Green Dot Public Schools is leading the charge to transform public education in Los Angeles and beyond so that all children receive the education they need to be successful in college, leadership, and life. With Green Dot's success to date, we are demonstrating that public schools can do a far better job of educating students if they are operated more effectively. Green Dot envisions a public school system in L.A. made up of small, excellent schools that encourage and welcome parental involvement and opinions, support teacher creativity, and educate students at their highest and best levels-no matter what their background.
To fulfill this mission, Green Dot has built great high schools in Los Angeles to prove that urban high schools can be successful with the right model. In addition, Green Dot is working with LAUSD, the Mayor of Los Angeles and other political leaders, the State of California, the government, the general public, teachers unions and other groups to influence the reforms required to improve the quality of urban schools in Los Angeles, and ultimately throughout the state and the nation.
Strong Partnerships Drive Reform Model
Los Angeles Parents Union: The Los Angeles Parents Union (LAPU) is a parent-run, parent-operated coalition dedicated to ensuring small, safe, autonomous schools exist locally in every community that LAUSD serves. LAPU supports utilizing the “Six Tenets of High Performing Public Schools” as a proven model for improving failing public schools.
United Federation of Teachers: Green Dot has partnered with UFT to open a charter school in the South Bronx in fall 2008. This will be the first Green Dot school outside the Los Angeles area. This partnership shows that union cooperation will be critical to reforming public education. As UFT's President Randi Weingarten says, "If you really actually believe in kids and believe in their success, those of us in education, we really shouldn't be in the sandbox fighting with each other. We should be ... trying to figure out how to work together."
Small Schools Alliance: The Small Schools Alliance (“SSA”), a Green Dot project, is committed to transforming LAUSD into the best school district in the country. The Small Schools Alliance believes that education is the most important policy issue facing the city of Los Angeles and has assembled a diverse coalition of groups and individuals with the goal of transforming LAUSD into a district of high performing small schools within 10 years.
Loyola Marymount University: Green Dot has partnered with LMU since the founding of Animo Leadership in 2000. Through the partnership, Green Dot receives invaluable resources from the university such as professional development, teachers, teaching assistants, research and strategic guidance, and free use of space at LMU for special events.
Oscar De La Hoya Foundation: Green Dot partnered with Oscar De La Hoya to open Oscar De La Hoya Animo in Boyle Heights, the neighborhood where Mr. De La Hoya grew up. As a part of the partnership, the Oscar De La Hoya Foundation is providing the land on which Green Dot will build a permanent campus for the school. Mr. De La Hoya serves on Green Dot’s Board of Directors as a sign of the depth of his commitment to Green Dot and to small school education reform.
Los Angeles Unified School District: Green Dot partnered with LAUSD and the stakeholders of Broadway Elementary School to open Animo Venice on the playground of Broadway Elementary. The partnership was hailed as a model for future collaboration by then-LA School Board President Marlene Canter. The district also provides the facilities that currently house Animo Jackie Robinson and Animo Watts 2.
Lennox School District: The Lennox School District, which chartered Animo Leadership, opened its own charter high school in August 2003 named Lennox Math and Science Academy, which was designed after Animo Leadership.
Working with the Teachers Union to Drive Change
A key constituent in Green Dot’s organization is the teachers union. Green Dot is the only non-district public school operator in California that has unionized teachers. Green Dot’s teachers have organized as the Asociacion de Maestros Unidos (AMU), a CTA/NEA affiliate. Key reforms embodied in the AMU contract include: teachers have explicit say in school policy and curriculum; no tenure or seniority preference; a professional work day rather than defined minutes; and flexibility to adjust the contract in critical areas over time. Green Dot was able to achieve these reforms by establishing a relationship of mutual trust with the teachers union and committing to pay its teachers above the average of comparable schools’ pay scales. In doing so, Green Dot and AMU share a unique relationship in the world of labor relations, one that is characterized by collaboration and a mutual interest in improving public education.
Click on the links below to view the Green Dot Teacher Salary Scale or to download the current union contract between Green Dot and AMU.