High Tech High International, often referred to as HTHI, is a public charter high school in San Diego, California with 391 students and 22 teachers. It is the third school in a program that attempts to change the way most students in the United States and countries with similar schools are taught. It is part of the High Tech High charter schools umbrella organization.HistoryHigh Tech High International was the second high school established in the "High Tech High Village". Opened in 2004, in a building that was formerly the Foundry/Metal Shop aboard the Naval Training Center, High Tech High International had as its goal to enlarge the perceptions of students on global policies. It is currently under the same charter as its sister school, Gary and Jerri-Ann Jacobs High Tech High Charter School. This charter was granted by the California state board of education and allows for High Tech High to open 10 new charter schools in the state. In 2011, HTHI was a finalist in the Race to the Top Commencement Challenge.
High Tech High Media Arts, often referred to as HTHMA, is a public charter high school in San Diego, California.DescriptionThe school uses Project Based Learning to teach students. HTHMA teaches grades 9-12 and has approximately 400 students.It is the fourth school in the High Tech High charter schools coalition of schools, attempting to change some of the ways most students in the United States are taught.TeachersHTH schools seek teachers with relevant industry experience. For example, Humanities teachers have published professionally or attended professional school such as law school, occasionally medical school. Science teachers are recruited from industries such as engineering and the beef jerky manufacturing sector. Academic teachers are recruited from many major colleges.HistoryHigh Tech High was originally conceived by a group of about 40 civic and high tech industry leaders in San Diego, assembled by the Economic Development Corporation and the Business Roundtable, who met regularly from 1996-1998 to discuss the challenge of finding qualified individuals for the high-tech work force. In particular, members were concerned about the “digital divide” that resulted in low numbers of women and ethnic minority groups entering the fields of math, science, and engineering. Gary Jacobs, Director of Education Programs at Qualcomm, and Kay Davis, Director of the Business Roundtable, were key participants in these discussions.In late 1998 the group voted to start a charter school and engaged Larry Rosenstock, then President of Price Charities in San Diego, as the founding principal. The founding group was clear about its intent: to create a school where students would be passionate about learning and would acquire the basic skills of work and citizenship. Rosenstock, a former carpentry teacher, lawyer, and high school principal who had recently directed the U.S. Department of Education’s New Urban High School project, brought a vision and a sense of the design principles by which this mission might be accomplished.