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 Stories of Possibility
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Stories of Possibility highlights schools and educational programs that promote high quality and socially just learning.
 The Los Angeles Leadership Academy
by
Karen Hunter Quartz
The Los Angeles Leadership Academy prepares urban secondary students to succeed in college or on chosen career paths, to live fulfilling, self-directed lives, and to be effective leaders in creating a just and caring world.
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 www.laleadership.org
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Karen Hunter Quartz, Assistant Director of Research at UCLA's Institute for Democracy, Education, & Access (IDEA), examines a small start-up public school, the Los Angeles Leadership Academy, to find a culture where learning and respect are the norm.
Caught up in the national trend towards smaller learning communities, Los Angeles is home to several start-up small public schools at various stages of development. The Los Angeles Leadership Academy—now in its fourth month of operation—is one such school. Located in the stunning and historic educational building of Immanuel Presbyterian Church, the LA Leadership Academy currently serves 120 6th and 7th graders from Koreatown, Westlake and South Central Los Angeles. Students enter the Academy beneath a museum-like banner displaying a majestic lion statue. Like the lions protecting ancient temples or the statues flanking great cultural institutions of learning, the Academy seeks to convey strength and courage. Grounding this symbol is the following mission:
The Los Angeles Leadership Academy prepares urban secondary students to succeed in college or on chosen career paths, to live fulfilling, self-directed lives, and to be effective leaders in creating a just and caring world. An integrated curriculum, project-based instruction, and performance-based assessment challenge students to think critically and creatively. Supportive relationships between students, staff and families promote a community of well-rounded learners through attention to students’ individual needs and interests. Students develop leadership by taking action on important social issues in a process of reflection, research, skill development, and community partnership.
Each morning, students eat breakfast together in an assembly hall, the Agora, surrounded by a balcony of seats that will house visitors for special events, such as, graduation. With its rich carved wood and overhanging balcony, the Agora is reminiscent of an affluent prep school. It is also the heart of the Academy. As student Cecilia Sanchez explains, “that’s where we do and share our special occasions. We sing Happy Birthday to whoever’s birthday it is, we share books with everybody, we share our culture and our traditions, and we share a lot of things. We even have parties….There we have shared our special occasions and our love to each other.” Arturo Lorenzo agrees; the Agora, he says, is a “special place…when there is a holiday, for example, Thanksgiving or Halloween, they make a great party and the party is full of joy and laughter. It is really fun.”
"We sing Happy Birthday to whoever’s birthday it is, we share books with everybody, we share our culture and our traditions, and we share a lot of things..."
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The LA Leadership Academy serves a student population typically underserved by our public school system. Eighty-five percent qualify for free or reduced price lunches and 53% are English Language Learners. Three quarters of the students are Latino, 11% are African-American, 10% are Asian, and 3% are Anglo. The school has also attracted homeless youth and other underserved students from South Central. They ride to school each day in a van provided by LAUSD—a hard-won victory for the school who had to threaten to file suit with the ACLU before the district agreed to provide transportation.
Although still a very young school, students are noticing a difference; as Dulciria Zuniga sums up, “In this school I’m learning more than I used to…My mom loves this school, and she doesn’t want me to lose it.” Another student, Carlos Lima, transferred to the Academy from a middle school where, he explains, “there were troublemakers. They always wanted to sock people. They wanted to make teachers stress out. Instead [in] this school, when kids are not listening and the teacher wants the students to listen, they do it immediately. The students pay attention. That’s why I try to be a respectful person.” In just a few short months, the Los Angeles Leadership Academy has created a culture where learning and respect are the norm. This is clearly a place brimming with possibility.
Karen Hunter Quartz is the assistant director of research for UCLA's Institute for Democracy, Education, & Access and a regular contributor to Teaching to Change LA.
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