September 25, 2007
Dear Locke Parents and Students:
Tuesday, September 11, 2007 was an inspiring and uplifting day as the Board of Education of the Los Angeles Unified School District approved the Alain Leroy Locke conversion charter petition. Starting in 2008-2009, Locke High School will be run as a partnership between Green Dot Public Schools and LAUSD. This historic alliance signifies a new era in which Locke High School will pull together and put all our effort into a singular mission...
All Locke students will receive the education they deserve to be successful in college and life...
Locke students will become true change agents and come back to transform South LA and Watts...
Locke High School will become the greatest urban public high school in nation and a model for every public school district.
As a Locke parent and student, we look forward to working with you and your family to make the Locke Transformation as successful as possible. We know you have a lot of questions about next year and want to begin answering them right away. Most importantly, Locke will continue to offer open enrollment to all families. That means as an enrolled student this year, you are guaranteed a spot at Locke next year. Furthermore, although you will see a number of positive changes to Locke's campus and curriculum, rest assured that the current offerings at Locke will continue to be in tact. This includes all of Locke's sports teams, elective offerings, and Special Education and English Language Learner classes. Lastly, all staff at Locke will have an opportunity to stay on as long as they meet the necessary qualifications.
While the official conversion will not occur until the summer of 2008, Green Dot will be working with all stakeholders throughout the 2007-2008 school year to ensure a smooth transition. To begin with, we are pleased to announce that Green Dot - in coordination with LAUSD and Local District 7 - will be opening an office on the Locke campus. The office will be located in room A12 and will be staffed beginning October 1. We are confident that the earlier we work together, the greater the impact we can collectively have on the safety, education, and overall well-being of all Locke students. In addition to stopping by our office, we will be holding a number of open house forums where you can voice your questions and suggestions.
We are honored and humbled by the trust placed in us by the Locke teachers, students, and families who led this initiative, the LAUSD Board of Education, and the many community leaders who supported us. On behalf of everyone Green Dot Public Schools, we look forward to the work ahead as a unified school community of Successful Saints! As always, please feel free to contact me at stevebarr@greendot.org if you have any questions or comments.
Sincerely,
Steve Barr
Founder, CEO
Green Dot Public Schools