The Urban Challenge in Education: The Story of Charter School Successes in Los Angeles

With the advent of charter schools in the United States, the face of public education has changed in this country. From its early beginning in Minnesota to its exponential growth in California the charter school movement has generated much controversy. It has been praised for its accomplishments, and criticized for its creaming of students. Over 130,000 students attend nearly 250 charter schools in the city of Los Angeles. This book presents an in-depth look at seventeen of those schools – urban schools that are making a difference in the lives of the students and families they serve. Readers will encounter a group of dedicated educational pioneers who are committed and passionate about their schools. These are people who have sacrificed much, and put their lives on hold to develop and implement schools that meet the needs of all students regardless of economic circumstance or background. From people who have mortgaged their homes toattain financing for their dream, to some that have changed careers to improve the quality of education for children and young adults.

Table of Contents:
Acknowledgements Preface Introduction Prologue Part I – Charter Elementary Schools 1. Fenton Avenue Charter School Lake View Terrace, CA 2. Antonio Maria Lugo Academy Huntington Park, CA 3. Milagro Charter School Los Angeles, CA 4. Synergy Charter Academy Los Angeles, CA Part II – Charter Middle Schools 5. Lakeview Charter Academy Lake View Terrace, CA 6. Valor Academy Arleta, CA 7. View Park Accelerated Charter School Los Angeles, CA Part III – Charter High Schools 8. Bright Star Academy Los Angeles, CA 9. Environmental Science and Technology High School Los Angeles, CA 10. Dr. Olga Mohan High School Los Angeles, CA 11. Port of Los Angeles High School San Pedro, CA Part IV – Span Schools 12. Camino Nuevo Charter Academy Los Angeles, CA 13. Gabriella Charter School Los Angeles, CA 14. Larchmont Charter School Los Angeles, CA 15. Magnolia Science Academy Reseda, CA 16. Our Community Chatsworth, CA 17. Vaughn Next Century Learning Center Pacoima, CA Conclusion About the Authors References

About the Author :
Joseph Scollo is a recently retired full-time lecturer of educational leadership, and co-director of the Charter and Autonomous School Leadership Academy at California State University Dominguez Hills (CSUDH). Dona Stevensis an adjunct professor of school leadership at CSUDH, and was a former interim area superintendent for the Los Angeles Unified School District. Ellen Pomella is a retired school administrator, and is currently working as a consultant for the Los Angeles School Development Institute.

Review :
The Urban Challenge in Education is an in-depth look at seventeen successful charter schools in Los Angeles. The school portraits are easy-to-read, and exude the passion of the leaders and teachers of these schools. Inside these portraits the reader will find a wealth of information about what it takes to supervise and operate a highly effective charter school. Joe Scollo and his colleagues do a wonderful analysis of charter schools in L.A. They provide the reader with a useful set of tools that can be used to replicate the success these schools have had in any school throughout the nation. This is must reading for anyone interested in learning about school leadership. The authors have put forth an important analysis of charter schools in Los Angeles. They deliver a rich and engaging discussion of the obstacles each school faced and how they overcame these challenges. A provocative work that can serve as a primer for current and future school leaders. This anthology shares the very interesting case studies of seventeen unique charter schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District. Anyone interested in learning more about the special challenges of leading charter schools in urban communities will benefit from reading this book. A well-written resource focused on the unique challenges of leading in urban charter schools.