP) Academy—a new charter school that moved into Inver Grove Heights this summer. The school’s goal? Prepare sixth- through 11th-grade students for college using a Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) curriculum, and extensive partnerships with area colleges and universities.

“We are committed to STEM education and basically trying to dispel this myth that college is not accessible in urban communities,” said Novillo, who is the interim executive director for the school. “We want our students not just to finish high school, but finish high school with college credit.”

The school, which opened its doors on Sept. 6, is located in the building formerly occupied by Tarek ibn Ziyad Academy—another charter school that shut down earlier this summer

Like its predecessor, the STEP Academy has a diverse student body and a focus on low-income families. But the connections end there, said Novillo, who told Patch earlier this fall that the academy has no affiliation with TiZA.

The charter school is authorized by Anoka Technical College and currently has 208 students and 23 staff members, Novillo said. The students are drawn from over 25 different school districts in the area, he added. The school currently leases the building from the Minnesota Educational Trust.

To bolster its own curriculum, the school hopes to establish partnerships with Anoka Technical College, Dakota County Technical College, the University of Minnesota and , among others, Novillo said. Once those relationships are established, Novillo hopes that STEP Academy students can take dual enrollment courses, participate in college “immersion” programs and regularly tour schools to help familiarize them with the post-secondary education system.

The school's focus on STEM learning is what initially motivated Anoka Technical College to become the charter school's authorizer, Anoka Technical College Interim President Jessica Stumpf said. The college, Stumpf said, recognized that there is a shortage of science and math skills in the workforce, and wanted to encourage minority students to help fill that need.

The vision of the academy is lofty, but the school has some more immediate challenges to face as it continues to develop its curriculum and mission.

Progress at a recent STEP Academy School Board meeting was hampered by contention between board members and Novillo. At one point, Board Chair Paul Amla threatened to have Novillo removed from the meeting for speaking out of turn. According to statements made at the meeting, another member of the board resigned earlier this year because the uncomfortable “tone” of the meetings made her physically ill.

“I see a group of very, very dedicated, smart, hard-working, professional people, but I see people who aren’t, as I see it as an observer, sure how to operate as a board, and aren’t sure how to communicate on difficult issues,” said Deborah Proctor, a board observer for Anoka Technical College. “If the board is going to do its work to move the school forward, there needs to be some meeting of the minds or guidelines developed.”

Amla downplayed the contentious meeting in an interview on Monday, saying that the young board was experiencing growing pains, and that they planned to consult an attorney to help the board work out its functions and proceedings.

“With any organization, there is always a time when people disagree,” Amla said. “This is our first year, and we are making progress toward a board that is very unified.”