Students take advantage of new alternative high school in Wixom

Contributed by Gregg Dionne, MDE

Students take advantage of new alternative high school in Wixom
Published: Sunday, January 01, 2012
By DIANA DILLABER MURRAY

diana.dillaber@oakpress.com; Twitter: @DDillybar

The 1:30 p.m. starting time at Oakland Opportunity Academy has proven to be one of the most popular features of the new pilot alternative high school operated by Oakland School intermediate district.

Almost 140 high school students from six Oakland County districts are taking advantage of the school based at Oakland Schools Technical Center Southwest on Beck Road near West Maple Road in Wixom.  



Marlana Krolicki, who has spent years as consultant with Oakland Schools intermediate district working on drop-out prevention and improving alternative high schools, is the principal at Opportunity Academy.



The school model is based on studies of what makes students succeed and remain in school until they graduate. Not all students do well in the traditional high school model, especially if they have other problems in their lives to deal with. Academy students are there because they do not have the credits to reach their expected grade level.



“They have fallen behind for as many reasons as there are kids,” said Krolicki, who wants to give them the opportunity to catch up and either return to their home high school and graduate or successfully finish their education at the academy.  READ MORE