GEO Foundation
GEO Foundation is a blueprint for the support and funding of American charter schools.
Currently, there are four such schools in the United States. Fall Creek Academy and Fountain Square Academy, are located in Indianapolis, Indiana. 21st Century Charter School of Gary is located in Gary, Indiana, and Pikes Peak Prep located in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Two more schools are proposed to open soon. Those schools are Gary Middle College, and South Bend Career Academy.
The curriculum at all four schools is centered on self-directed learning and is facilitated by a computer program called the A+ Learning System. This program is a completely computer-based learning system in which students take various exams to determine their introductory level of knowledge. A curriculum supervisor then adds lessons to each student's personalized account. Students then complete these lessons at their own pace. Each lesson ends with an exam which serves to certify a student for the next lesson.
Mission
The GEO Foundation strives to break the cycle of poverty by providing students and families with access to quality educational options in impoverished neighborhoods. The foundation reaches this goal by starting, supporting, and managing high-quality charter schools in different areas of the country.
History The GEO Foundation, a non-profit 501(c) 3 research and educational institution, was founded under the leadership of President Kevin Teasley in June 1998. The GEO foundation recognizes that reaching the national level takes time, and believes that starting at the local level is best.
Publicity
The GEO foundation has been featured on numerous magazines. In the year of 2007, the GEO foundation had a full page in Forbes magazine. News coverage and working with fellow foundations has been a factor for GEO. GEO has been the subject of two front-page stories in the New York Times, and there have been numerous news accounts in the Indianapolis Star, Denver Post, and Colorado Springs Gazette.[1] Stanford University has published reports showing GEO Academies to be in the top 25% of the country in terms of academic growth.[2]
Board of directors
Vicki Perry - Chair Founder/CEO Advantage Health Care Network
Tom Zupancic - Treasurer Senior Vice President Indianapolis Colts
John Gottsman President & CEO The Clarity Group
Jeff Ready CEO Scale
Kevin Teasley President/CEO GEO Foundation