Learning Works Graduation, 2019 (File Photo – learningworkscharterschool)
I just want to set the record straight about the event that happened with one of our students yesterday.
By Mikala Rahn
I appreciate that Pasadena Now changed the story originally released to match the actual facts instead of what was reported by the police. But here is how the story should have been written…..
Back story
Learning Works Charter School for the past 15 years has served high school dropout outs that are beyond at-risk, they are high risk—teen moms, probation youth, drug addicted, and homeless. We have graduated 1134 students who never would have graduated without us. We have helped bring the district dropout rate from 24.6% to under 10%. We are partners with the school district providing a safe haven for students expelled from the PUSD to try to turn around their choices and return them to PUSD.
What really happened
That said, we are a community gem and every district should have a Learning Works. Yesterday my staff proved that. One of our beloved students, a 15-year-old foster youth, off campus, drank way too much and ended up with alcohol poisoning. No student ever returns to school after drinking too much. This student could have ended up in the bushes and died. But no, he returns to school to the staff that he trusts because of their unconditional love for him. This awesome staff call 911 and saved his life.
I am more than a bit disappointed in the Pasadena Police Department’s report to news with inaccuracies in the story and limited respect for our years of working together in the community. The turnover on the police department has been huge, so I will go back to building relationships, and helping with an understanding of what community policing and partnering looks like. We are partners with the police and with the past four police chiefs. We are helping from a different angle with police and probation to help make our community safe and make sure all young people thrive.
Mikala L. Rahn is CEO and Founder of Learning Works Charter School.
> Extra Read: Helping Pasadena High Schoolers One at a Time.
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Our kids are amazing. They are all at-promise and just need to be loved, mentored and supported in their journey of life. LW students are gems. LW staff are gem polishers. God is good!
Thank you for the clarity about the news story, and thank you for the work you and the school do. Those who do not – or are not able to – conform are not often given support, alternates, and love enough to continue on with their education.
How many PUSD school board members have started charter schools betraying the trust of PUSD families? How many now PUSD members are given campaign money from charter scholl owners to look the other way or to write nice things about their charter schools?
How many of the kids in this charter school go back to PUSD? How many of the kids in this charter school are thrown out in to the streets when they turn 18 and the state money stops?
We are the charter the district loves call superintendent
Period! I love you Mikala !!!!
You changed my life forever! Learning Works is the BOMB!
And I wouldn’t have ever experienced Grad Night, Prom, or believed it was possible to walk cross the stage. I am able to say I am a High school graduate thanks to Learning Works and the amazing chasers!
Charter schools are the bane of public education. They are usually a 501(c) money grab for their owners. And they destroy communities, no matter how this particular charter school is sugar coated by its owner.
I am not a huge fan of “charter schools” generally either, but this is a different situation. This particular charter school is not handling students of hipster parents. They are trying to help severely at risk youth. This is an incredibly difficult job and without them, most of these children would be way worse off. It is easy to criticize from afar. Try doing this day in and day out and you might change your tune.
Yes, Jimmy, thank you. Learning Works is part of PUSD. As Dr. Rahn states,”We are partners with the school district providing a safe haven for students expelled from the PUSD to try to turn around their choices and return them to PUSD.”
We are the charter the district loves call superintendent. We are taking care of challenges district can’t.
The media is so quick to put out sensationalist stories -some journalistic integrity is called for when reporting news like this. Thank you for Mikala for the work you and your teams do and for sharing the additional information and perspective.
Love this. Hugs.
Thank you for sharing this!
Thank God