The Los Angeles Small Schools Center brings together a diverse network of educators, school, union and district leaders, community partners, university researchers, families, and students who work together to create systemic change within Los Angeles.

Local Community-Based Organizations

Alliance for a Better Community www.afabc.org

In 2000, a coalition of concerned Latino leaders created ABC as a result of a shared desire to establish a mechanism that responds to and shapes Latino policy in Los Angeles. Their mission was to ensure the Latino community experiences a rewarding and healthy quality of life. Given the demographics of L.A's population, these enhanced opportunities for the Latino community would create, in the long term, a better Los Angeles. ABC chairs the Belmont Education Collaborative and actively advocates for school reform within Los Angeles.

Central American Resource Center (CARECEN) www.carecen-la.org

The mission of CARECEN is to empower Central Americans by defending human and civil rights, working for social and economic justice and promoting cultural diversity. The vision of CARECEN is for the Los Angeles region to become a place where Central Americans and all other communities can live in peace, with dignity, and enjoy economic well-being, social justice, and political empowerment. LA Small Schools Center is proud to have its offices at CARECEN and to participate in shared initiatives that support the Central American community.

Families in Schools http://www.familiesinschools.org/site/

Families In Schools (FIS) was created in 2000 by the Los Angeles Annenberg Metropolitan Project (LAAMP) to continue the promising work initiated by the Annenberg Challenge. The research by LAAMP and others on this subject confirms that when parents are involved in the education of their children, performance on a variety of academic indicators significantly improves. As the research bears out, there is a strong case for seeking parental involvement and engaging parents in the education process. Yet most educators need assistance and support in planning and implementing effective strategies and programs. To help them, FIS has created a “pathway to parent empowerment” that addresses the needs of parents from pre-k through 12th grade and provides programs, curriculum, and technical assistance at each level of schooling. Families In Schools’ programs and technical assistance are aimed at strengthening the capacity of school, district, and agency staff as well as nurturing the capacity of parents to be more effective advocates for their children’s education.

Educational Organizations

Associated Administrators of Los Angeles http://www.aalausd.org/

The Associated Administrators of Los Angeles (AALA) represents the Los Angeles Unified School District's principals, assistant principals and supervisory administrators.  AALA promotes the general welfare of all active and retired members of the Association; ensures that its members have due process protection; communicates the Association's point of view to the Los Angeles Board of Education, the Superintendent, LAUSD senior staff and Local District personnel, local and state agencies, the media, and the general public; and supports and mentors new Association members as they begin their administrative careers.

ConnectEd: The California Center for College and Career http://www.connectedcalifornia.org/

ConnectEd supports the development of Linked Learning by which California's young people can complete high school, enroll in postsecondary education, attain a formal credential, and embark on lasting success in the world of work, civic affairs, and family life.  As a hub for the Linked Learning field, ConnectEd develops tools, supports demonstration projects, provides technical assistance, leads collaboration, and promotes policies that expand pathways preparing young people for college and career success.  Linked Learning transforms students' high school experience by bringing together strong academics, demanding technical education and real-world experience focused on industry-themed pathways in a wide range of fields, such as engineering, arts and media, biomedicine and health.

Los Angeles Unified School District Local District 4 http://www.lausd.net/District_4/

Local District 4 serves over 75,000 students at 120 schools in the communities of Belmont HS, Downtown Business Magnets HS, Eagle Rock HS, Roybal Learning Center, Fairfax HS, Franklin HS, Helen Bernstein HS, Hollywood HS, Los Angeles School of Global Studies, Marshall HS, Miguel Contreras and the Belmont Pilot Schools which include Academic Leadership Community, Civitas School of Leadership, Los Angeles High School of the Arts, Los Angeles Teacher Preparatory, NOW Academy, School for the Visual Arts and Humanities, and UCLA Community School.

UCLA Center X http://www.centerx.gseis.ucla.edu/

Center X's work extends across ten programs: two graduate credential programs and eight professional development initiatives. Together, this work aims to transform public schooling to create a more just, equitable, and humane society. Center X studies and documents the impact of its programs on the quality of Los Angeles schools—with a particular focus on the quality of the teaching and leadership workforce and the effects of this workforce on student achievement. As part of a collaboration with teachers, district administrators, parents, and community members, Center X is currently engaged in an exciting school start-up, the UCLA Community School. LA Small Schools Center is proud to partner with Center X to create a new teacher education pathway--UCLA IMPACT--that places apprentices with accomplished mentor teachers in LAUSD Local District 4 small schools, including the UCLA Community School.

Wildwood Outreach Center http://www.wildwood.org/outreach

The Wildwood Outreach Center supports public and independent schools across the country in their efforts to create small, learner-centered schools. The Center opened in 2001 with a multi-year grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Today, the Center fulfills its public mission through a broad menu of professional development workshops, campus visits, publications, summer institutes, and mentorship opportunities. Click here for information about the Wildwood Outreach Center and its services: http://www.wildwood.org/page.cfm?p=437

National Partners

Center for Collaborative Education www.ccebos.org

The mission of the Center for Collaborative Education (CCE) is to transform schools to ensure that all students succeed. CCE believes that schools should prepare every student to achieve academically and make a positive contribution to a democratic society. CCE partners with public schools and districts to create and sustain effective and equitable schools. CCE has supported the establishment of LASSC  and the Pilot School in Los Angeles.

Coalition of Essential Schools www.essentialschools.org