New Los Angeles Charter School
Matt Albert
I am writing to let you know about a brand new charter middle school
in the Carthay area of Los Angeles called the New Los Angeles Charter
School (New LA). We are scheduled to open in 2008 with our first 6th
grade class. Charter schools are independent public schools that are
allowed to be more innovative and are held accountable for improved
student achievement. Charter schools are permitted flexibility to
develop successful new models that can help improve public education.
New LA proposes to serve students in the Carthay area of Los Angeles
and its surroundings. This area is in need of excellent public middle
school options. The local public middle school (Pasteur) closed in
1979 and reopened as a citywide magnet serving grades 6-12 (LACES),
but gaining admission is very competitive. This year there were 1,070
applications to LACES for just 162 grade 6 spots, leaving 845 students
on the wait list. Most families who live nearby simply cannot get in
and therefore have no local public middle school option. A large
number of families that fell into the old Pasteur attendance
boundaries now find themselves reassigned to the "Area II" attendance
boundaries of either Emerson Middle School or Webster Middle School.
Both of these middle schools are up to seven miles away from our
homes, and both have been classified as "failing" schools for the past
five years in a row. There is a definite need for an excellent local
public middle school in this area. We hope to do our part to address
that need.
As the school's founder and executive director, I have the exciting
opportunity to help lead the founding board in the creation of a brand
new school. We have a wonderfully talented and brilliant team working
hard to make this happen. So, why am I posting this on the Carthay
Coalition's Google Group? You may be personally interested in the
school as a community member. You may have school-age children and
want consider New LA for middle school or know someone who does. You
may be interested in volunteering or contributing (New LA is a 501c3
non-profit organization). Or, you may know people who might want to
know about the school.
You can learn more about New LA at our website: www.newlosangeles.org.
Please forward the link to friends and colleagues who might be
interested.
In the next week or so, the website will be updated so you can sign up
for the newsletter and make donations directly on the site. If you'd
like me to add you to our newsletter list, just send me an email with
that request.
Please let me know if you have questions or want to know more about
New LA.
All the Best,
Matt Albert, Ed.D.
Founder, Executive Director
New Los Angeles Charter School
1900 Avenue of the Stars, Suite 2800
Los Angeles, CA 90067
310.772.7849 (work)
310-556-3770 (fax)