Our first harvest festival, our first Greek Olympics and our first camping trip were all highlights of year one. Opening a charter school is a group effort parents, staff, teachers and students build a new school together.

Kami: There have been many moving moments. Q: Have there been any particularly moving moments you have had while working with the school/organization? After 3 years as a co-director of OCS, I returned to Environmental to help write their charter petition for a new middle school, where I am now principal. At that time, my son was in kindergarten at a high performing LAUSD district school and succeeding academically, but coming home with stomach aches before recess every day.Īs a result, I became more involved in the charter school movement, helping open Ocean Charter School, a K-8, arts-integrated charter on Los Angeles' west side. My involvement with ECS began in 2002, when I taught history at Environmental Charter High School. Kami: Environmental Charter Middle School is part of Environmental Charter Schools (ECS), a network of free public schools in underserved communities of south Los Angeles that prepares students for 4-year colleges through a focus on experiential learning and by using the environment as a way to both engage students and prepare them to become leaders in their communities. ECMS's educational program is designed for students to develop the skills, knowledge, and attitudes that prepare them for success in college preparatory courses at the high school level as well as those skills that prepare them to be effective stewards of their community. Q: What is Environmental Charter Middle School and why did you get involved?

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