Accelerated Charter

From Wiki Directory & Information Resource Guide for Schools, Universities, Learning Acadamies

Established and opened in 1994 by Kevin Sved and Johnathan Williams, The Accelerated School, located in the South Main Street of Los Angeles was envisioned as a place where students would be challenged to meet high expectations through a strong academic curriculum supported by programs in the visual and performing arts, technology, and health and wellness. Since opening with 50 students more than a decade ago, The Accelerated School has, and continually strived, to become a national model for education reform and professional development. The school adapts a system for collaborative community involving students, parents, teachers, civic leaders, and donors. Parents would be required to be involved in their child's education. Teachers would enjoy fully equipped classrooms. Community members would partner with teachers, administrators and parents to create a safe, nurturing environment that empowered students to take risks, achieve and learn at high levels. Today, The Accelerated School is in the process of realizing that expansion through a state-of-the-art multiplex of schools encompassing a 130,000 sq.-ft. school campus with a projected enrollment of 1,050 students by 2006. Teachers, students, parents and administrators alike were collaborative partners in envisioning the ideal learning environment brought to life by the award-winning architectural designs of Marmol + Radziner Associates. The newly expanded campus will include fully equipped classrooms, art studios, a parent center, professional development center for teachers, outdoor learning centers, a community garden, health center, public-accessible library—plus media, theatre and recreational facilities.

Accelerated Charter School Configuration Grade: K- 8 Year Opened 1994 School Type Public Principal - - - Location 4000 S Main St, Los Angeles, Ca 90037 Students 689+ Telephone 323-235-6343 Website Official Website

History

The History of the Accelerated School began when two young public school teachers, on a basketball court, drew inspiration from the passing of California's Charter School Legislation Act in 1992 and started exchaging ideas and envisioned their own public charter school.

Not long after the two would be pioneers of the Accelerated School crafted the ideals of what their school would be like, they were then joined by a handful of parents, teachers and community leaders to help build on their dream and in spite of the skeptics and the doubts, the group were able to raise the needed initial investment, majority of which was contributed by the Wells Fargo Foundation ($200,000) and the Weingart Foundation ($30,000). Soon after receiving additional resources and support from The Los Angeles Accelerated Schools Center at California State University, Los Angeles, the group were able to receive an unanimous charter approval from the Los Angeles Unified School District.

1994 - Founded by teachers Kevin Sved and Johnathan Williams and opened to 50 K-4 students after leasing two rooms at a local community church and going door-to-door to recruit students.

1997 - Moved two blocks south of the community church to the 3.9-acre site (donated by designer Carole Little and her business partner Leonard Rabinowitz) that would allow continued expansion of grades.

1999 - Added an eighth grade for full elementary and middle school education. With 270 students in grades K-8, they set their sights on tripling in size and serving Pre-Kindergarten through 12th grade.

2000 - The future school’s innovative design receives the coveted 2001 Leroy F. Greene Design Award of Honor for Project in Design.

2001 - TIME magazine names The Accelerated School “Elementary School of the Year”.

2003 - The Wallis Annenberg High School opens.

2004 - Johnathan Williams appointed to three-year term on California State Board of Education. Also,the ACES (Accelerated Charter Elementary School) opens with three K-1 classroom in August, becoming the first off-campus charter elementary school to be opened as part of The Accelerated School family

2005 - The Accelerated School’s new expanded campus opened in April.

Map & Directions

From the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, head south on Coliseum Dr S toward South Park Drive then turn left at W Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard before taking a right turn at S Main St.

For more directions and detailed information on the school location, view the map here.

External Links

• Accelerated Charter School Web Site
• Accelerated Charter School LAUSD Profile Page
• Accelerated Charter School Vission/Mission
• Accelerated Charter School History
• Accelerated Charter School Founder Bios
• Accelerated Charter School Milestones
• Accelerated Charter School Board of Trustees
• Accelerated Charter School Curriculum
• Accelerated Charter School Calendar