Our Story
In Spring 2001 we learned that Crescent Heights Elementary in Local District 3 of the Los Angeles Unified School District would become a Math, Science, Technology magnet school. This was news to us! Most schools make their own choice to apply to be a magnet school and if accepted have a year to make that transition. We had only a few months for our transition. In addition, we did not have the training or the passion within us to be a magnet focusing on math, science, or technology.
BUT we did have the passion to speak out and to fight for what we believed in! We were able to convince the district to change our focus and it was that same passion that led to our Social Justice component. The Language Arts component seems odd as all schools are focusing on this curricular area but for us, however, it is directly tied to Social Justice. To fight, to act, to work to create a change means we must be able to communicate and express ourselves. It is for that reason that Language Arts is a part of our magnet focus. We want our students to recognize injustice in their world or the world at large and be able to fully express their outrage, their plan of attack, their progress in this endeavor.
Since we began in September 2002 it has been an on-going process as we work to perfect our practice and our program. We feel that we have been successful and will continue to be in the future!
BUT we did have the passion to speak out and to fight for what we believed in! We were able to convince the district to change our focus and it was that same passion that led to our Social Justice component. The Language Arts component seems odd as all schools are focusing on this curricular area but for us, however, it is directly tied to Social Justice. To fight, to act, to work to create a change means we must be able to communicate and express ourselves. It is for that reason that Language Arts is a part of our magnet focus. We want our students to recognize injustice in their world or the world at large and be able to fully express their outrage, their plan of attack, their progress in this endeavor.
Since we began in September 2002 it has been an on-going process as we work to perfect our practice and our program. We feel that we have been successful and will continue to be in the future!