Why was the Barnstable Horace Mann Charter School created?
In 1997, Tom McDonald, Principal of the Barnstable 5th grade school, believed that he could provide a better education for his students if he applied for a Horace Mann charter. As McDonald, his leadership team, and Finance Director Susan Dahn worked on the school’s charter application, McDonald shared with me the group’s objectives: 1.) Improve the quality of learning by aligning the curriculum with the Massachusetts Frameworks, 2.) Improve instructional management by providing the teachers with technology and professional development to make them more effective, 3.) Individualize instruction so students can achieve high academic standards, even if it takes more time or different methods, 4.) Improve the quality of program and performance evaluation, 5.) Reallocate resources to attain strategic objectives, and 6.) Manage the process of changing to a higher performing school. McDonald is entrepreneurial, and his school enjoys an entrepreneurial culture. A few years back his students and
