Calibration Of Core School Values

Gabriel Duran • Cahn Fellow 2022

In the book, The Culture Code by Daniel Coyle, Culture is defined as deriving from the Latin cultus, which means care. For six years the administration, teachers, associate student body leadership, school councils, and parents of Maywood Center for Enriched Studies (MaCES) school have worked tirelessly to develop a school community with a culture of caring. Based on the student achievement data, school experience surveys, discipline referral data, and the interactions of students and staff there appeared to be a very positive and nurturing environment with zero suspensions, single digit behavior referrals, and high academic achievement as measured by District and State exams of the 300 middle school and 800 high students  enrolled at this Span School serving grades 6th  through 12th in Los Angeles. 

In the fall of 2022, the exterior of the school campus was vandalized and graffitied with hateful language directed at a student that identified as a member of the LGBTQ community, we questioned our school’s response in living up to our school’s mission and vision of having a physically, emotionally and intellectually safe school environment. As a leadership team, we asked ourselves, based on our data and interactions, why and how did this happen?What teaching and leadership professional developments could we offer to the staff to strengthen and refine an accepting, caring, and a learning environment that will be physically, emotionally, and intellectually safe for all students and staff? How could our school community optimize the school and district resources and engage our students and staff to improve relations, create a sense of belonging and continue to succeed academically?