rise press kit 2014 15
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A Note from Bright Star’s Executive Director
Dear Community Member and/or Supporter:
Please allow me to give you an introduction to Bright Star Schools and our Rise Kohyang Middle School (“RISE”).
Since 2003, Bright Star Schools has operated some of the strongest tuition-free public schools in Los Angeles. Students from all across the Los Angeles Unified School District are eligible to attend our schools, and they participate in a program that features rigorous academics and rich life experiences. Our students thrive academically and socially because our core operating principles, which include high expectations, attention to detail, clearly defined standards of accountability, and continuous improvement, provide a framework for success.
In 2011, our Board of Directors made the decision to improve the educational opportunities for families in Koreatown, and supported Eliza Kim in carrying out her vision to start a school in her home community. Ms. Kim has been with Bright Star for over 10 years as both a teacher and administrator, and under her leadership RISE is becoming one of the best public schools in Los Angeles.
Next school year RISE will grow to serve 340 students and will graduate it’s first class of 8th graders. With the RISE’s growing enrollment our team has needed to secure a new facility for the school that will allow to remain in the community and avoid bussing or split campuses. Our new home at 3020 Wilshire Boulevard will provide RISE with the space and resources it needs to fully implement its program, and to grow to serve 450 students by 2016.
We’re excited about RISE as it steps into its next chapter in a beautiful new facility, but the school needs your help to make sure that it has the resources necessary to get our new facility ready for occupancy. If you have any questions or would like to set up a visit to RISE, please do not hesitate to email or call me.
Sincerely,
Ari Engelberg
RISE KOHYANG MIDDLE SCHOOL
Grades: 6th—8th
Principal: Eliza KimLy
(424) 789-8338
3020 Wilshire Blvd, Ste. 250
Los Angeles, CA 90005
STELLA MIDDLE CHARTER ACADEMY
5th—6th Grade Campus
Principal: Elysa Vargas
(323) 406-7155
2636 South Mansfield Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90016
7th—8th Grade Campus
Principal: Olivia Eagleson
(424) 209-4262
5431 West 98th Street
Los Angeles, CA 90045
BRIGHT STAR SCHOOLS
Be Conscientious. Be Compassionate. Be Creative.
Be Positive. Be Proactive. Be Perseverant.
BRIGHT STAR SECONDARY CHARTER ACADEMY
Grades: 9th—12th
Principal: Monique Bonilla
(424) 789-8837
5431 West 98th Street
Los Angeles, CA 90045
VALOR ACADEMY CHARTER MIDDLE SCHOOL
Grades: 5th—8th
Principal: Maurice Regalado
(818) 830-1700
8755 Woodman Avenue
Arleta, CA 91331
VALOR ACADEMY CHARTER HIGH SCHOOL
Grades: 9th—12th
Principal: Evelyn Licea
(818) 934-8910
8015 Van Nuys Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 91402
RISE KOHYANG MIDDLE SCHOOL
RISE ensures that students achieve academic excellence, accept responsibility for their futures, and embrace school as family. We offer students an opportunity to develop their unique talents and ambitions in a supportive, collaborative environment, so they are prepared for college and career, and to lead purposeful, fulfilling lives.
RISE opened its doors to the public in August 2012 with nearly 100 sixth graders, and finished off a strong founding year with an API score of 866. In the fall of 2014 RISE will serve 340 sixth through eighth grade students in the Koreatown neighborhood of Los Angeles. RISE began with the vision of Eliza Kim, the school’s Founder and current Principal. Born and raised in Koreatown, Eliza dreamed of giving back to her community by raising the standards of public education. With the support of the neighborhood and a strong team of teachers and founding families, her dream is now a reality.
R—Reciprocate. Give back.
I—Initiate and Innovate. Change starts with you.
2003
Bright Star Schools starts
its first public charter
school, Stella Academy,
in West Adams.
2011
The RISE charter
petition is written
and approved by
LAUSD.
2013
RISE completes its
1st full year of
instruction and
achieves an API
score of 866.
2014
Rise completes its
second year and
moves into a new
facility at 3020
Wilshire Blvd.
2016
RISE will reach
full enrollment
at 450 students
Neighborhoods Served Koreatown area of Los Angeles
Demographics 81% of our students qualify for the Federal Free and Reduced Price Lunch Program 19% of our students are classified as English Language Learners
The percentage of Students with Disabilities that we serve is 8%
Our culture of high expectations emphasizes character development and strong values.
Our attention to detail in all programs ensures we are thoughtful and effective in all we do.
Our high standards of accountability ask the entire school community to strive for shared success. One way we do this is by avoiding “social promotion” of our students before they master grade-level standards.
Our openness to continuous improvement creates an atmosphere comfortable with change. We evaluate and improve our curriculum and experiences as needed.
Ethnic / Racial 44% Asian 43% Hispanic or Latino 7% Black or African American 4% Filipino
OUR SCHOOL PROFILE
S—Steward. Be an advocate for change.
OUR VALUES
E— Elevate through education.
The RISE Academic Performance Index (API) score for 2012-13 was:
866
Our leadership team and Board of Directors has a long history of success, both in education and
business, and strives to inspire excellence in the entire Bright Star community.
Ari Engelberg, Executive Director: Ari is the founding Board Chairman for Bright Star Schools and has
been the Executive Director since 2008. Co-founded both Stamps.com and Archive, Inc., and holds
Bachelor of Arts degrees in Political Science and Psychology from UC Berkeley and a Juris Doctor and
M.B.A. from UCLA.
Melissa Kaplan, Chief Academic Officer: Prior to joining Bright Star, Melissa served as Chief Aca-
demic Officer at ICEF Public Schools, where she was responsible for 14 schools serving over 4500 stu-
dents and 150 teachers and administrators She holds a BA in Education from DeSales University and
a Masters of Education from UCLA.
Hrag Hamalian, Chief Cultural Officer: Hrag is the lead founder of Valor Academy and served as their
Head of School. He was Teach for America Corps member and a Building Excellent Schools fellow.
Hrag holds a BA from Boston College, a Masters in Secondary Education from Loyola Marymount,
and is currently pursuing a M.B.A. from UCLA.
Tyler Baier, Chief Strategy Officer: After completing his M.B.A. at Cornell University in 2010, Tyler
partnered with ICEF Public Schools as an Education Pioneers fellow. He then joined Bright Star and
has since managed a wide range of strategic projects and functional areas. Tyler has also spent time
as a consultant for the Positive Coaching Alliance and in marketing for a Chicago start-up. As an
undergraduate, he received his bachelors degree from Cornell in Applied Economics.
Board of Directors
OUR LEADERSHIP AND BOARD
Lawrence Klein, Board Chairman
Teacher, Harvard-Westlake School
Steve Selcer
Retired CEO, Oakwood Worldwide
James McGrath, Recording Secretary
Attorney, Bryan Cave LLP
Joyce Richards
Small Business Owner
Hon. Jeffrey Johnson
Discipline Committee
Justice, CA Court of Appeals
Aaron Cervantes
Director, UCLA Office of Planned and
Major Gifts
Stephen Green
Founder and CEO, CoreVessel
Brooke Hanson
Corporate Citizenship, DIRECTV
R—Reciprocate. Give back.
I—Initiate and Innovate. Change starts with you.
THE NEED FOR RISE A key path to a better life is a quality education. Yet too many young people in Los Angeles are not presented with promising opportunities that help them develop the skills and knowledge needed for success in college and life. Los Angeles public school students are not achieving at the same level of educational performance as their peers across the state and nation. These differences in academic performance, known as the achievement gap, have serious implications for the future opportunities of students and our society at large.
RISE does not accept the status quo, and instead is acting as an incubator for systemic education reform.
RISE endeavors to introduce, adapt and demonstrate new and successful methods of learning to improve student attitudes and academic performance.
RISE is developing students who embrace a spirit of community, a goal of service to others, and a desire for self betterment through a college education.
RISE is delivering on the Bright Star promise of equal educational opportunities for all children.
RISE is creating a lasting impact by contributing to the narrowing of the academic achievement gap in Koreatown.
R—Reciprocate. Give back.
I—Initiate and Innovate. Change starts with you.
The 3020 Wilshire Boulevard facility represents the
culmination of an extensive search for a suitable site
to house our school in a safe, affordable, and easily
accessible location. The new home for RISE will
provide adequate space to support the school at its
full capacity of 450 students and will enable it the
facilities to operate a well-rounded academic and
extra-curricular program.
With the 3020 Wilshire Boulevard Capital Campaign
we are seeking to raise in excess of $700K in order to
help offset our cost of bringing the school facility up
to City code and enhancing the existing structures
within the campus.
Pre-development and Design: $65,000
Construction and Fire Safety: $530,000
IT Infrastructure: $95,000
Furniture and Fixtures: $25,000__
Total: $715,000
Meeting our fundraising goal will allow us to create
an inspiring and distinctive place to learn. Every
dollar raised during this campaign will go directly to
design and construction.
RISE and Bright Star Schools ask that you consider
giving an amount that is meaningful to your
organization or family. Donations are tax-deductible
and can be made anonymously, if you prefer.
THE NEED FOR A NEW FACILITY
Over 29,000 SF of school facilities with exclusive use by RISE.
17 classrooms (2 large classrooms with dividing walls).
Adequate student restrooms.
Staff restrooms.
Connections (counseling) program space with offices and private work areas.
Large front office area with ample administrative offices and conference space.
Full special education suite with private work and meeting rooms.
Staff lounge with kitchenette.
Separated back office workspace for IT, HR and operations.
Large amounts of storage space.
Secure underground pick-up and drop off area with 55 parking spaces.
HOW YOU CAN HELP We are proud to report that 100% of the Bright Star Schools Board of Directors has committed to contribute to the RISE 3020 Wilshire Capital Campaign. In order to help our efforts further, please consider one or more of the following actions:
You can make a difference!
Donate: All tax deductible cash contributions to the Capital Campaign will be used exclusively for the development of our campus to provide a suitable learning environment for RISE students.
Corporate Matching: Some employers match your donations dollar for dollar, enabling you to have twice the impact!
In Kind Contributions: Extensive amounts of materials will be required for both buildings and grounds to complete the school expansion project. In Kind contributions are a great way to reduce the overall cost of the project.
If there are other ways that you would like to contribute, please contact us. We appreciate any kind of support!
Contact Us:
Rise Kohyang Middle School
Principal: Eliza KimLy
(424) 789-8338
2030 Wilshire Blvd., Ste 250
Los Angeles, CA 90005
www.facebook.com/risemiddleschool www.twitter.com/brightstrschool www.youtube.com/brightstrschool
Prepared for College. Prepared for Life.
Help us complete our new home!
Visit our website:
www.brightstarschools.org