Highlander Charter School
Julie Piekarski currently serves as a First Grade Teacher and Early Childhood Special Educator at Highlander Charter School since October 2020. Prior to this position, Julie Piekarski worked as a Teacher Assistant for the Cumberland School Department from October 2014 to October 2020, where responsibilities included supporting a kindergarten teacher with 23 students in various instructional and daily activities. Julie Piekarski's earlier experience includes a role as Program Coordinator/Sales Support at Cyrk from July 1997 to October 2002, focusing on customer service and order entry. Julie Piekarski's educational background includes a degree in Early Childhood Education from the Community College of Rhode Island and additional studies from several institutions, culminating in an education at Rhode Island College from 2021 to 2023.
Highlander Charter School
Highlander Charter School was founded in 2000 as the first independent charter public school in the state of RI. The lower school for grades pre-k through 6 is located in a former jewelry factory turned educational center. The upper school for grades 7-12 is located in a former Catholic School on 42 acres in Warren. Highlander enrolls 274 students in grades Pre-k through 6, and 360 in grades 7-12. Highlander seeks to generate and sustain the fundamental redesign of urban schooling in Rhode Island by demonstrating how the needs of all students can be met by making school engaging and rigorous – through both intentional classroom learning and transformative experiences in the outside world.