Delevan Drive Elementary Awarded Prestigious Blue Ribbon School Honor

I was fortunate enough to join with students, parents, teachers and administrators at Delevan Drive Elementary School in Glassell Park this morning for a ceremony recognizing the school for winning a National Blue Ribbon School Award. The award is given by the U.S. Department of Education for superior academic achievement and in 2009, 264 schools nationwide were named. Locally, Delevan is one of only six LAUSD schools to receive the prestigious award and it is a major achievement. As a former L.A. Unified School Board President, I know firsthand what an amazing academic feat this is and I could not be prouder. Congratulations to Principal Patrice Velasquez, her staff, teachers, parents and especially the students of Delevan Drive Elementary School. You are a model for students and schools throughout the entire City. Way to go!

Oscar de la Hoya Animo Green Dot Charter School, Welcome Home!

During my time as School Board President for LAUSD, Steve Barr of Green Dot Charter Schools approached me about building a charter high school in my district. I suggested Boyle Heights since the two local schools, Garfield and Roosevelt, were severely overcrowded and they needed relief. Along with pushing to get the Mendez Learning Center built, I knew this would be an opportunity to improve the educational future of our local students. Yesterday, I had the great pleasure to celebrate the opening of the Oscar de la Hoya Animo Green Dot Charter School. Green Dot has shown great commitment to the community of Boyle Heights . And Oscar de la Hoya, who grew up in East Los Angeles and proudly attended Garfield High School , demonstrated yet again that he is absolutely committed to giving back to his community. By donating the property that once held the Oscar De La Hoya Resurrection Gym, as well as giving $4.5 million to the project, Oscar De La Hoya has proven to be a champion in and out of the boxing ring. Before finding a permanent home in Boyle Heights , students and faculty of the charter school have had several temporary homes since the school’s opening in 2003. Despite less than ideal conditions, over the last three years, 72% of graduates have gone on to 4-year universities and the school is ranked 53 among the top 100 charter schools in the nation. With a new home, we all expect bigger and better things out of the students of Oscar De La Hoya Animo Charter School. Go Boxers!
Photo Credit: Golden Boy Productions

The Students at L.A. Central Learning Center #1 will Know Legacy of Robert Kennedy

Pictured: With the mothers that organized when I was on the school board to make sure a new school was built in the community.

This weekend I attended the Ribbon Cutting for two fine new schools built on the Ambassador Hotel site, one of the campuses I fought to get done while serving on the LAUSD school board. The campus is significant to me for two reasons. One, it was ground-zero in our mission to end overcrowding at schools that resulted in year-round calendars and bussing children out of their neighborhoods – both severe detriments to a quality education. And two, the Ambassador is the site of one of the saddest moments in our nation’s history: the 1968 assassination of Robert Kennedy, who at the time of his untimely death represented a new-found hope for change in this country. When complete, the Learning Center will have three separate school buildings for elementary, middle school, and high school students and all the schools will have a social justice philosophy to honor the legacy of Robert Kennedy. I think the final piece of the puzzle now is naming the school in Robert Kennedy’s honor, which I whole-heartedly support.
Enjoy these pictures of the event!

Come Out to the Mendez Learning Center's Ribbon-Cutting Tomorrow!

Please join me tomorrow morning at the official ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Felicitas and Gonzalo Mendez Learning Center, the first high school built in the eastside in more than 80 years. During my time as president of the school board I fought to get a much-need high school built in Boyle Heights to relieve overcrowding at Roosevelt High School, which at one time was the most overcrowded school west of the Mississippi. I also wanted a school with a math-science focus to prepare kids for high-paying tech jobs that are going to be available in the future. The Mendez Learning Center, which is named after a Mexican American couple who fought school segregation in the 1940s, will have a math-science school and an engineering-technology school. This is an accomplishment the whole community can feel proud about, so please join me, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, LAUSD School Board President Monica Garcia and hundreds of students and community members for this great celebration.

When: 9 a.m., Thursday, Sept. 24, 2009

Where: Mendez Learning Center
1200 Plaza de Sol
Los Angeles, CA 90033

Info: Councilmember Huizar’s
Boyle Heights Office
(323) 526-3059