EMPOWERING EDUCATION The phrase “sent to Tate” has a negative connotation within the halls of West High. But what does it mean for a student to transition to an alternative school? BY ZOE SMITH
ART & DESIGN BY ERINN VARGA
T
he Iowa Department of Education defines alternative education as “a perspective, not a procedure.” While students at the ICCSD’s traditional high schools may overlook Tate, it remains a vital part of the school district. Tate focuses on providing its students with a personalized education plan and resources essential for their success. Named after Elizabeth Crawford-Tate, the owner of Iowa City’s first rooming house for Black tenants, Tate honors her legacy by creating a safe and inclusive environment for all students. Tate’s schedule closely resembles West’s Thursday schedule, with classes between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Like West, Tate’s days are filled with various classes, field trips and clubs. Besides core classes, students participate in Kirkwood Academies, where they enroll in free college classes at Kirkwood Community College and can earn an associate’s degree. Additionally, students can join in extracurricular activities and travel to other schools for sports. “Tate has clubs to help kids thrive and feel comfortable in their environment, such as Glitter Club (LGBT), Girls Group, Boys Group, a club for teen parents, as well as a bunch of student-made clubs. I started a dance club the year I went,” Gabby Williams, a 2023 Tate Graduate, said in an interview conducted over email.
MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT TATE
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nn Browning is Tate’s principal and has been an educator for 37 years. She was previously a City High assistant prin-
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MARCH 1, 2024
cipal and taught at West High and Northwest Junior High before becoming Tate’s principal in 2012. Since walking through Tate’s doors, Browning’s goal has always been to help students achieve their educational and personal goals. “When I first got here, Tate was a little crazy.
WHAT WE WANT TH E KI DS TO [TH I N K] I S, ‘ WOW. I ’ M DOI NG R EALLY GOOD TH I NGS, AN D IT’S BE I NG ACKNOWLE DG E D. -GABBY WI LLIAMS ‘23 I was like, ‘Oh no, what have I gotten myself into?’” Browning said. “Kids would leave, go down to McDonald’s and come back. Or maybe smoke across the street.” Despite Browning’s initial concerns, she hopes to make Tate a pillar of support for its students. Alternative high schools strive to help students
facing challenges in a traditional high school setting. However, misconceptions persist about Tate and alternative high schools across the nation. Browning describes how an incident at West led to some of these misconceptions. “About 10 years ago, a group of girls went off-campus to fight and got suspended for 10 days. Everybody goes, ‘Hey, whatever happened to those girls that got in the fight? Oh, they went to Tate. Yeah, all the bad kids go to Tate,’” Browning said. “But that’s not why they went to Tate; they went because they were falling behind academically and [wouldn’t] graduate with their class.” For many students at Tate, external circumstances affect their ability to maximize their education. According to the Iowa Department of Education, 73% of students at Tate qualify for free and reduced lunch, compared to 34% at West. According to Browning, Many students work outside of school to support themselves and their families, and many experience mental health issues, identity issues and houselessness. These factors, coupled with the typical stressors that accompany high school, can lead students to seek a different environment where they can thrive. “When [students] get referred and come to Tate, they have a chip on their shoulder and feel like they got voted off the island. Like, ‘I have to come here now, and I heard nothing but bad kids come here,’” Browning said. “It’s just a misconception. We’re a really great school. We’re just smaller [than a typical high school].”