Alex Parducci
Staff Writer
Although it’s only 20 minutes from Costa, Animo Watts II Public Charter High School feels like a different world.
Located in East Los Angeles near Compton, in a community with the lowest household income in Los Angeles, Watts II is on a quest to transform public education and provide a safe and secure place for learning.
Originally called Locke High School, Animo was opened in 1967 in response to the Watts’ riots as a safe haven for families in south L.A. Locke was considered one of Los Angeles’s worst performing high schools in 2006 due to poor academics, violence and gang activity. Only five percent of its ninth graders entered four-year colleges four years later.
“At Locke, the kids were not getting the education needed for college, leadership, or life,” Animo Assistant Principal Emily Sommers said.
In 2007, the Los Angeles Unified School District approved the notion to turn over Alain Leroy Locke High School to Green Dot Public Schools, a nonprofit organization that operates 10 public schools in L.A.
“The goal of this operation is to try and transform the way education is being delivered to the Locke High School area,” Animo resource teacher Kyle Gouveia said.
From a single visit, one can see how differently Animo Watts II runs from Mira Costa. There are no sport teams, school dances, locker halls or gyms. The dress code is khakis and a black collared shirt. Students who score test grades below a C, at times even a B, can make-up opportunities anytime throughout the year.
“I think that is so cool that they have the ability to make up test grades. If I could do that, my grades would improve so much and I wouldn’t have to worry so much about studying,” Mira Costa sophomore Talia Bondelli said.
The school itself holds a mere 450 students. Only 29 staff members, 22 of which are certified teachers, run the school. Students have no choice regarding electives. They are simply put into a Spanish class, an advisory class once a week for counseling or a curriculum skills class.
“What makes this school really unique is that it eliminates all assumptions of what students have learned, and tries to help them catch up to the rest of California’s standards,” instructional assistant Jennifer Howard said.
Although many things set Mira Costa apart from Amino, the schools are not as different as one might think. Both institutions share the common goal of strengthening young minds for the future.
“I think regardless of where you come from, education is important because it can help you get far in life, so that you can establish a place in this world,” Mira Costa sophomore Charlie Sevy said.
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