5 Ways PIA is Different from Other Schools
There’s a ton of school options out there, especially in South Phoenix. If you’ve been searching high and low for the right school for your family - you know what we’re talking about! There is no shortage of options in the greater Phoenix area, but what you’ve probably also noticed is that most of those school options aren’t actually very different from one another!
That’s where we come in!
We think there’s quite a bit that sets us apart from other schools, especially the major components of our model… but it’s more than just our instructional framework that makes us unique! Here’s 5 ways PIA is different from other schools:
Flexible Classrooms: Our 3rd-8th grade students don’t have one singular teacher - instead, they have a team of teachers within the Learning Community that share learning space, students, and instructional load over the community of students.
Individualized Instruction: Students have a personalized schedule based on the skills that THEY need to work on. Once they have demonstrated mastery of a skill, they move onto the next one. This has allowed our students to progress at their own pace - taking more time when needed or accelerating through skills when appropriate.
Public Speaking: 4-5 times a year, we host events (Exhibitions) that showcase student work over the course of the previous project. At this time, all students prepare to share verbally about their work and plan for the types of questions community members may ask them. This helps them develop and sharpen their public speaking skills so they can confidently engage with others about the work they're doing.
Elective Options: Students have the opportunity to choose their electives from a variety of options that rotate based on student interest. Each student can choose two electives from a menu of options like: skateboarding, lego robotics, art, hip hop, drums, beats/rhythm making, music, gymnastics and more.
Restorative Practices: Our entire framework is rooted in Restorative Practices - meaning, we spend a great deal of time focusing on building and maintaining strong relationships within our learning community, centering student voice in the process, and restoring relationships when harm occurs.
If you’re looking for something different for your kids - come experience our unique environment for yourself! We promise it won’t be like every other school you’ve visited. 😉
