For Immediate Release
May 12, 2020

Discovery Charter School Honored with National “Above and Beyond” Award for Service to Students and Community During Pandemic

National Charter Schools Week celebrates charter school achievements May 10 – May 16, 2020

Rochester, NY– As part of efforts to celebrate National Charter Schools Week (NCSW), today, Discovery Charter School joins a select group of 10 schools you may not have heard about from across America being recognized by the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools (National Alliance) as Above and Beyond Award honorees. At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Discovery Charter School assessed the needs of students, their families, and the community, and quickly mobilized. The Above and Beyond Award was earned by schools that took the extra step to serve not only their own students, but also the broader community—during the coronavirus pandemic, despite all the challenges that came with transitioning to online learning. Discovery Charter School is being recognized for their work to rapidly transition to distance learning this Spring.

“I love Discovery Charter School! They did not skip a beat in continuing high-quality education for my child during the COVID-19 closure. Within the first few days of receiving the news the schools would be closed, my child was issued a Chromebook and a packet was sent home with detailed instructions for parents on how to help our children sign on to all the remote learning sites. We were even able to stop by the school to pick up student supplies and non-perishable food with non-contact carryout. Discovery Charter School has become an extension of our family. They care for my child’s wellbeing just as much as I do- that’s so evident in everything they have done to support us throughout the years, and most recently during the extended school closures.” – Discovery parent

“When schools nationwide transitioned to distance learning, it became clear to us that charter schools were setting a model for the rest of the nation on what it looked like to step up and care for their communities in the face of a global pandemic,” said Nina Rees, president and CEO of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools. “There are many public schools that served their students well in the face of COVID-19, but the exceptional work of our Above and Beyond Award winners embodies compassion and caring for people outside their school community who also needed help. Their work is a model of servant leadership for the rest of the nation,” she added.

The National Charter Schools Week 2020 theme, “Above and Beyond,” speaks to the extraordinary work all charter schools are doing during the pandemic. To join Discovery Charter School in celebrating this week, share photos and videos of charter school parents, students and supporters with Discovery Charter School and the National Alliance on social media. On Twitter tag @RocDiscoveryCS and @charteralliance, and hashtag #RochesterDiscovery #CharterSchoolsWeek and #AboveAndBeyond.

For questions regarding today’s announcement or other inquiries about Discovery Charter School, please reach out to Sara Castner at scastner@rochesterdiscovery.com. For information on the national charter school movement, please visit the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools website at www.publiccharters.org.

About Discover Charter School: Discovery Charter School provides a high-quality education in a safe and supportive learning community for students and families, empowers students with diverse talents, delivers rigorous and culturally relevant instruction, and fosters creativity, inquiry and strong character development.