The Museum School of Avondale Estates is a public charter school which opened its doors to students in 2010. It is the product of a grassroots effort on the part of dedicated parents to bring an innovative educational opportunity to DeKalb County.
The museum-school concept is a proven model founded on research about how children learn best: through personal exploration and hands-on experience fostering exploration, discovery and creativity.
At The Museum School, we have partnered with established learning and cultural institutions such as the Atlanta Botanical Garden, Atlanta History Center, Fernbank Museum of Natural History, the High Museum, the Michael C. Carlos Museum at Emory University, Zoo Atlanta and others to inform a curriculum integrated with a robust program of expeditions outside of the school.
The Museum School can claim an outstanding level of success. The educational community has recognized The Museum School as a model for elementary education, and the school is proud to support student teachers and pre-service teachers from the University of Georgia, Georgia State University, Agnes Scott College, Clayton State University and Oglethorpe University. The school achieved this level of academic success while at the same time operating within budget.
It has successfully operated on the per-student allotment from DeKalb County, with additional private support to cover facility costs — costs not covered for charter schools. The Museum School enjoys an excellent relationship with the DeKalb County School System, resulting in a full, five-year charter and a historic, long-term agreement for the use of a former school building for The Museum School’s permanent home. While DeKalb County has offered this facility rent-free, the building requires significant renovations to make it safe for students and to bring it up to code.
With your help, we can restore an empty building to once again be the beating heart of the community, provide the outstanding level of education our students deserve, and use our education model to elevate learning and teaching across the state.