Teacher: Ms. Jennifer Patey

My classroom is full of second-chance kids. I teach chemistry to sophomores, juniors, and seniors at an alternative high school. We cater to a population of students who stopped attending their previous schools because of pregnancy, drugs, gang involvement, or an otherwise unsafe environment. However, my students are not “bad kids.” They have passed rigorous admissions standards, chosen to uphold the school’s high expectations, and would like to change their lives for the better. We keep the classrooms small (a maximum of 15 students, typically 11-12) and provide each student with the personalized attention they need to succeed, and hopefully go on to college.