Arts and science focus of Los Primeros School
By Michelle Knight knight@theacorn.com

What's in a name? A lot, according to parents and teachers of the school now known as Los Primeros School of Sciences and Arts.

After a ninemonth study that included several parent/staff surveys, the school's advisory council chose the sciences and arts as the magnet, or focus, that will be woven into the curricula of all grades, projects and assignments. Science and arts courses already in place will be intensified.

"We are ambitious and proud to be at this point, but we're just getting started," said Walt De La Torre, second-grade teacher and advisory council member, in a presentation to the school board at an April 3 special board meeting

The board voted unanimously to approve the school's magnet.

"I am so pleased with what you have done," trustee Sandra Berg said. "That's quite a vision, and I know you can do it."

Trustee Patty Lerner said, "Tonight is one of those nights that makes being a board member fun."

Los Primeros School of Sciences and Arts evolved from Los Primeros Structured School, which the school board moved from its downtown location to an east-side campus last year. The board dropped the school's 30yearold "structured" title in favor of the "magnet" status and opened enrollment up to neighborhood children. The structured school had used a lottery system to select students for enrollment.

The board also asked parents, administrators and faculty to agree on a focal point for the school.

"Structured" refers to a rigid instructional program focused on the basics. Los Primeros students and parents signed a contract agreeing students will adhere to dress and behavior codes and other school requirements.

Magnets, a byproduct of school busing in the 1970s, offer specialized curricula to attract a diverse student population. Funding is the same for both types of schools.

The board's changes last year proved controversial, however. Parents founded the structured school in 1976 and had had a strong voice in its operation. The changes, parents said, greatly diminished their influence over the school environment and their children's education. Some Los Primeros parents protested by keeping their children home from school a day or two. Other parents moved their children out of the district and into a private or charter school.

Principal Esther Winkelman said the initials of the new name - LPSSA- are a nod to the past. Incorporating LPSS, the initials of the structured school, into the new initials was important to parents, staff and the advisory council because it connects the school with its past in addition to looking toward the future, she said.

"We're very excited about the new school name," Winkelman said.

Among the next steps for the school are developing a threeyear implementation plan and shoring up program funding inside and outside the district. The school is also looking for business partners to provide funding and materials and to send experts into the classroom to work with students, Winkelman said.