Wayne RESA Chartered PSAs

Wayne RESA authorizes two public school academies that are unique in mission and focus and are committed to offering high quality, diverse educational alternatives to meet the needs of the students they serve. The Office of Public School Academies is responsible for oversight of the two schools authorized by Wayne RESA. Oversight includes two primary functions:

  • To ensure compliance with all federal, state and local laws that apply to PSAs
  • To support and guide PSAs towards sound educational, operational and governance practices

PSA Authorization

A PSA is a public institution, eligible to receive public funds once authorized by an authorizing body.

There are four institutional entities in Michigan that may authorize a charter:

  • Any one of the 15 state universities
  • All community colleges
  • All educational service agencies or intermediate school districts and
  • All local school districts
  • Any individual or group may apply to these institutions to operate a PSA.

For further information on Michigan's Public School Academy, please visit Michigan's Charter Public Schools page.

List of PSAs Authorized by Wayne RESA

Wayne RESA's authorized public school academies are responsible for maintaining an academic program that is both unique and supported by the local school district where it is located. In order to ensure this directive has been met, Wayne RESA is proud to have been the first ISD to institute a rigorous and continuous annual oversight review process of PSAs. The PSA Review Team evaluates the progress of each school to monitor its compliance with state and federal mandates, insures effective delivery of services to promote student achievement, and determines the viability of the PSA to continue being chartered by Wayne RESA.

Wayne RESA currently authorizes the following Public School Academies:

Henry Ford Academy, which opened its doors for enrollment in 1997-98, is located on the premises of the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village. This academy is the nation's first charter school developed jointly by a global corporation, public education and a world-renowned cultural institution. Conceived, developed, and implemented in cooperation with Ford Motor Company and The Henry Ford, and chartered by Wayne County Regional Educational Service Agency, the academy represents a model of partnership that focuses some of the best thinking to utilize best practices in preparing students for the 21st century. There are approximately 500 students in grades nine through twelve. The tenth, eleventh and twelfth grade students are assigned an individual laptop computer. The ninth grade students share a laptop computer with another student. Twelfth grade students complete a personalized research project as part of their high school graduation requirements. Students utilize the resources of the Museum, the Village and Ford Motor Company in their learning. The Academy continues to design and implement a demanding high level curriculum as reflected by its mission to provide a rigorous, relevant, and unique educational experience to its diverse student body, and create critical thinkers, life-long learners, and responsible citizens, who are prepared for college, career, and the global society.  

School Principal: Ms. Cora Christmas
20900 Oakwood Blvd., P.O. Box 1148
Dearborn, MI 48121-1148
(313) 982-6200


New Charter School Information

Wayne RESA is currently not actively seeking new charter schools. At such time the Wayne RESA Board makes a decision to openly solicit new charter applications, a charter school proposal must demonstrate that the proposed school will fill an educational need that is innovative, unique or fitting a specialized market niche that is not otherwise available through existing schools. For more information, please review the Criteria for Approval of a New Public School Academy Authorization, which was adopted by the Wayne RESA Board of Education on December 16, 2009.

Contacts

May Bamrick

Administrative Assistant