The “factory model of education has become outdated.” This is a philosophy strongly believed at Valor Preparatory Academy of Arizona, and drives us in our academic approach.
As Principal Mahlandt told the West View Valley: “The problem is somewhere along the way, the need to be able to move with bells telling us to go from one place to the next and everybody working in factories stopped being the most important element in keeping us being the leader in the world. And what’s made us a leader is things like communication, collaboration, critical thinking and creative problem solving. That’s kind of what’s driving us into the new reality that we have.”
The difference at Valor shows, and it gets the attention of many. Recently, Principal Dan Mahlandt was featured in an article by West Valley View.
You can read the full West Valley View article here.
At Valor, we have taken the time to really think through educational norms and decide what is working and what could be improved. With that has a number of changes to our educational approach compared to the traditional school.
For one, there are later start times. For another, we utilize both in-person instruction and an updated, rigorous engaging virtual curriculum for a hybrid approach that combines the best of both worlds.
More about Valor’s Approach to the Classroom
Will describes his Mars colony to his Valor Prep peers in Science class.
As Principal Mahlandt told the news: “Valor is the new form of education. If we empower students and parents to make decisions for themselves on the education they want, and we don’t make time that constant, instead we make it a variable, then we can change education and make sure that what the kids need is what drives us and not what the system needs.”
That means Valor isn’t just looking to make sure students memorize as much as possible to pass standardized tests. Of course, good test scores are certainly a plus, but Valor seeks to help students be prepared for life after school. Whether it’s being academically ready for college or developing critical thinking for careers and their own family lives, we want to be there every step of the way to help each child grow and succeed.
To accomplish this, Valor uses industry-leading online curriculum and diagnostic tools to meet students where they are and connect them to where they want to go. Our students master content and demonstrate proficiency in core subjects and electives, and our transparent learning paths allow teachers to personalize learning, based on student strengths and areas that need extra support.
With all these tools, we are working for the ultimate goal of student success.
“There’s a wide breadth of kids we serve who are successful with us,” Principal Mahlandt told West Valley View. “The ones who aren’t successful yet are the ones who just want to be told what to do because they’re trained in that factory model from five years old until whatever age they come to us. And we try not to be the people that say do this at this second and do that at this minute, we’re trying to empower them. It’s time to make decisions for yourself.”
If you have a 6-12th grade student struggling at their current school, see how Valor Preparatory Academy can help. Our personalized learning, warm environment in a state-of-the-art facility, incredible teachers and awesome digital curriculum are all tools awaiting your child’s success.
To learn a little more about our approach and getting started with Valor, head here.
