ARLINGTON – The mother of a teen who struggled in school is so thankful for the Arlington Public Schools new Open Doors to Re-Engagement Program.

And especially its case manager-instructor Renee McArt.

“There were many phone calls and texts from Renee encouraging Allie to succeed,” said Allie Green’s mother, Tonya James. “I’m so thankful to Renee for never giving up on her.”

Green plans to pursue training at a community college or private beauty school for a career as a make-up artist/esthetician.

Green is the first person to earn a General Education Development certificate through the program. She completed all four math, science, social studies and English Language Arts GED tests in the last six months while working almost full-time.

“I had trouble earning my 11th- and 12-grade credits until I found Open Doors,” Green said. “It was the easiest and fastest way for me to earn my GED and a lot of it was done online.”

Open Doors, which is housed at Weston High School and opened in the fall, is a statewide program that provides education and services to youth ages 16-21 who have dropped out of school or are not expected to graduate by the age of 21. It can be a good fit for students who are considering dropping out due to life changes, work or other circumstances. There are more than 40 students in the Open Doors program in Arlington.

McArt said Arlington partners with WorkSource Snohomish County, which provides ResCare Academy, an online GED program with personalized learning plans based on student strengths and areas of academic need.

“The program develops lessons and practice opportunities to strengthen students’ knowledge and abilities, offers practice tests,and tells students when they are ready to test,” McArt said. “I know that preparation really helped Allie feel confident during each official testing session and made her course of study more productive and efficient, which were very important qualities for this busy, determined young woman.”