Dogwood Charter School receives its charter
A big step has been taken in the development of a new charter school in Bethel Park.
On July 11, Dogwood Charter School was approved through the state Charter Appeal Board for a charter in the Bethel Park School District.
The school is expected to open for the 2024-25 school year in the Bethel Park Industrial Park. At first, it will be open to students in grades K-8, but there are plans for the school to eventually go through 12th grade.
Dogwood Charter School is based on the teaching philosophies of Charlotte Mason (1842-1923) an English educator, lecturer and author. Mason believed students thrive in a relational education: a philosophy of teaching that focuses on the relationships between the student and the ideas presented to them.
Dogwood would be the second public school to implement the philosophy of Charlotte Mason. Gillingham Charter School in Pottsville was the first.
“We recognize that not every child learns best in the traditional school setting,” said Beth Opat White, founder of Dogwood Charter School. “We wanted to fill a gap that is missing in education and make sure it was a public education so everyone could attend not just if you have the means to attend a private school. We understand that not every child fits into that mold of what traditional education is, so we created Dogwood to be that avenue.”
A Charlotte Mason philosophy to be utilized at Dogwood is outdoor education, not just for science but for all subjects.
“In Spanish class, they can walk outside and be using Spanish words as they are walking around,” Opat White said. “It’s very intentional in using the outdoor space around us throughout the day.”
The inside of the building will be decorated like a home with paintings adorning the walls, lamps, pictures and tables instead of desks.
“That’s another way to lower that intimidation level,” Opat White said. “It’s a different feel for children when they walk in because they’re comfortable with the home setting.”
Opat White is a Bethel Park native and a graduate of Bethel Park High School. Currently, she is the preschool director of St. David’s Christian Early Learning Center in Venetia, but before that worked at City High Charter School in Pittsburgh.
“Seeing how that functioned, it was always an idea in the back of my head, but never in my wildest dreams did I think I would ever take those steps,” Opat White said. “I always felt that we were missing something in education.”
Opat White started the process about three years ago. She knew she wanted to have a school in Bethel Park because of her connections to the borough.
The Bethel Park School District will serve as authorizer for Dogwood. meaning the district oversees the charter school.
“We are our own entity, but we’re in their district,” Opat White said.
She has received support from the community, which is very integral in the application process. A survey taken when the process began received about 200 responses and 155 families expressing interest in enrolling a child once the school opens.
“We’ve had people reaching out from the moment we got approved,” Opat White said. “I think families are excited knowing it’s happening and maybe more engaged than they were at the beginning.
Opat White admits there is a stigma connected with charter schools, but she hasn’t really received much negative feedback.
“People feel that we hurt schools in the financial sense, that we marginalize areas as a result of being in existence,” she said. “I know from other charters there is that perception with the general public. When I talk to people individually, I don’t really get that. We’re thankful the community has supported us. We’re really out here just to do good and not be in any way a hindrance and to be an asset to the community.”
Opat White thinks Dogwood may just be the place for those students who are not comfortable in a traditional educational setting.
“It gives families another option for their children,” she said. “There are some things we do that other schools can’t. Little kids can take on big ideas. They’ll take on what they can out of it and they’ll explore. We just want to keep that curiosity and love of learning continuing through their whole career of education.”
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