To a large degree, the new leadership at Locke High School near Watts sees its current mission as triage. Returning students can't start over again, so administrators say they want to help as many of the older students as possible.
Their hope for enduring and more impressive progress lies in small academies that begin with ninth-graders only. The goal is to establish an undiluted academic culture from the beginning of high school. It's a formula that has proved successful at Green Dot start-up schools elsewhere.
So last year, a few blocks from Locke, Green Dot opened two freshmen academies, Animo Locke Tech and Animo Watts. This year, two others called Animo Locke 2 and Animo Locke 3 opened on the main campus, while Locke 1 opened nearby in drab bungalows on land belonging to the Los Angeles Unified School District.
The second-year schools now have ninth and 10th graders and operate out of new warehouse-style structures on East 111th Place, east of Avalon Boulevard.
There, Keli Redd's freshman English class has been using Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" to discuss literary themes and the structure of an analytical essay -- the same sort of material that many seniors at the main campus are struggling with.
As a year-end exercise, Redd's students planned a period wedding for the doomed lovers. Tyrone Jones was among the group designing the ceremony. And when Redd jumped in to quiz the group, Tyrone could rattle off Shakespeare trivia -- the Bard spoke three languages, left school at 14 and was the son of a mayor.
Tyrone's mother jumped at the chance to send her son to Animo Watts instead of the main campus because she was wary of Locke's reputation for gangs and violence, Tyrone said. He didn't mind, especially because he's still been able to play for the Locke basketball team.
But his classmate Annette Barraza was among the ninth graders involuntarily assigned to Animo Watts.
"I thought I was going to the big Locke, but they sent me here," said Annette, who had dressed up her school uniform with a black-and-white dotted scarf. "This is too small. My friends are in Locke, and the classes are so long you fall asleep."
She was not placated to learn that classes at the main campus are just as long, because Green Dot uses block scheduling in all the Locke academies.
But she grudgingly gave her school some high marks: "I learned how to write a whole essay, with the thesis sentence and topic statement. I didn't know how to do that before. And the teachers know you and your friends and how to help out.
"My parents want me to come here next year," she said, rolling her eyes.
Across the hall, in Gerard Besina's biology class, it was hard to find a student who didn't know that chromatophores allow squids' skin to change color and texture. Students, in teams of two, reinforced their cephalopod expertise by dissecting fresh squid from the seafood market and labeling the parts.
Besina capped the lesson by deep-frying the leftover mantles, arms and tentacles.
"It's hard to dissect it," said Michelle Steward, reviewing her work. "And the parts all look like sloppy mucus. And you can actually write with the ink from the squid."
She took a bite of the calamari. "They look ugly and nasty but they actually taste good, like shrimp."
Animo Watts Principal Sue Jean Foulkes said she considers teachers like Redd and Besina to be the heart of the school culture she wants to create.
The effort remains a work in progress. Though the building is nearly new, its undersized central hall becomes virtually impassible with the crowding of students between classes. Teachers say the classrooms are also too small and some classes have around 40 students, a violation of Green Dot policy and its union contract.
Staff turnover is another concern. Among the academy's original six teachers last year, only Besina and one other returned, undermining the personal ties with teachers that intended to create for these students. And Green Dot replaced the Animo Watts founding principal with Foulkes in February.
"This is Green Dot," said Animo Watts teacher Chrystie Edwards. "The teachers don't have tenure, and there's no tenure in the administration either."
More broadly, Green Dot leaders worry that ninth grade may be too late to bring most low-achieving students up to academic proficiency. Green Dot is considering opening middle schools or working closely with existing middle schools in the area.
And Green Dot hopes to open a modern vocational program next year, one that also would fulfill college-entrance requirements. The goal is a curriculum that would engage more students and also provide job training, whether students continue on to college or not.
howard.blume@latimes.com
