Executive Director's Welcome

 

When I began my teaching career I noticed that some students did not feel connected to what they were learning.  When I asked those students about why they did not want to apply themselves, they often told me that they did not see any reason to learn what was being taught because they would never use the information.  I had to agree with them on many points - the curriculum was often not designed for the students to see any relevance to what they will actually use in the real world.  This objection by students to the curriculum has persisted through my career as an educator.

 

In 2007, I begn the framework for a school that would have curriculum that students would feel is relevant to their after-graduation aspirations.  After searching for several years, I could not find any textbooks that have been written with this ideal, nor could I find much research on curriculum designed to be relevant to students, especially those who do not plan to go to college.

 

As time went by, I continued to see lawmakers push for more "rigor" in the curriculum and a focus on technology and some career readiness, but nothing I felt would really work for students who do not believe college is in their future.  Finally, I decided to move forward with RWI.  I believe that your student will graduate from RWI with a "toolbox" that will serve them well as they transition to their adult lives. 

 

Thank you for taking the time to learn about RWI.  We look forward to serving you, your student, and the community.

 

 

Sincerely,



​​

Tobie Colunio, EdD
​Executive Director