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THE ALERT: News from Alliance College-Ready Public Schools   -  January 2012
 
  
New Library Opens on Richard Merkin Middle School and Gertz-Ressler High School Campus

Brian Reynolds, Theo Ressler and Richard Merkin 
Cut the Ribbon to Mark the Official Dedication of the 
Brian and Patricia Reynolds Library

On December 2nd, Dr. Richard Merkin, President and CEO of Heritage Provider Network and Alliance Board Member, hosted the dedication of the new Brian and Patricia Reynolds Library on the campus of Alliance Richard Merkin Middle School and Gertz-Ressler High School. 

This is the first library to open at any Alliance campus and, in a time when budget cuts are forcing many public libraries to close, it is an invaluable asset. "The library is one of the best things to ever happen to our school," shared Lisbeth Cuevas, RMMS Student Council President. "We have never had a library, and having one will improve our learning." 

"Without having a library, without having the opportunity to check out books at their own school, we are short changing our students," said Dr. Merkin. "I'm dedicated to ensuring these educational opportunities to as many young people as I can." 

Sponsor and contributor Brian Reynolds, actress Jamie Gertz and her son Theo, who generously donated $10,000 he received from gifts at his Bar Mitzvah to the library, joined Dr. Merkin, Alliance and school leadership, and librarian Pamela Baird at the standing-room only ceremony.  Generous partners and volunteers from organizations who helped make this library possible, including ACCESS Books, Fox Gives, Ernst & Young Connects, Wyn Foundation, Scherzer International, and Pepperdine Alumni Association were also in attendance. 

For more information on this very special event, please take a few minutes to read the press release and watch a short video of the celebration.
Join Alliance on February 4th to Stand up for Parental Choice!

We hope you and your family will join with Alliance schools and families on Saturday, February 4th at 9:00 a.m. for a citywide rally to tell politicians to put students first and support parent choice and charter schools. We have seen first-hand that charter organizations like the Alliance are making a difference for students.

Despite our successful efforts, charter schools and their students are increasingly being denied equal access to educational resources. All families deserve access to high-quality, free public education, and it's up to us to stand up for our schools and our students! We need you to join us for this important event to make sure that our voices are heard.

Where: Exposition Park (in front of the LA Memorial Coliseum)

When: Saturday, February 4th at 9:00 a.m.

Who: Parents, students, teachers, supporters and special guests Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and other elected officials

 

To learn more, contact Mary Silva, Alliance Director of Parent and Community Engagement, at [email protected] or (213) 943-4930, ext. 1011, or visit Families that Can.

Univision and Radio Host Eddie "Piol�n" Sotelo Partner with Alliance to Promote Student Enrollment at Alliance Schools 

Three Spanish language public service announcements are airing throughout Los Angeles on popular radio stations like KTNQ and KSCA thanks to the support of Univision Radio and "Piol�n por la Ma�ana," host Eddie "Piol�n" Sotelo. 

The spots inform listeners of the benefits of an Alliance education and encourage parents to enroll their students at one of Alliance's 20 schools.  Visit our enrollment section for more information on the application process. Enrollment applications are due January 27th at most Alliance schools.

Visit our website to listen to one of the Univision Radio PSAs.
Join NBA Star Russell Westbrook and Double Your Contribution to Alliance Classroom Projects Through New Partnership Between Wasserman Foundation and DonorsChoose.org 

 

Russell Westbrook, with the NBA's Oklahoma City Thunder, Donated Funds for Sports Equipment for Alliance CRAHS #16

In November, the Wasserman Foundation announced a two-year commitment of $4 million to help fund innovative projects in district and charter school classrooms throughout LA -- including Alliance schools! As part of this initiative, the foundation will match funds donated for projects posted on DonorsChoose.org during the next two years.

 

As part of his holiday giving, NBA player Russell Westbrook made a donation to help provide P.E. equipment to students at Alliance College-Ready Academy High School #16.  Not only will his generous donation be matched by the Wasserman Foundation, he also reached out to his fans and friends via Facebook and Twitter to encourage their support.  "Why not get involved and support the kids," he posted. 
 
You can help Alliance schools to realize the full potential of this generous partnership by visiting DonorsChoose.org
today and making a donation. To review projects submitted by Alliance schools: 
  • Visit the DonorsChoose.org search page.
  • Select schools in Los Angeles - be sure to type in the keyword Alliance.
  • Browse project requests and donate any amount directly to those projects that inspire you.
In return, you will receive photos of the project taking place, a thank-you letter from the teacher, and a cost report showing how each dollar was spent.

More Ways to Give:

Beginning January 23rd, there will be even more ways to show your support. Starbucks customers can pick up a $10 DonorsChooseLA.org gift card, funded by the Wasserman Foundation, at any of the 250 Starbucks stores in Los Angeles. Customers can use these gift cards to fund the local classroom of their choice. The gift cards, which expire on March 16th, are limited to one per customer and will be available in stores while supplies last.  Be sure to ask about them on your next coffee run.
Alliance Honors Excellence in Parent Engagement at Three Schools
Parent Maria Gongora, a dedicated volunteer at Alliance Health Services Academy High School, is part of a legion of parents who are committed to helping ensure school and student success

Alliance Health Services Academy High School, Alliance Heritage College-Ready Academy High School, and Alliance Huntington Park College-Ready Academy High School were selected as recipients of the 2011 Parents as Partners Award of Excellence. The award celebrates their exemplary commitment to making parent involvement a priority and successfully engaging parents as key partners in promoting student success. 

Alliance College-Ready Public Schools board members reviewed criteria including parent satisfaction survey results, total parent volunteer hours, number of parents attending educational workshops and parent-teacher conferences, overall increase in parent involvement from year to year, and consistent offering of high quality parent engagement opportunities to select the recipients of this annual award. 

"From the beginning, working in partnership with parents has been a priority at each of these schools," stated Mary Silva, Alliance's Director of Parent and Community Engagement. "They have proven that engaging parents as partners is a key component to helping students succeed at high levels."

The 2012 awards, which come with a $1,000 donation to support parent engagement programming expenses, will be given out this summer.
Three Alliance Seniors Named Posse Scholars 
 
Congratulations to the following 2012 Posse Scholarship recipients: 


Madelin Garcia
Alliance Marc and Eva Stern Math and Science School
Jason Camey, Alliance Dr. Olga Mohan High School
Veronica Sanchez
Alliance Huntington Park College-Ready Academy High School

 

The Posse Foundation identifies public high school students with extraordinary academic and leadership potential who may be overlooked by traditional college selection processes.  Posse is recognized as one of the premier college access and leadership development programs in the country. 


This highly competitive scholarship covers 4-year tuition, leadership training and ongoing support throughout college. With support from the Posse Scholarship, Veronica and Madelin will be attending Syracuse University in New York and Jason will be attending Grinnell University in Iowa this fall. 

This is only the beginning.  Alliance seniors have submitted over 4,100 applications to colleges and universities throughout the state and the country. We look forward to sharing college acceptance and scholarship news from other Alliance seniors throughout the coming months.
Alliance Welcomes Five Dynamic New Members to the Home Office Team 

New staff members (left to right) Lowell Bernstein, Liam Mennis, Jack Martinez, Maynor Garcia, and Kristine Kelley

The new year is off to an exciting start with the addition of several new members to the Alliance team.   

 

Liam Mennis, Chief Information Officer, is a long-time information technology consultant and manager who brings over 25 years of progressive experience and leadership in strategic and financial planning, analytics, operational design and support, data management, and profitability/value add improvements. 

 

Lowell Bernstein, Curriculum & Assessment Specialist, began his career in education as a classroom teacher and has achieved over 20 years of success in designing, implementing and evaluating academic and professional development programs, policies and services spanning all levels of K-12 education. 

 

Maynor Garcia, IT Customer Service Manager, comes to us with more than 18 years of service in education with the Los Angeles Unified School District, where he served as a technology services, engineer, technology coordinator and professional expert. 

 

Kristine Kelley, Communications Coordinator, has over six years of experience in media strategy, communications planning, marketing and account management, and gained knowledge of the charter community as an MBA intern at KIPP LA Charter schools.  

Jack Martinez, Accounting Clerk, is a graduate of Alliance Marc and Eva Stern Math and Science School and is currently studying finance at California State University, Northridge.
Alumni Corner - Eric Gutierrez, Alliance Huntington Park College-Ready Academy High School Class of 2010, University of California, Santa Cruz Class of 2014
 
Eric Gutierrez
Being the first in my family to attend college was truly a blessing. I obtained a full ride to any University of California school, which was an incredible accomplishment to me.
 
Currently, I am a second year student at the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC) double majoring in Latin America and Latino/a Studies and history. I am also minoring in politics. 
 
One of the challenges that I have faced while attending UCSC has been being able to maintain good academic standing along with a social life. In high school, I learned that academics always come before a social life and extracurricular activities. Throughout my first two years at college, I have been able to stay focused by developing a relationship with my academic advisor and being aware of the various opportunities that my college campus offers. Currently, I am proud to say that I have been able to take more than the required units while maintaining above a 3.5 GPA. 
 
In addition, I am currently involved in the Multicultural Awareness Club (MAC) that celebrates diversity and fosters acceptance in the UCSC community. Recently, I have decided to study abroad in Spain for the Spring Quarter of 2013. I am currently applying to scholarships and working with the UCSC Education Abroad Program office to see the various opportunities that they provide. 
 
In the near future, I plan to apply to Teach for America in order to decide if education is the route that I want to go once I become part of the workforce. After, I plan to apply to graduate school to obtain a Ph.D in the social and behavioral sciences, more specifically on public policy or education. I would also love to work with the Alliance in helping students apply to college and find the college that is a prefect fit for them since that was one of the challenges that I faced. 
 
Eric Gutierrez 
IN THIS ISSUE
New Library Opens on Richard Merkin Middle School and Gertz-Ressler High School Campus
Join Alliance on February 4th to Stand up for Parental Choice!
Univision and Radio Host Eddie "Piolin" Sotelo Partner with Alliance to Promote Student Enrollment at Alliance Schools
Join NBA Star Russell Westbrook and Double Your Contribution to Alliance Classroom Projects Through Wasserman Foundation & DonorsChoose.org Partnership
Alliance Honors Excellence in Parent Engagement at Three Schools
Posse Scholarships Awarded to Seniors at Three Alliance Schools
Dynamic New Members Join the Alliance Team
Alumni Corner: Eric Gutierrez - Alliance Huntington Park CRAHS '10, UCSC '14
Help Prepare More Students for College
Save the Date
judy headshot

Please join us!

February 8, 2012

10 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

 

Naming Dedication:

 Alliance 

Judy Ivie Burton Technology Academy High School

 

10101 S Broadway

LA, CA 90003
 
To RSVP 
Call Irene Camarena at (213) 943-4930 
ext 1004
See the BLAST Model in Action
Watch our new video highlighting the Alliance's innovative Blended Learning for Alliance School Transformation (BLAST) model.  
 
Read more about this integrated technology education model, currently at three Alliance schools, on our website
Applications are Now Being Accepted for the 2012-13 
School Year
The enrollment period has begun for all Alliance schools, which currently include 14 high schools and 6 middle schools in neighborhoods all across Los Angeles. 
Alliance College-Ready Academy High School #14 will also be opening in the 2012-13 academic year.

Applications are being accepted for entering 9th graders and entering 6th graders for school year 2012-13. Some schools also have space available in other grade levels. Contact the schools directly for more information. All students are welcome to apply, including students with special needs.

To view our enrollment brochure, learn more about informational meetings and application
deadlines, or to fill out an application, please visit our website.  Note that while meeting dates and application deadlines vary from school to school, January 27th is the enrollment application deadline at most Alliance schools.
Stay Up-to-Date on the Latest Alliance News

 

Alliance College-Ready Public Schools Mission
The mission of Alliance College-Ready Public Schools, a nonprofit charter management organization, is to open and operate a network of small high-performing 9-12 and 6-8 public schools in historically underachieving, low income, communities in California that will annually demonstrate student academic achievement growth and graduate students ready for success in college.

 

� Alliance College-Ready Public Schools    1940 South Figueroa Street, Los Angeles, CA 90007   
Phone: (213) 943-4930 Fax: (213) 943-4931