Harnessing Human Power

Antoinette Cass • Cahn Fellow 2021

Steeped in history and landmark moments, Open Magnet Charter School (Open School) was created as the first Magnet school in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), as part of the effort to desegregate schools in the 1970s. To promote equity, the founding parents and teachers felt that all students from across the district from the valley to South Los Angeles would bus into the school. Later in the 1990’s, it was the first to receive dependent charter status as a way to continue to develop constructivist learning experiences for the K-5 diverse population it served. This gem of a school has grown and evolved over the years and has kept children first as part of its vision. However, with careful examination of district assessments and data we began to notice a trend. LatinX and African American students were not achieving or making gains at the same rate as the White students. It led our staff to examine the reasons and barriers to accessing the curriculum and closing academic gaps. It also brought up some important factors to consider: What was causing the disparity? Were the children fully engaged in the curriculum and if not, why not? Additionally, with the events of 2020, the dual pandemic: COVID-19 and the killing of George Floyd and movements for equity, all brought new conversations and thoughts about how we teach, engage, and truly support all learners.