Brighton's Alternative High School Offers 'Bridge' to Education

For many of the students enrolled in Brighton's Alternative High School, the traditional classroom setting hadn't worked, but principal Colleen Deaven is quick to try and dispel one of the biggest myths regarding her school.

"I think one of the biggest misconceptions about our students is that we have all the bad kids," Deaven said, "and this just makes me cringe."

It's an unfair assessment, according to Deaven who explains many of her students choose The Bridge program due to other life circumstances or obstacles and reassures her students that, "there are no bad kids, just kids who make bad choices."

From learning disabilities to social issues, Deaven said the alternative program is the solution to help counter whatever it was that prevented her students from being successful in a traditional school setting.

"Most of our students have struggled academically and those are the kind of interventions that we offer," she said. "For students who need a little bit of extra time and extra help."

Transitioning from an adult education program three years ago, The Bridge was started with the support of superintendant Greg Grey who had a vision for an alternative program when he first arrived in the district, according to Deaven.

The Bridge is also a "real" high school, another misconception Deaven says some people may have, where graduates receive a high school diploma, not a GED, for completing the same "rigorous" Michigan Merit curriculum.

"We follow all the same curriculum guidelines that any other traditional high school would follow, we just do it differently," she said.

This year, The Bridge graduated 42 students and hopes to see the number continue to grow with new changes set to take place beginning this fall.

With many of the students in the program faced with adult responsibilities of having to work to support families, one of the biggest changes to the program will be a four day school week from Monday through Thursday to help accomodate student schedules.

"That will give them an extra day to work or help out at home," Deaven said.

The open day on Friday also gives the school a chance to provide enrichments programs, such as extra tutoring or music lessons, opportunities that some of her students may never have had in the past. 

With the new schedule already approved for next year, Deaven said students and parents have responded well to the idea and hopes the flexibility will attract other students as well.

Helping students graduate and succeed is the main goal of the program, which Deaven said many times starts with the students themselves, helping them to dispell their own myths.

"They've somehow gotten the message that they're not smart or they can't do math," Deaven said. "And I think the biggest surprise for the student and their family is that, yes I can. If I do work hard, I can do this."