Middle School  2612 N. Bootz Ave.  Peoria, IL 61604
High School  2503 N. University  Peoria, IL 61604
P 309.402.0030
F 309.685.3001
www.questpeoria.org
Press Release
Contact: Cindy Ardis Jenkins
Phone: 309.402.0030 office
309.303.0694 cell
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: 08/10/2012
ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES AT QUEST CHARTER ACADEMY
(Peoria, IL) – As it prepares to open its high school program, Quest Charter Academy has announced
administrative changes for the 2012-2013 school year.
Due to the growth of schools being managed by Concept Schools, the organization has restructured to create
three distinct geographic regions and appointed superintendents who will oversee the schools and school
principals in their respective region. Engin Blackstone, who has been the principal at Quest Charter Academy
since opening in August of 2010, has been promoted to Superintendent of the Southwest Region which is
comprised of Quest Charter Academy in Peoria and two Concept Schools-managed schools in St. Louis,
Missouri. A third charter school is planned for St. Louis for the 2013-2014 school year.
“Mr. Blackstone has done a tremendous job of establishing Quest Charter Academy as the public school of
choice in the City of Peoria,” said Glen Barton, President of the Peoria Charter School Initiative Board of
Directors, the governing body of Quest Charter Academy.
As a result of Mr. Blackstone’s promotion, the PCSI Board appointed Mr. Ali Kuran, as the new principal at
Quest Charter Academy at their July 24, 2012 meeting.
Mr. Kuran was most recently the Director at Horizon Science Academy, a Concept Schools-managed
community school in Dayton, Ohio. Mr. Kuran has spent his entire educational career at Horizon Science
Academies in Ohio. He started as a Mathematics teacher in 2003 at Horizon Columbus and became the Dean
of Academics in 2005 at the Horizon Columbus High School. From there, Mr. Kuran transferred to Horizon
Dayton in 2006 as the Dean of Academics. He took over the Directorship position in February 2009 and has
been serving as a school leader since then.
Ali Kuran graduated from Bosphorus University in Istanbul where he received his Bachelor’s degree in
Mathematics. He later continued his education at University of Dayton and earned his Master’s Degree in
Educational Leadership. Mr. Kuran currently holds an Ohio 5-yr Professional Principal License and a 5-yr
Professional Teaching License in Mathematics.
As a committed educator, Mr. Kuran is dedicated to seeing youth receive a quality education in a caring
community school while learning the importance of shaping their own future. He has a great deal of passion for
working with students, parents, staff and the entire community. Over the past three years, he played a key role
in the expansion of Horizon in Dayton. Number of schools increased from one to three and enrollment increased
from 175 to almost 600. Mr. Kuran has built relationships with area colleges and Horizon is now partnering with
University of Dayton, Wright State University and Cedarville University.
“The Peoria Charter School Initiative could not be more excited to welcome Ali Kuran as the new principal of
Quest Charter Academy,” Glen Barton shared. “This is an exciting and critical point for Quest as it opens its
high school program. We were very impressed with Ali’s background and experience and are confident he will
continue to lead Quest Charter Academy on its path towards being the premier educational provider for 5th –
12th grade students in Peoria. We are pleased Concept Schools recognized the leadership qualities of Engin
Blackstone and that Quest will continue to benefit from his wisdom and guidance in his new role as
Superintendent.”
At a later date, Quest Charter Academy will hold a press conference to introduce Mr. Kuran to the community in
conjunction with a ribbon cutting at its newest location, the former Columbia Middle School on Bootz Avenue.
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Quest Charter Academy opened in August 2010 offering 5th-7th grades with 8th grade added in 2011, we will add
a grade level each year until we are a 5th-12th grade school with a total population of 600 students. As a
charter school, Quest is an independent public school open to all students in District #150 regardless of
academic achievement, race, or economic background. There are no entrance exams or tuition. The school’s
teachers and students have flexibility to create innovative ways of teaching and learning in order to meet the
specific needs of the students allowing them to attain high standards of performance. The ultimate goal of
Quest Charter Academy is to provide students with a curriculum rich in science, technology, engineering and
math and prepare them to be skill-ready for post-secondary education, to become bold inquirers, problem
solvers and ethical leaders enabling them to meet the challenges of a competitive global workforce.