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that the foundation would have needed an extra $ 50 million to renovate the current school facility , Jefferson Middle School , into an art school .
While the plans for Oceanside have been put on pause , CSArts ’ s plans have shifted to a different location in the Duarte Unified School District ( DUSD ) in the San Gabriel Valley , where charter schools are viewed more positively . The school officially opens in Aug . 2017 , and is set to have a similar structure as OCSA ’ s academic and art conservatory curriculum .
CSArts-SGV ’ s Dean of Arts Conservatories Abbe Levine , who
Arts October 2016 served as OCSA ’ s director of arts enrichment and program expansion , as well as a co-director of OCSA ’ s Creative Writing Conservatory , shares similar hopes for the expansion .
“ I think there is some healthy skepticism regarding charter schools because they are still a relatively new model for education ,” Levine said . “ However , when it comes to OCSA and our soon-to-be sister school , CSArts-SGV , nearly all of the parents and community members I have interacted with are nothing but enthusiastic and supportive of our mission .” Levine claims that approval to expand to San Gabriel was made possible by the supportive school board , community , and parents all coming from DUSD , the district which was “ completely reimagining their entire educational program .”
This fresh approach to CSArts schools seems to be enabled by all of the effort , support , and dedication that their staff , students , and parents have exerted towards the schools ’ success .
OCSA French teacher and Oceanside resident Maggie Davies has exhibited her dedication in her 15 years teaching at OCSA but also in her daily 120- mile commute to get to OCSA .
She says had the Oceanside loaction been successful , she would have liked to have worked there . Davies believes “ with Oceanside ... there was a miscommunciation , and I don ’ t think that parents were given the full facts about what it meant to get into this school . Yes , students do have to maintain a 2.0 grade point average but at this school there is so much help for them to be able to do that . I don ’ t think peope realize that it ’ s actually the conservatory director who decides on whether a student gets in or doesn ’ t get in to the school .”
Fortunately , the newly unveiled CSArts-SGV website and newletter has clearly stated the location ’ s rules and goals , to make miscommunications less likely to occur again .
Wallace , CSArts- SGV ’ s principal , says that a good charter school has “ a clear mission and vision for the school ... and a transparent approach to the way it does business .” While the complications with Oceanside could have been avoided with better communication , this incident has benefitted CSArts by making their plans for future schools stronger and more direct .
Levine describes the OCSA experience as something “ in the collaboration between a science class and a culinary arts class to create an herb garden . It ’ s in the sounds of classical music seeping out of one room while the sounds of tap shoes click down the hall . It ’ s in the annual Halloween flash mob . It is the very special fabric that weaves together the arts and academics to create a nurturing culture of acceptance and celebration of creativity ... it happens at OCSA everyday .”
Letter from the Editor
Hey OCSA . Welcome back .
We ’ ve got big plans for the Evolution this year . We say this every year , but now that my coup against the former co-editors-in-chief has been successful , I ’ m in charge . And I will be using my power ( which is solely vested in my title and can be taken away from me at any time ) to try to make Evolution more accessible to the school . That means an online edition , which doesn ’ t just exist on Facebook , but on a beautiful website . We want to hear the opinions of the students , and create a newspaper that reflects them . I ’ m not kidding , you guys . Welcome to the new Evolution .
All the best , Lily Williams Editor-in-Chief