The mission of The Frazier School is simple yet powerful: to provide students in Atlanta with a safe environment where they will develop the knowledge, skills, and character necessary for success in top quality high schools, colleges, and the competitive world beyond.  Armed with these skills and achievements, the students of the Frazier School will recognize an outstanding education as the instrument to achieve personal success and empowerment.  The mission is not easily accomplished.  The students of The Frazier School will soon learn that Attitude determines Altitude to realizing these goals.

The plans for The Frazier School began over four years ago when Bobby Frazier was teaching at Achieve Academy of Atlanta and the board of education decided to shut the school down. This despite the school’s CRCT scores being the second highest in the state of Georgia. Community leaders from city of Atlanta have worked with Mr. Frazier since 2005 to paving the way for a rigorous public middle school for underprivileged students in the Atlanta Public Schools.  The Georgia Charter School Association along with various community groups support the effort to establish The Frazier School in Atlanta.  By generating consistent and broad support from all corners of the Atlanta community primes The Frazier School for success thus providing a place where students who have previously had few options the opportunity to thrive in a rich, rigorous and dynamic learning community.

The Frazier School will not select students based on their prior academic records.  Incoming sixth graders will be admitted regardless of their test scores and socioeconomic background.  The only admission requirement to enter the school is the students’ and parents’ willingness to sign and uphold the Frazier School Commitment to Excellence Form. This form dictates the standards to which students, parents, and teachers all must adhere demonstrate the desire, discipline and dedication to do everything in their power to support the education and character development of the student.  The Frazier School will motivate students and their families to view an intense academic commitment and community consciousness as the key to future success.

The Frazier School’s framework motivates students and teachers to attend school from 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. during the week, half a day every other Saturday, and for one month during the summer.  All of these hours are focused on enhancing the academic and intellectual skills of the student along with their character.  Overall, students spend two-thirds more time in the classroom than most of their peers and they will achieve remarkable academic and social progress over one short school year.

Although there are some after school programs available to students in Atlanta, The Frazier School will successfully link regular classroom instruction and extended hours by housing the program in one place, providing instruction by one dedicated faculty, and implementing a integrated comprehensive curriculum throughout the day. Furthermore, by serving students in grades six through eight, The Frazier School will effectively bridge the crucial gap between elementary and high school.  This is a time when many children from disadvantaged backgrounds replace academic interests with involvement in negative influences such as drugs, gangs, violence, and crime.  The Frazier School will begin engaging children at nine or ten years of age and develop supports and encouragement for them throughout the turbulent years of early adolescence. 

The incorporation of mandatory summer school, Saturday school every other weekend, and extended hours during the week will allow The Frazier School to offer creative programming.  During the summer new students will be initiated into the routines, procedures, and high expectations of the school while returning students participate in remediation and enrichment activities.  Saturdays during the regular school year will be spent in various enrichment and community enhancing activities.  Each weekday all students will begin the day with half an hour of critical thinking and problem solving activities.  Students will then engage in six to seven hours of instruction including reading, writing, math, social studies, science, fine arts and physical education.  From 3:00-4:00 p.m. each day all sixth grade students will be involved in tutorial and homework help or participate in one of the school’s electives.  Students not performing to the standard will be assigned to after school tutorial for extra academic help.

Many of the families in underprivileged areas of the Atlanta Public Schools qualify for the federal free or reduced breakfast and lunch program.  The Frazier School will help these children overcome the stigma associated with these programs with personal pride and passion for learning.  Students will value their time in school using it as a vehicle to transform their knowledge into power.  The Frazier School strives to empower students to avoid the pitfalls of poverty through quality education, enabling each of them to fully experience the American dream.

The Frazier School framework succeeds not because of who teachers and students are, but rather, what the students and teachers do:

• Students and teachers in The Frazier School will spend approximately significantly more time in a learning environment than their counterparts in any other school in the district.

• Students in The Frazier School will focus on developing academic and intellectual skills and character building necessary for significant successes in high school, college, and beyond.

• Faculty and staff at The Frazier School will work together to identify and recruit master teachers in order to refine, share, and develop effective teaching strategies.

• The Frazier School teachers will bridge the gap between school and community by visiting each student’s home before the start of the school year and continuing to make regular home visits throughout the year.  Important parental activities such as checking homework and reading with the children will occur in The Frazier School homes.  Regular parent workshops will be provided during Saturday School.

• Frazier School teachers will provide students with cellular phone numbers and email addresses and be available for homework assistance or in case of an emergency.

The goals of The Frazier School are not modest.  Not only does The Frazier School contend that it’s students will score higher on district, state, and national tests than those from neighboring areas, but the school also expects all of it’s initial class of seniors to enter competitive universities throughout the country.  By preparing students with the academic skills, intellectual habits, and character traits to achieve success throughout their academic years and in life, The Frazier School will serve as a model of educational excellence for the City of Atlanta. 

Bobby Frazier, Founder
The Frazier School