Today we’d like to introduce you to Josh Pinto Taylor.
Hi Josh, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My story in Atlanta started as a student at Georgia Tech. I moved here to study architecture, but by the time I graduated from Tech, I had discovered my true purpose as an educator. That process of transformation happened through the Center for Education Integrating Science, Mathematics, and Computing (CEISMC) at Tech. As a CEISMC Fellow, I had the opportunity to shadow teachers in Fulton County and tutor students who were working towards high school graduation. In those classrooms, I realized that I wanted to spend the rest of my career partnering with young people and their families as they worked toward their dreams.
After over a decade of teaching and educational leadership experiences, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, I, like many people, started asking questions about what school “could be” or “should be”. What if we had the space to dream about the purpose and practice of education? With a group of parents, educators, students, and other community members, we started asking those questions in community-based conversations. “How should school feel?” “What is most important for students to be learning in school?” We were hearing stories of families and students feeling disconnected and isolated from school. We were hearing desires from families and students for a challenging curriculum that allows students to apply their knowledge and skills to “real-world problems.” We were hearing the Surgeon General of the United States of America saying that adolescent mental health needs to be a top priority for communities and schools across the country. We were hearing local leaders talk about how housing affordability across the region was creating instability in our school system – causing students to move from school to school or district to district and producing interruptions in learning that further exacerbate educational disparities between communities and schools. We were also inspired by the innovation and creativity we witnessed through local educators and education leaders who were partnering with families and students in new ways in the midst of the pandemic.
After listening to the voices of people around us, we set out to design a new school that met the needs, desires, and dreams of the people we were engaging with – and the stories we were hearing. Eighteen months later, those conversations led to the development of a coherent school vision and model. In six short months, we will be opening that school about nine miles East of Downtown Atlanta.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The journey to open a school has definitely not been smooth, but we have a great village of parents, educators, and community members that is making our work lighter than it would be through the trials. The proverb, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” rings true in our story. Whether the task at hand was related to identifying a facility or building an excellent team or fundraising to pay for our operating expenses, our approach has always been to leverage existing community resources on the way to achieving our shared goals.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
The Anchor School is a tuition-free public charter school. We are committed to develop the whole child through the entirety of adolescence. Our doors will open in the fall of 2023. We will be a middle and high school with a statewide attendance zone, meaning students from across the region can apply regardless of which school district they are enrolled in. As a public school, there is no tuition and the application process is free for families. We are currently enrolling rising 6th graders – and will grow our school by one grade per year for the next seven years.
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
There are many ways to support our work. Parents of 5th graders can support us by spreading the word about this new choice in the region. Educators can explore career opportunities if they are excited about our story, our mission, and our vision. We invite community organizations to reach out to us with youth-centered programming and partnership opportunities. We are always looking for people to give generously to our mission – in time, talent, or treasure. All of these opportunities for engagement can be explored more deeply through our website: www.anchorschool.org.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.anchorschool.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anchorschoolatl/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/anchorschoolatl
