Partnership for Los Angeles Schools

The Partnership for Los Angeles Schools is an independent non-profit that manages 20 LA Unified schools and serves over 13,500 students in the communities of Boyle Heights, South LA, and Watts. We work closely with school leaders, teachers, parents, and community partners to provide additional supports for students in our schools, and we also advocate for educational equity and resource equity for high-need schools in Los Angeles and beyond.

The Partnership believes that parents and families are essential to students’ academic success. We promote parent engagement in many ways, but especially through the Partnership’s signature parent empowerment program, Parent College, which is offered to all parents in the Partnership network and beyond. At Parent College, we help prepare parents to hold their children to high academic standards, create a college-going culture at home, and advocate confidently for their students at school. This program also includes “University Day”, an annual visit to a four-year college campus where families get to attend college-going workshops.

Parents also are encouraged to join our on-site Family Action Teams, comprised of parents, teachers, community partners, students, and school administrators. This team works to get more parents engaged and involved at school and with student learning. Family Action Teams work to increase communication between school and home, make decisions at the school level, and establish shared accountability for achieving school goals. The Partnership plays a key role in training and coaching school-based Family Action Teams and providing supports for successful team development. We also build the capacity of our teachers to engage families beyond the classroom when they lead Family Action Teams.

Parents also can join United Parents for Educational Justice (UPEJ), a parent organizing and advocacy group supported by the Partnership for Los Angeles Schools. This parent-led group focuses on policies that will improve schools, such as pedestrian safety and equitable school funding. UPEJ recruits parent leaders across Partnership schools and meets several times a month to strategize for its advocacy campaigns.

The Partnership brings additional supports to our school in the form of local and national community partners who serve the individualized needs and goals of our school and communities directly. These include after school mentoring and tutoring services for students, college support, visual and performing arts, leadership, and health and wellness programs, among others.

The Partnership also invests heavily in teachers through comprehensive professional learning, leadership development, and coaching. Professional learning for teachers helps to ensure that students receive an excellent data-driven education tailored to their individual needs and responsive to the latest academic standards. We also support teacher leaders who assist fellow teachers with assessment and planning, school culture and restorative practices, and peer coaching.

Yes! Support for principals and assistant principals is a big part of what we do, too. We are known for hiring the best school principals, who receive intensive support and coaching that goes beyond what Los Angeles Unified provides. This includes year-round professional development that is aligned for principals and assistant principals. We also provide additional operations support and advocacy to help our school make the most of our budget to maximize services for our students.

Schools in the Partnership network participate in “College Compass,” an initiative that prepares students at every grade level to attend the four-year college of their choice after graduation and to succeed once they arrive. College Compass supports students by setting goals to move them towards college eligibility and college graduation; participating in activities and experiences that can prepare them for college, and inviting and engaging families in Parent College and the Partnership’s annual University Day event.

 

 

PartnershipLA.org | Partnership Playbook

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