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The Archimedean Academy
Model for Teaching Greek: A
Worldwide Dream By Aleco Haralampides Feb 1, 2012
As the former President of the American-Hellenic Institute, Miami lawyer Aleco
Haralambides had a stake in promoting Hellenism, but says his biggest hope
now for his heritage is saving its beloved language, and promoting it not just to
fellow Greeks, but Philhellenes and the rest of the world. There are some
50,000 words in English derived in some way or another from Greek, and
Haralambides said he wants to make sure their rich history and place are
preserved. He helped do it at Archimedean Academy in Miami, a charter school
that has Greek as a mandatory subject, and now said he wants to find
supporters to start an international foundation to showcase the Greek language
and keep it alive outside of Greece.
The formula is working at Archimedean, which now teaches through the high
school level and is rated one of Florida’s top schools and successful enough
that there’s a waiting list of more than 1,000 students – most not of Greek
heritage. Besides instilling self-discipline in students, Archimedean requires
them to take classes 2 ½ hours a day in Greek – not just Greek, but other
subjects, and it’s a wonderment to see students not from Greek American
households conversing in Greek in the corridors and classrooms, and coming
to school on Saturdays to participate in projects, a role model for schools
around the country. As a charter school, Archimedean doesn’t charge tuition
but receives state assistance as a public school open to students who can get
in. On Jan. 30, it was rated Florida’s best middle school and praised for using
Greek and mathematics – and teaching math in Greek – as one of the reasons
for its achievements.
The Archimedian Acadamy in Miami, FL
When Archimedean students took a proficiency exam in Greek from
Thessaloniki University, 44 of 45 passed, he said. Not one was Greek or Greek
American. The school has only 70 students with Greek heritage out of an
enrollment of 950. “Using the Archimedean model is a proven way to perpetuate
the Greek language,” he said in an interview with Greek Reporter. “When you
see native speakers talking Greek to these kids who have no background in
Greek and they are processing difficult problems and answering in Greek, there
just isn’t anybody else out there doing this,” he said. It’s even more astonishing
when you realize the students have had no background at all in Greek or
Hellenism.
Now, he said, he hopes to get the word out that the model can work in an
international foundation, although he knows how tough it is to get Greek
Americans together and behind programs. Still, he said, “Once it’s started and
promoted you’d have a lot of non-Greeks supporting this and there’s a potential
for partnerships with classics programs,” he said, adding he’d like to see the
Archimedean model repeated in other charter schools in Florida and across the
country, where children could learn Greek – once a stable of great schools such
as Boston Latin Academy, and others where Greek and classics were
intertwined. “Our goal is not to have a Greek school necessarily, but to have a
great school,” he said.
“They aren’t going to come just to learn Greek. They want it to be a very good
school academically,” he said. Some parents are not happy with the rigid
format, he acknowledged, but said they were a minority.
Haralambides said with a declining birth rate among Greeks, Greek Americans
and those in the Diaspora, the need to save Greek is becoming critical because
the language is being spoken less. “It’s a mathematical certainty that if we don’t
stop that, that it will disappear,” he said. “One way to promote the Greek
language and Hellenism is to open charter schools,” he said. Archimedean is
applying from further accreditation and said, if granted, “That will allow us to be
accredited as a district, which means if we open a school in Alabama, it will be
accredited and recognized by colleges.
Like many Greeks of the United States and Disapora, his passion comes from
his heritage. “My grandparents were forced to leave Asian Minor because they
wanted to maintain their identity as Greeks and Greek Orthodox Christians.
They were willing to give up their entire livelihood to maintain their identity. The
least we can do is make an effort to preserve it,” he said.
The school’s Chief Executive Business Officer Dimitri Bardoutsos, said the
school will admit another 150 students in the next academic year and there is
a clamor to attend because he said parents know the students will get a good
education beyond Greek too. The school’s charter is with the Miami Dade
County public school administration, to which it reports. Classes begin at
kindergarten to groom students young. “Our goal is not just to graduate
students but those who can enter colleges at the Ivy League level,” he said.
“We pay attention to every individual student. We work with parents and
students. This is a school of choice. Parents have to offer 300 volunteer hours
a year and are part of the school and the process, and they are working together
to improve education.”
The school’s President, Founder, and Chairman of the Board, George
Kafkoulis, said, “The reason for the success of the school is the commitment to
excellence. The school is based on two very important ideas of Greek
civilization: language and the dedication to excellence, the rigorous teaching of
mathematics and philosophy.” He said many parents weren’t initially interested
in Greek, but wanted their children to have the benefit of a good education, but
discovered the benefits of the students learning the language. He said the
model can work for other schools to emulate. “This can be replicated … it’s a
recipe that works in every environment,” he said. Even the Greek Ministry of
Education, he said, is studying Archimedean to see how its methods can be
used to teach Greek and other courses.
Haralambides said he’s gotten calls from people in Washington, D.C., Los
Angeles, and San Francisco, among other areas, who want to open an
Archimedean-style academy that prepares students for college and teaches
them Greek as well. “We need someone to spearhead it and is committed to
spending the time to do it.” Sounds like he may be the best candidate for this.