In New Orleans, the pair helped clean and repair the city’s schools. Channa’s colleague Kristin Moody had also set up meetings with education leaders to pitch her idea of opening a charter high school for children in low-income neighborhoods. “One of the officials told her not to bother because it was ‘too late’ for under-performing students at that age,” says Channa. Infuriated by the remark, she decided to team up with Kristin on the project. After returning to L.A., Channa and Kristin applied for a fellowship with New Schools for New Orleans, a group that supports charter schools. Two months later, their application was accepted and they relocated to Louisiana. “It was a crazy time because we had to get the school up and running by ourselves,” recalls Channa.
The pair literally walked the streets recruiting students and interviewing teachers who had been let go after Katrina. In August 2008, the Sojourner Truth Academy opened its doors to 108 students.
To instill a sense of social responsibility in students, STA requires them to do community service. “I love that our kids can play in playgrounds they’ve helped build,” says Channa. In January 2009, Kristin stepped down as coprincipal to start a family, leaving Channa to take the reins alone. Today, test scores are rising and many students have jumped two to three grade levels in reading and math. “I’m so happy to be helping to rebuild this great city