New Alabama community 'scouts out' PKY as model school for planned school system

A group of nearly 30 town and school leaders from Pike Road, Alabama, visited P.K. Yonge Developmental Research School last month to “scout out” PKY as a model school for the town’s efforts to start its own school system.

Pike Road is a community near Montgomery, Ala., that is working to create its own K-12 school. Since they are near several institutions of higher education, they are interested in developing a collaborative relationship similar to the one PKY has had since 1934 as the laboratory school for UF’s College of Education.

The visitors spent the day observing classes and brainstorming with PKY and COE faculty about their plans.

Pike Road Mayor Gordon Stone and Councilman Rob Steindorff, chairman of the Pike Road Educational System for Excellence in Teaching Curriculum Committee, led the visiting group, which included members of the town’s planning committee, representatives from higher education, teachers, administrators and other community leaders.