In This Issue
Valor Academy Application to the LAUSD Progress
Valor Academy Thanks Our Supportors
Relevant Charter School Websites
| Submission of Charter Application |
Valor’s application process with the LAUSD has begun! Valor Academy took a giant step toward becoming a reality this summer when we submitted the school’s charter application to the L.A. Unified School District. Over the coming months, Valor expects to work with charter school officials at LAUSD to gain approval for North Hollywood’s first charter middle school. Valor plans to open in 2009 with a fifth grade of 120 students, and expand by one grade each year until our school will teach fifth through eighth grade students using a vision that each child can begin to prepare for success at college and beyond with a rigorous, supportive middle-school environment.
Many organizations provided key input for the application, says Valor founder and proposed Head of School, Hrag Hamalian. “I’d like to thank everyone involved so far for helping make the application a reflection of our vision,” says Hrag. Hrag just completed a year as a 2007-2008 fellow at Building Excellent Schools, a highly selective school leadership fellowship, whose staff worked closely with the Valor team. Through BES, Hrag received school leadership training, visited a network of nationally- recognized charter schools, and he gained valuable experience in Los Angeles with an internship at the KIPP Academy of Opportunity, whose leadership provided key guidance and support. The California Charter School Association, based in Los Angeles, provided important support and advice on a range of topics, ranging from curriculum and faculty to insurance and facilities selection. ExED, a charter school back-office management organization, helped construct an initial school budget.
Hrag also cited the work of Valor Academy’s Founding Board, who “read, revised and provided guidance for every part of the application,” Hrag says. Thanks also to invaluable pro bono counsel from the law firm of Sullivan & Cromwell LLP. Valor’s Founding Board would particularly like to thank attorneys Patrick Brown, Rita O'Neill, Mary Grendell and Matthew Jones for their hard work. Their services included providing general corporate advice, incorporating Valor Academy Charter School, drafting bylaws, conflict of interest policy, resolutions and other corporate documents, while guiding Hrag and members of the board in the submission of the application to the Internal Revenue Service for Valor Academy's request to be granted non-profit status.
The Valor Academy Team would also like to thank Ian Guidera and the staff at KIPP KAO for their unwavering support and guidance; Henry Viscara, Yassmin Jahanbini, and the staff at 30sixty design in Studio City for their creative pro bono work in designing the beautiful Valor Academy Logo; Armen Mardirousi and Neolynx Solutions in Glendale for their pro bono development and design of the Valor Academy website (www.valoracademy.org); SADA Systems in North Hollywood for their technical guidance; and Dave Moon and his students at the California State University at Northridge for their incredible work with the school’s marketing design.
In the coming months, the Valor team expects to work with LAUSD charter school officials as the application moves through the evaluation process. “In the next few months we hope to have a board capacity meeting with LAUSD, and we hope to be authorized by this winter,” Hrag adds. The past year was devoted to research and gaining expertise. “The next year will be devoted to the implementation of the vision by building a staff, acquiring a school space and reaching out to parents and children,” he says.
| Community Support |
Throughout the application process, Valor Academy has touched a nerve in the North Hollywood community. Community leaders and civic organizations have shown tremendous support for our belief that all students can succeed academically and go to college if they receive a quality middle school education. We are very proud that the following organizations wrote letters to the Los Angeles Unified School District to show their support for Valor Academy.
- Councilman Tom LaBonge
- Councilwoman Wendy Greuel
- Chamber of Commerce of North Hollywood
- Neighborhood Council of North Hollywood
- LAPD of North Hollywood – Police Activity League
- Rotary Club of North Hollywood
- Wells Fargo of North Hollywood
- Freemasons of North Hollywood
- Armenian National Committee of North Hollywood
- Economic Alliance of the San Fernando Valley
- Economic Development Center of the San Fernando Valley
- US Small Business Association of Los Angeles
- Immanuel Presbyterian Church (an LA community church)
- Teach For America
- Building Excellent Schools
- KIPP Academy of Opportunity
- Walton Foundation
- Red Cross of Los Angeles
- Minister-Counselor of US foreign service, Keith Simmons
- Generation Next of Glendale
- Resources for Indispensable Schools and Educators
- National Foundation of Teaching Entrepreneurship
- Youth Mentoring Connection
- Gear Up/Families in Schools
- Hands for Hope
- Bright Star Schools
Hrag and members of our board have also met with a number of other community groups. Hrag met with community leaders at the North Hollywood YMCA, walked in a 5K race for Hands of Hope, attended a Community Fair in Northridge thanks to generous help of staff members of North Hollywood Park, and shared a booth with the North Hollywood Jaycees at the North Hollywood Arts Fair. He met with other charter leaders, including architect Ray Franco, the developer of NoHo’s Ark High School, a proposed charter high school for architecture and design in North Hollywood.
Our work so far couldn’t have been accomplished without assistance from supporters who have been generous with their time, energy and expertise.
Thanks to all of you, Valor is on its way to becoming a reality!
| Relevant Charter School Websites |
LAUSD Charter School Homepage
A portion of the LAUSD website devoted to charter schools with the mission and vision of the LAUSD in regards to charter schools, recent news and developments, as well as helpful links. Click Here
California Charter School Association
Information regarding charter schools, links to recent charter news, information on workshops and events, and ways to get involved in the charter school movement. Click Here
Valor Academy
The official Valor Academy Charter School website, with links containing information regarding our school program, information for parents, and ways to get involved.
www.valoracademy.org
