Urban Choice Charter School was founded in 2005 by John Bliss. It is an independent public school that serves 400 students in grades K-8. The mission of the Urban Choice Charter School is to provide Rochester students with a safe, supportive, and intellectually challenging educational environment. The central philosophy is that strong student-teacher relationships are essential to student motivation, engagement, and achievement. This philosophy, in combination with authentic efforts at family involvement, and the effective teaching of a rich, rigorous, and engaging curriculum, will enable students to build a strong foundation for college and career readiness, exceed state achievement standards and defy the demographic destiny of poverty.