Amy Hayes, Chief of Schools, Plato Academy Schools

I am Amy Hayes, chief of schools for Plato Academy Schools Corporation.

Plato Academy started in 2004. The Panhellenic Foundation in Clearwater, Florida, wanted a school opportunity for Greek students. There’s a large Greek population in Tarpon Springs, and they wanted an opportunity where kids could go and learn not only the Greek language but also the Greek culture and heritage and have a Hellenic foundation.

It started with one school, and over the years—we’ve now been in business for 20 years—we have grown from that one school to nine public charter schools here in the Tampa Bay area. We’re in three different school districts: mainly in Pinellas County, but we also have a school in Pasco County and one in Hillsborough County.

The focus of our charter is the philosophy of Plato and teaching through the Socratic method. So, students receive a very rigorous academic focus but with a strong emphasis on building their character and their ability to question things for themselves. They learn through the experience of questioning and interacting with various types of learning opportunities.

Honestly, it’s the people who are part of it. Plato Academy wouldn’t be the success it is today without the administrators and teachers in our programs. We have some of the most dedicated individuals working for us. We have over 500 teachers and staff, many of whom have been with us since the beginning. At our 20-year gala, we celebrated teachers who have 15 or more years of experience with Plato. That longevity makes a huge impact on the schools and families because they see the same teachers and programs year after year.

When there’s a high turnover rate in a school, there’s also a turnover of ideological concepts. But with a consistent group of people, we’ve stayed true to our original intent: teaching the Greek language and culture. The Greek language is the foundation of many other languages, as well as key components of math, science and other fields. The Greek culture is fundamental to understanding how societies and governments work today. Teaching students about those roots is a rewarding experience.

We have an advanced academic focus. For example, our kindergarten students are learning first-grade standards and concepts, and second-graders are learning third-grade material. We offer accelerated math starting in third grade, so students progress faster and are prepared for high school-level courses by middle school.

Most of our programs are K-8, but we recently opened our first high school at our Tampa location. When students leave our middle schools, they typically earn three to four high school credits, including foreign language credits in Greek.

At Plato Academy, our students get to wear costumes authentically made in Greece and learn Greek dance, performance and oration. From kindergarten onward, they are taught Greek songs and both the Greek and American national anthems, which they sing every day in school.

This cultural emphasis extends to the arts. Last year, an art museum in Athens provided our students with kits to create their own museum objects and a corresponding book. These creations were sent back to Athens and are now on display in an art museum in Greece. It was an incredibly exciting opportunity for our students, and another location within our academy is now planning to take on a similar project.

Technology has also always been a strong point for us. When COVID hit and schools were scrambling to figure out how to implement online learning, we were already doing it. Being ahead of the curve in technology has allowed us to provide our students with diverse and advanced learning opportunities consistently.

Innovation is the ultimate question every year, especially here in Florida, where the legislature is constantly opening up opportunities for schools and providing parents with more choices. When we first started in the Tampa Bay area, we were the school of choice. Parents lined up around the door, and we didn’t have enough seats for all the kids. Today, we still have a robust waitlist, but there are now micro-schools, private schools and voucher systems giving families more options.

What sets us apart is our unique way of engaging students. Our classrooms are not typical. Students interact deeply with their learning, their peers and their teachers, learning how to learn for themselves. We’re always looking for ways to innovate. For example, we’re exploring an online Greek language program to offer advanced courses like Greek 3 and Greek 4. We also have partnerships with the Greek government, which sends teachers from Greece to teach Greek language and culture. Additionally, we’re considering introducing ancient Greek to our lower grades, as it’s the root of so many languages.

For our gifted learners, we offer programs like “Odyssey of the Mind.” Last year, our St. Pete location won at the world championships. These opportunities allow our students to express creativity and explore learning methods that go beyond traditional approaches.

My message to parents is not just for those with Plato but also for those with any school: be involved in your child’s education. Volunteer at school and show your child that their education is important to their future. Studies show that when parents are actively involved, their children perform better academically, have better behavior and develop stronger character and integrity. Unfortunately, today’s busy American life often leaves parents less involved. At Plato, we emphasize and promote parental involvement because it benefits the child, school and family. Regardless of the school a parent chooses, I hope they make that commitment.

We aim to continue being innovative. We’re Cognia-accredited and are exploring potential private school opportunities alongside our charter schools. This could allow us to diversify and create new programs. For instance, we’re considering programs in AI and career and technical education to provide students with specialized skills.

We’ve also been speaking with people in other states to see if our model would work for their communities. There are Greek communities nationwide, but we’re also open to adapting our model to fit other needs. Our goal is to provide every opportunity possible to the kids of Tampa Bay, and potentially beyond, in Florida or even out of state.

I want to highlight the Plato Education Foundation, a nonprofit that drives our mission and supports the academic, athletic and cultural programs of our schools. Its board primarily consists of people from Greece, helping bridge the gap and reinforcing Greek language and culture in our arts programs.

Plato Academy is tuition-free. We are here to educate kids, take care of them and help them achieve the success they deserve as they grow into adults. Many alumni return to tell us how their education at Plato made high school easier for them. Some even come back to substitute teach. When students return to your school, you know you’re doing something right.

I go back to the importance of parents being involved. At Plato Academy, we follow Plato’s philosophy: “Do not train a child to learn by force or harshness, but direct them to it by what amuses their minds, so that you may better be able to discover with accuracy the peculiar bent of the genius of each child.”

If parents embrace that philosophy, helping their children thrive and encouraging them to investigate and learn, it makes a profound difference. I may be old school—I grew up running around outside and exploring the world around me. With social media and everything else today, I don’t think kids get that same opportunity. I don’t want future generations to lose the ability to think critically, question the world and figure things out for themselves.

Our philosophy ensures that kids continue to do just that. It’s how we achieve innovation in the world. It’s how civilizations have grown to what they are today. That’s why we have global markets. It’s why we can put a giant airplane in the sky and have it actually fly. These achievements are possible because people questioned, asked and figured things out. It’s critical that we, as a civilization, don’t lose that ability.