A new Albert Einstein school prepares for students in the fall

Manny Lopez | Downtown News

When the new Albert Einstein Charter Middle School in Grant Hill opens its doors in September, nearly 500 students will take part in a unique educational experience that will immerse them in German language and culture.

The 38,000-square-foot location at 458 26th St. — a sister school to the similarly named school on Ash Street in South Park — will offer a tuition-free and intense language education that is only available in a handful of learning institutions throughout San Diego.

“Our curriculum is internationally focused and anything we teach is intended to give kids a cultural understanding that enables them to actively participate as citizens of a global as well as local community,” said David Sciarretta, executive director of Albert Einstein Academies.

Kids who enter between kindergarten and third grade are totally immersed in German. Some choose to study Spanish instead. Those that enter later are less immersed, but by the time a student reaches the eighth grade, he or she is ready for a German exchange program.

Sciarretta said when people ask him why they have a German-based curriculum, he usually tells them that while German is central and important to what the academy does, no element clearly defines it. He pointed out that learning the German language has been shown to enhance cognitive development, which makes transitioning to other languages easier.

Established in 2002, the Albert Einstein Academies are members of the International Baccalaureate program, which fosters intercultural understanding and respect.

“When people ask me ‘why German?’ I always answer, ‘why not?’” said Maria Ortega, vice president on the Board of Trustees for Albert Einstein Academies. “This is an amazing opportunity for San Diego kids and the location is going to be one of the highlights of the neighborhood.”

Groundbreaking for the new location took place Dec. 18, with Bycor as the general contractor and Studio E as the architect. The new campus will have 20 classrooms, a combined media/tech/library center, admin offices, an indoor gym, an outdoor basketball area and 21^st century information technology throughout.

Ortega, who has a daughter that graduated from the academy and another still attending, said that when the school first opened, South Park wasn’t quite the thriving neighborhood it is today.

Ortega said that while students are selected to attend the school through a lottery system, many people looking for a neighborhood to buy a home will certainly take into account that Grant Hill has a top-notch middle school with a strong Academic Performance Index, which monitors the academic achievement of state-funded public schools, including charter schools.

Parents wishing to learn more about the lottery process for the Grant Hill location’s fall opening can do so by visiting aecms.org/albert-einstein-middle-school-enrollment.

Ortega said not everyone who attends the Einstein Academy is there for the German experience, but many parents recognize the strength of the school’s programs and if their children have to take German, they’ll do it because of the quality of the education.

“It’s a great advantage to be able to speak a foreign language,” Ortega said. “I’m proud that my children can speak three. I think it makes them special and sets them apart from the rest.”

Carmen Ortuno, a nearby resident of Grant Hill, said she has two children that are not yet ready to attend school, but when they are, she hopes they will be able to attend the Einstein Academy.

“When all of the noise and dust from the construction is gone, it will be replaced with the sounds of children learning and playing,” she said. “It would be something very special for my family if we could give our children a good education like the kind they offer at Albert Einstein.”

As a charter school, the Albert Einstein Academy is supported by taxpayer dollars. The school can create its own curriculum, but must adhere to the California State Content Standards and Benchmarks set by the California State Board of Education.

Ribbon cutting for Grant Hill location is currently scheduled for late August, with a grand opening for students and staff sometime after Labor Day.

For more information on Albert Einstein Academies, visit aeacs.org or call 619-795-1190.

—A native New Yorker, Manny Lopez is a freelance journalist and photographer who started his writing career in La Jolla. He now covers San Diego and Southwest-Riverside counties penning news, features and business profiles. Manny can be reached at [email protected].