2/10/12 Elementary School Public Charter Renewed
On February 8, the LAUSD Board of Education voted unanimously to grant Para Los Niños a five-year renewal of its public school charter for its elementary school located at the Family Learning Complex in downtown Los Angeles near Skid Row. The five-year extension is the maximum granted by the school district and will allow our school to continue to demonstrate the strong gains and strengthened commitments to high performance for all students that we have shown in the current term. Para Los Niños Superintendent of Education and FLC Principal Titus Campos says the renewal “confirms our ability to work cohesively as a school and as a community to provide high-quality education.”
Extending its mission to the children of Skid Row, Para Los Niños opened a startup charter school in September of 2002 with an entering class of 60 kindergarten children. Now in its tenth year, the school has over 360 students in 18 classrooms from kindergarten to fifth grade. Enrollment is open at the elementary school and children and families have access to Para Los Niños’ comprehensive family support and after-school services. Founded on the belief that every child has the potential to reach high standards of achievement, this school recently exceeded state and local gains in API testing.
Every five years, the seven members of the LAUSD Board of Education vote on whether or not to renew our charter. Prior to the vote, Para Los Niños submitted a 200-page renewal application to the LAUSD Innovation and Charter Schools Division. The Division then held a public hearing on the petition. In addition, State of California Education Code requires the LAUSD Board to evaluate the school’s performance in the areas of student achievement and educational performance, governance and organizational management, fiscal operations and charter fulfillment.
Para Los Niños administrators, parents and teachers joined together to show Para Los Niños’ commitment to high standards of accountability. A bus from the Family Learning Complex took students, parents and teachers to the public hearing where they arrived ready with testimonials and video in support of our school and fifth-grader Ronnie Bellamy addressed the Board about the quality of learning at Para Los Niños.
In a time when other charter schools are left out of the public school reform process, this renewal of the charter for our public elementary school confirms that as an organization, Para Los Niños is on the right track to success. With the continued support of our community and the leadership of new President and CEO, Martine Singer, Para Los Niños is poised to become the model for urban education in the Greater Los Angeles area.
For more information on our successful petition, please visit: www.laschoolboard.org/node/1417
Fast Facts
In 2007, over 583,000 people in Los Angeles County lived in extreme poverty
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87% of children of immigrant families in Los Angeles County are U.S. citizens
