We have lots of news to report.

1) Emerson Principal Search

We are very excited to announce the new principal of Emerson Middle School, Kathy Gonnella, who was selected by a committee that included Emerson parents, teachers and Act4Education members.

Ms. Gonnella’s qualifications are superior, having previously been Principal at Westside Leadership Magnet, K-8 public middle school in Marina del Rey. As a member of our community, and former Assistant Principal at Emerson, she is already familiar with the school, faculty and administrators ensuring a smooth transition.

We met with Ms. Gonnella to discuss the development of a school vision and a strategy to actualize that vision. She has many ideas for school innovation that will bring about academic success that our community and current Emerson students deserve. We will formally discuss these plans at a community meeting in October.

2) 5th Grade Survey Results

We thank all of the 5th grade parents in our community who filled out our end of the year survey. You can still complete it if you haven’t already done so (survey), and you can view the results here.

Most of our neighborhood students have plans to attend public middle school this September but are leaving our neighborhood to go to public schools elsewhere. Primary concerns about Emerson are academics and school safety. There is also concern about the options for high school. We will address these concerns in our October meeting.

Get the word out to friends, neighbors and classmates, especially those in kindergarten, 4th and 5th grades. Our recent survey found that only half of 5th grade parents were aware of Act4Education. Plus the new school year will bring new kindergarteners to our elementary schools.

3) Update on University High School

A plan to bring a new gym facility to University HS is in the works. This will be a joint use structure between LAUSD and YMCA. Uni HS has also applied for state funds to restructure the school into 4 schools within a school. This restructuring has the potential to bring the benefits of smaller schools, which studies have shown make it easier for faculty and staff to know their students and gives students a stronger sense of belonging and achievement.

4) Update on Webster Middle School

Webster is part of the Uni HS cluster and is partly fed by Overland Elementary students. Webster will lower their class size to 25:1 student teacher ratio in ALL classrooms. This will be funded by the State of California through 1133 funds. This coming school year, Principal Wallace will also start an SAS/Honors academic program for academically gifted students as well as a 6th grade “village” in which 6th graders have a separate learning community from the older students.

5) Volunteering and Fundraising

Many of you have asked how to donate your time and money. In conjunction with the Emerson PTSA, we will be implementing a volunteer program for community members who would like to volunteer time at Emerson in order to help implement school improvements. We are also working with our local public school principals to identify specific projects that would benefit from additional community funding. More details will follow as the school year gets underway.

6) Stay informed

Stay tuned for a Community Meeting this October to hear more about our strategy and why we are poised for substantial change in the next year. In the meantime, feel free to visit our website for regular updates or contact us directly with your questions.

Sincerely,

Mitchell Wong

President, Act4Education