The Palouse Prairie School of Expeditionary Learning is pleased to announce its new director: Summer C. Clayton.

Ms. Clayton comes to us with 13 years of instructional and administrative leadership experience, 7 of which are in Expeditionary Learning (EL) schools. For the past four years she has been pivotal in coordinating and implementing the ELS school reform model at Winnona Park Elementary School, in Decatur, Georgia.  She has demonstrated a range of skills necessary to start a new EL school including experience in financial planning, personnel management, handling of critical legislative and regulatory demands, and foremost a broad and solid experience of implementing the EL educational model with teachers new to EL. Her leadership and collaboration with teachers and community members was recently recognized when Winnona Park was honored to be selected as a 2008-2009 EL site seminar for educators around the nation.

In addition, she has a total of 10 years experience teaching both elementary and middle school students. Ms. Clayton holds a master’s degree in Education from the University of Georgia and is currently completing her doctorate in Education at Walden University.  Her dissertation: Expeditionary Learning and the Achievement Gap in Primary Settings.

Ms Clayton will be arriving in Moscow July 1.

By Greg Meyer
KLEW-TV, Lewiston, ID
Mar 26, 2009

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By Halley Griffin, Daily News staff writer
March 30, 2009

Seventy-three local students have secured slots at a new charter school that will open in Moscow this fall, while two Moscow teachers could find themselves without jobs next school.

Palouse Prairie Charter School officials announced Saturday they'd filled 73 of the available 87 seats through a lottery process. The rest of the seats will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis.

Nils Peterson, chairman of the Palouse Prairie board of directors, said all but six of the students live within the Moscow School District.

Moscow School District officials have predicted the district will need to cut two teachers for next year to cope with the decreased enrollment.

"This is on top of the state reduction," Superintendent Candis Donicht said today.

The core philosophy of Palouse Prairie School is grounded in the belief that a highly challenging curriculum in a safe environment creates the setting for accelerated learning. Palouse Prairie School’ is an Expeditionary Learning School (ELS) and implements an educational philosophy that learning occurs best when:

• learners construct meaning;

• learners see the connection between what they learn and the real world;

• learners are actively engaged in purposeful tasks;

• activities are integrated and meaningful;

• learners work individually and as members of a group;

• learners are expected and encouraged to learn;

• learners internalize that what they learn and what they do in school can make a positive change in the community;

• support is an intrinsic part of the educational program;

• all learners have challenging learning opportunities;

• learners are actively involved in their community and find ways to serve the community

We draw not only on time-honored practices, but also on research that supports sound educational practices. Moreover, we place strong emphasis on the relationship between the school and the home, recognizing the critical role of parents and legal guardians in fostering children’s education.