Call it fate, kismet or simply coincidence.
The day Amy Fultz announced she was stepping down from her position as director of a small private school near Atlanta, she got a phone call.
“I was out walking and my phone kept beeping and dinging and when I picked it up it was someone from Sedona Charter School who said their director had turned in her resignation and asked whether or not I’d be interested,” she said. “I was pretty confident that I’d take the job if it was offered to me — and it was.”
Fultz and her husband have owned a home in Sedona for nearly two decades, as they knew this was the place they wished to retire to once their youngest child had gone off to college.
Having applied for the position of director at the Charter School in recent years, Fultz was no stranger to the school. She’s now been on the job for about seven weeks and so far, so good.
“I think things are going very well. The Sedona Charter School is an amazing place between the students, families and staff. They are all wonderful and have been extremely welcoming to me,” she said.
“I have a background in Montessori education and I expected a Montessori-type school and it’s definitely that. There is a wonderful joy of learning here.”
She said the students have many freedoms — within boundaries — when it comes to learning. The teachers work in a community atmosphere, which is based around a three-year cycle of development. Within the classroom, Fultz said, a small community develops where the older children become the leaders in the classroom. She also praised the campus, specifically the exterior, which she said becomes an extension of the classroom.
“A school is an interesting place. You’re dropping off your child, trusting individuals who you may not know very well to spend the day with your child. So you definitely want there to be trust and joy,” she said.
Unlike a private school, a charter school does not charge tuition. And while their education may be different than that of a public school, it can’t be too extreme. Charter schools receive state funding, therefore they must adhere to many of the same standards and requirements set forth by the state as do public schools.
“A Montessori School typically has multi-age classrooms,” she said. “The children work at their own pace. They’re working more independently, typically, than a public school. Each charter school has a little bit of a different design than a typical public school.”
Despite there being a different teaching style at a Montessori School, Fultz said the transition for a student from that to a public school — most of their students go onto Sedona Red Rock High School — is not a difficult one for most.
“The teachers are aware of where the student will be transitioning to, so we prepare the student for that transition,” she said. “We know what will be expected of them at the high school level. So, whether they’re transitioning to a private school, a more transitional public school or maybe homeschooling, it’s our job as educators to make sure those students are prepared for their next level of education. They come out prepared whether that’s third grade, sixth grade or eighth grade.”
As of Monday, Aug. 23, the school had an enrollment of 153 students.
While Sedona’s public schools continue to struggle with decreasing enrollment in recent years, the Charter School has maintained steady numbers. Since 2015 enrollment had seen a previous high of 147 students to a low last year of 125, primarily due to the pandemic.
But despite steady numbers, Fultz said it’s concerning to see fewer younger families with children moving into the city.
“It’s also concerning for the community as a whole,” she said. “You definitely want there to be a mixture of ages in any town. It would be sad to have no children around in the community. I think everyone here should be concerned about this and not just the schools.”
For more information on the school or to read Fultz’s professional biography, visit sedonacharterschool.com.
