California Charter Schools Association

August 15, 2011: As a charter school leader, I consider myself part of the district. Our entire intention behind this school is not just to make a small impact for a small community, but to create a model for what could be done at other district schools. – Hrag Hamalian, Founder of Valor Academy

Journalist Donna Foote’s book, Relentless Pursuit: A Year in the Trenches with Teach for America, opens in summer 2007, as Teach for America (TFA) recruit Hrag Hamalian arrives in Los Angeles for his summer institute, just weeks after graduating from Boston College. Foote goes on to follow Hrag and several other TFA teachers placed at Locke High School in south Los Angeles during their first year of teaching. Her book looks at the inner workings of TFA, the challenges that urban schools face and the barriers to change.

Four years later, Hamalian now leads Valor Academy, a charter middle school he founded in the San Fernando Valley to prepare low-income students for college, with the ultimate goal of creating a successful model for other public middle schools. The school opened in 2009 with 120 fifth graders, adding a grade each year. See a video about Valor Academy and find out more about their program.

Locke High School has also experienced a lot of change, with the Los Angeles Unified School District voting to turn the school over to charter operator Green Dot Public Schools in 2007. Read the LA Times editorial on the school’s transformation.

Hamalian recently sat down with CCSA to reflect on the state of public education in Los Angeles, Teach for America, education reform and the charter movement.

How did you decide to work in education?
My parents had a pretty typical immigrant perspective of pushing my sister and me onto a path for success – focusing on fields like medicine, law and business. At the same time, there were a number of educators in our family and my parents had a great degree of respect for education and especially public education. My parents put us in public schools, which played out well for me in our part of New Jersey, where there were good schools. I worked at summer camps, taught at the Bronx Zoo for a summer in high school and I tutored low-income kids when I was in college. In some way or another, I’d always had one foot in education and a passion for it, thought I didn’t necessarily realize it.

A lot of jobs, when you’re right out of college, are really low level that you step into and then you work your way up to a more interesting position. Teaching isn’t like that, and it always seemed really exciting to me. TFA seemed like a good avenue because it was focused on the demographic I wanted to work with – low-income students – and it was also a career path because they gave you additional opportunities – a certain level of support and development and you could complete your master’s degree while teaching. When I first started, I was still thinking about medical or business school, but once I started teaching and working with the kids in the community, it was pretty clear cut for me that I wanted to stay with it.

At the time you were there, Locke High School was considered one of the lowest performing public schools in all of California, with a drop-out rate as high as 40-50%. What was it like as a first-year teacher?
It was challenging. It was such a shock seeing the disparity between public schools. I was akin to the kids in that I had been an immigrant and an English-learner, but the public school system I was in was completely different in the way the students were taught and the way the school was organized and the supports I had. That was a real shock. It was a very difficult two years.

What I gained coming out of that was that the education system surrounding the kids has everything to do with their success, not the student. Based on the success I had in my classroom, it became clear that if the right system is put in place, the bounds of success for the students are endless.

Some people look at the situation at Locke and come out with a different conclusion – that students have so many challenges outside of school that the school can only do so much.
Many teachers who go into an environment like that become disillusioned with the organization, but never with the kids. Based on the people I worked with, both the individuals that were at Locke for 20 years and those who hadn’t been there as long, people just wanted to see change and to be able to create a system in which kids could be successful. Different people did it in different ways. Today, Locke is a very different place than when I was there. Some people have stepped into roles where they can make more changes. Locke was a laboratory for seeing what wasn’t being done and what needed to be done.

I think it is possible to make change within the district. As a charter school leader, I consider myself part of the district. Our entire intention behind this school is not just to make a small impact for a small community, but to create a model for what could be done at other district schools. There are many opportunities to transform schools from within and also to create new schools and learn from them. We want to improve the district as a whole – that’s the focus over the long-term. We all have to bind together to work for the success of everybody. That’s where the greatest struggle is for the charter/district movement – I want to bridge that gap a bit better.

How did you decide that you wanted to start a charter school?
What made me feel that A) I could do this and B) I could be successful was the success we had in creating a small school at Locke which was one of several within the high school. I got so much satisfaction with what we could do with the students and their families. The program’s success was really grounded in the ownership the families and students felt. We had a cluster of 300 students and were able to put our own procedures and systems in place, had our own dean to handle discipline and our own field trips. It was powerful to see what the students could achieve.

With Valor, I wanted to start kids on the path to college earlier. We have a college-going culture, preparing students with the skills and character to achieve a college education. We have an extended school day, two hours of math and two hours of literacy every day, as well as all the other subjects and after-school classes.

We make the college experience very tangible. Our students are all placed in homerooms named after local colleges. We have partnerships with Loyola Marymount, Pepperdine, University of Southern California and UCLA. When the students come in, they are Valor students, but they’re also assigned to one of these universities. Students from the different colleges tutor here, the students tour the real college campuses, all with the goal that students will really know what it takes to go there.

How did you decide where to open a school?
I originally planned to open a middle school in Watts, but the area is saturated with schools and it’s politically tough. I looked for an area with the least good educational options and the most community openness to a school. This school really grew organically out of the community. For a year before we opened, I went to meetings, events, met with community partners – by the time we were opening, it wasn’t the school staff promoting the school, it was something the community brought forward. Of everything about our school, I’m most proud of the level of involvement from the community.

You were part of two education reform organizations that work to attract capable people to education and develop them to make a difference – Teach for America and Building Excellent Schools. What impact are programs like these having?
Both organizations are making a real difference. These two programs are slightly different in focus. Teach for America is focused on attracting high-functioning individuals into education to fulfill its mission of having high-quality teachers in low-performing schools, and also embedding in those individuals a desire to contribute to improving public education now and in the future. Building Excellent Schools is focused on helping entrepreneurial individuals create small successful schools.

Education is in the limelight – people have a sense of urgency around public education and see it tied to the success of the nation. There is a lot of innovation with people trying different things. There is no one correct answer. Different communities need different things.

We need to make sure everyone knows that public education is the most important issue of our times. People need to keep coming up with new approaches and we need to attract high-functioning people to education. Most importantly, we need to collaborate.

What advice would you have for someone who is thinking about starting a charter school?
People ask me all the time, “How do I start a school?” and I tell them, “You just do it.” What distinguishes an entrepreneur from your average business person? You have to have a no-excuses approach to launching something and you have that passion. It all rests on having the attitude that “I’m going to do this no matter what.”

It’s not an easy field – it has more land mines and hurdles and booby traps that any field I can think of. For me, it takes getting up every morning and returning to the mission of our school; I truly believe that every child deserves a great public education. I want Valor Academy to be the best middle school in Los Angeles. I think we’re having an impact and I hope that impact will spread to create a level of reform that will impact the whole district.

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Students have been accepted to the following institutions, to date:

• Albertus Magnus College
• American International College
• American University
• Assumption College
• Barry University
• Boston College
• Clark University
• College of the Holy Cross
• Columbia College
• Curry College
• Emerson College
• Fairfield University
• Fisher College
• Howard University
• Lasell College
• Long Island University
• Marymount Manhattan College
• Mass. College of Liberal Arts
• Mass. College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences
• Mississippi College
• New England College
• Newbury College
• Providence College
• Quinnipiac University
• South Carolina State University
• St. John’s University
• Suffolk University
• University of Dubuque
• University of Massachusetts-Amherst
• University of Massachusetts-Boston
• University of Miami
• University of New Haven
• University of North Florida
• University of Rhode Island
• University of the Sciences
• University of Tampa
• Vaughn College of Aeronautics & Technology
• Wentworth Institute of Technology
• Wheelock College
• Xavier University

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1. VERITAS PREPARATORY CHARTER SCHOOL APPROVED BY MASSACHUSETTS BOARD OF EDUCATION
2. BES Fellowship & Rising Fellow Applications accepted and reviewed until July 6, 2011
3. BES Fellowship & Rising Fellow Applications accepted and reviewed until July 6, 2011

“Hello Building Excellent Schools!

We are happy to announce a successful first lottery for Capitol Collegiate! The turn-out was incredibly strong with some parents even calling in on speaker phones from work. Parents left excited about the school year and committed to the mission. Oscar Porras, a future Capitol Collegiate scholar, heard his number (#25) called and said, “that’s me! Yes!…[quietly] I’m going to college, dad.”  Our first application, from Audrina Dawson for her daughter Cherish, was the second to last name called for our enrollment. Ms. Dawson called me twice on the way home to make sure she wasn’t dreaming – she had been praying all week for this.

Tonight, I am  so very thankful to be a part of a fantastic team of leaders in Capitol’s board. They make magic for our school and I know our families certainly felt that tonight. They are a remarkable group of people. 

It was an incredible night for our school and I remain grateful for the support we have had and humbled by the work that is to come. We have a building. We have staff. We have students. Now, we run an incredible school that will be one of the game-changers for how we think about education.

I hope you felt the college-prep vibes in Boston,
Penny” (BES ’09)

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*Gold-gain schools are the highest ranking schools in the value added analysis completed by Mathematica Policy Research.  Silver-gain schools are the next highest ranking schools in the value added analysis completed by Mathematica Policy Research.

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SCHEDULED TO OPEN FALL 2012 

March 1, 2011 – Veritas Preparatory Charter School, a tuition-free, public charter school serving students in grades 5 – 8, was approved by the Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education on February 28, 2011. Veritas Preparatory Charter School (“Veritas Prep”) will open its doors to 81 fifth grade students in August, 2012.

Veritas Prep is founded on the belief that all students, regardless of race, class, or socioeconomic circumstance, are entitled to a high quality education defined by high expectations. The charter middle school will provide a rigorous college preparatory curriculum, structured learning environment, and character education. The charter school’s strong focus on academic results will give students the foundation necessary to excel in high school and college.

“We believe that long-term academic and life success begins with high expectations,” says Rachel Romano, Lead Founder and proposed Executive Director. “We will set the academic and behavioral bar high for our students and provide them with a structured, safe, and supportive learning environment. Veritas Prep students will be on track to enter, succeed in, and graduate from college. The sky is the limit for what our students can learn. It’s our job to ensure we get them there. We will develop our students’ foundation of content, skill, and character critical to their success, teach them to envision their future in college and beyond, and instill within them the drive to realize that vision.”

Veritas Prep plans to locate in the South End of Springfield, providing a quality public education option currently unavailable to families in that community. “We are thrilled with the outpouring of community support we have received for a college preparatory middle school, particularly in the South End,” says Veritas Prep Board Chair Lisa Doherty. “We have an incredible opportunity to transform students’ lives, and we remain deeply grateful to the entire Springfield community for their support in this urgent work.”

Lead Founder Rachel Romano is a Fellow with Building Excellent Schools, a national charter school creation program that trains, supports and mentors high capacity individuals to design, found, and lead urban public schools of uncompromising excellence. More information can be found at www.buildingexcellentschools.org.

Veritas Prep is preparing for its inaugural fifth grade class, to enroll for the 2012-2013 school year; 81 slots are available for the class of 2024 – the year our inaugural class will graduate from college. Parents seeking information about enrollment or those wishing to support the work of Veritas Preparatory Charter School should contact Lead Founder Rachel Romano at 413.222.3434 or rromano@buildingexcellentschools.org.

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CONTACT:
Chris Clemons
Building Excellent Schools
404.587.1371

BOSTON, February 1, 2011— Matthew Brunell, President of Nativity School of Worcester (MA), has been named Chief Operating Officer for Building Excellent Schools (BES), an acknowledged leader in the national charter school movement. The announcement was made by Linda Brown, Founder and Executive Director of Building Excellent Schools.

While introducing Matt, Brown said, “Hiring Matt is a key milestone in the thoughtful and deliberate growth of Building Excellent Schools. Our critical work of changing children’s lives depends on our attracting top talent to join us. Matt is a dazzlingly talented leader and the potential for greater impact and growth at BES with him joining the team is truly exciting.”

Brown added that in his work as Chief Operating Officer, Brunell will oversee all non-academic functions of the organization, ensuring optimal performance of BES’ talent, finance, and operations functions. Brunell and Brown will work closely to develop and implement key elements of BES’ three year strategic plan, including the development of further services and support to ensure BES schools achieve excellence while developing a stronger connection between charter schools founded and led by BES Fellow alumni and BES.

Commenting on his new role, which will begin in August 1, 2011, Brunell said, “I look forward to contributing my knowledge of school leadership and my passion for educational equity to the greater success and growth of Building Excellent Schools.”

Brunell brings an impressively varied background of professional experience to Building Excellent Schools. Under his leadership, Nativity — which serves young men from inner-city Worcester — achieved high graduation rates and strong measurable growth in the middle grades. In his five years, Matt systematized a culture of high-expectations at Nativity where prior academic success is not a criterion for admission and where nearly 100% of students qualify for free/reduced lunch. Matt brokered tuition-remission partnerships with three schools of higher education and the acquisition of a new facility. He also guided the school through its successful, inaugural accreditation by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. In addition, he has firsthand experience in a challenging urban classroom through his work with Teach For America in Phoenix. Brunell has also worked as an attorney practicing education law in Massachusetts. He is a graduate of Boston College, magna cum laude, The College of Arts and Sciences, and Boston College Law School, cum laude.

About Building Excellent Schools

Building Excellent Schools is a national organization of urban school creation committed to improving the academic achievement of students in our nation’s urban centers. We believe that academic performance drives every element of a school, including design, leadership, culture, decisions, and governance. Our core program is the Building Excellent Schools Fellowship, a rigorous, yearlong, comprehensive training program that prepares leaders to design, found and lead urban charter schools of uncompromising excellence. There are currently 48 BES Schools operating in 20 cities. In 2009-2010, BES Schools averaged 70% proficiency on state academic achievement examinations. Learn more about Building Excellent Schools by visiting www.buildingexcellentschools.org.

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