IMPACT Southern Louisiana Winter 2019

IMPACT A magazine for IDEA students, families, and supporters.

VOLUME 1 ISSUE 1 | WINTER 2019

MESSAGE FROM OUR FOUNDER & CEO

Dear Team & Family, 2018 MARKED ANOTHER DYNAMIC YEAR at IDEA Public Schools. Together we reached new heights and achieved the following accomplishments:

MESSAGE FROM OUR CEO & FOUNDER

 We launched 18 schools for the 2018-19 school year, the largest launch of any charter school system, which included four schools in Louisiana.  We were one of seven school districts recognized as a Texas Honor Roll school district due to our high achievement and student excellence in academics.  IDEA Mission Academy was designated as a National Blue-Ribbon school for 2018 by U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos.  For the 10th year in a row, IDEA’s college preparatory schools were ranked among the best performing high schools in the nation by U.S. News & World Report.  For the 12th consecutive year, 100 percent of IDEA graduates were accepted into college and nearly 100 percent matriculated to college.  Nine IDEA campuses were ranked among “America’s Healthiest Schools” after winning the prestigious National Healthy Schools Award for our Healthy Kids Here initiative.  JoAnn Gama, IDEA Co-Founder, President and Superintendent and I were inducted into the National Charter School Hall of Fame because of the work you produce at IDEA. The key to our success is our people. From our hardworking staff to the many families who have entrusted IDEA Public Schools with their child’s education and future, together we will continue to build a legacy of excellence and achievement.

Sincerely,

Tom Torkelson CEO & Founder IDEA Public Schools

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IMPACT | CONTRIBUTORS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Vanessa Barry EDITOR-AT-LARGE Irma Muñoz COPYWRITERS Tripti Thomas-Travers Marco Carbajal COPYEDITORS Sharise Johnson Marco Carbajal Tripti Thomas-Travers TRANSLATORS Luis Macotela Karina Macotela

#FoundingFamily

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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Letter from our CEO Tom Torkelson

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Letter from our Southern Louisiana Executive Director

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Organizational Update

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A Teacher’s Story

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Principals with a Purpose

 Cecilia Paz Aguilar  Chloe Wiley  Deion J. Brown

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Building a Bridge

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From “IDEA” to Reality

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The Heart of Innovation

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Jennifer Stevenson DESIGNER Jennifer Stevenson LEAD PHOTOGRAPHER Mitch Idol PHOTOGRAPHERS Mitch Idol Johnny Quiroz Brian Pavlich ON THE COVER IDEA Southern Louisiana Team & Family members kick off a new year in a new region.

COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? Email marketing@ideapublicschools.org IMPACT is produced for IDEA students, families, employees, and supporters by the Marketing, Communications and Enrollment team at IDEA Public Schools.

 Ashley & Connor Funchess  The Johnson Family

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It Takes a Village

En Español

Para leer la edición de IMPACT en español, favor de revisar la contraportada de esta revista.

CONTENTS © 2019 BY IDEA PUBLIC SCHOOLS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

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LETTER FROM OUR SOUTHERN LOUISIANA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Welcome to the inaugural issue of IMPACT Magazine, Southern Louisiana.

OUR TWO NEW CAMPUSES, IDEA Bridge and IDEA Innovation, represent IDEA Public Schools’ first expansion outside the state of Texas. We are extraordinarily proud to be an integral part of the Baton Rouge academic community.

LETTER FROM OUR SOUTHERN LOUISIANA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

The launch of these schools in August 2018 brings many first milestones to celebrate: the inauguration of two new campuses, first campus tours, the first day of school, first classes, first back-to-school events, first parent-teacher meetings… the list goes on. Then there are the people behind these firsts: the partners, donors, and administrators who worked tirelessly year after year to make our presence in Baton Rouge a reality; the regional leaders, teachers, staff, and principals who joined us, united in a common commitment to deliver academic excellence.

But most importantly, the parents and students who put their faith in IDEA and enrolled at our schools in our very first year in the region.

This tremendous team of people together make up our Southern Louisiana #FoundingFamily.

This issue of IMPACT magazine is dedicated to them.

We feature profiles of our founding principals and some of our founding staff and families. We take a glimpse at what some of our wonderful students have to say about their experiences a few months into the academic year. We shine a spotlight on the remarkable efforts of our partners and get a behind-the scenes look at what exactly it takes to build an IDEA school from the ground up.

As someone who has been involved from the beginning in the effort to launch IDEA in Southern Louisiana, it is humbling and gratifying for me to look back and see what we have achieved together. I will always remember the first day our two schools opened their doors. After three long years of hard work, it was almost overwhelming to see hundreds of new students streaming onto our campuses, smartly dressed in IDEA uniforms, faces full of hope and promise. It is exciting to look ahead at what we plan to achieve together. I fully anticipate feeling just as overwhelmed seeing those same faces announce, from the commencement stage, the colleges they will proudly attend.This is the future we have promised our students at IDEA, and this is what we will deliver.

Stick with us as we navigate this journey together and chronicle the many exciting milestones to come.

Best,

KEN CAMPBELL Executive Director, Southern Louisiana

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Organizational UPDATE

Our Team & Family sure has been busy this semester.

Take a look at some recent organizational highlights!

Tom Torkelson interviews Kate Harslem of the KLE Foundation, and IDEA Health Professions principals Jarod Hawk and Cameron Cook at the campus groundbreaking in Austin.

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ORGANIZATIONAL UPDATE

IDEA DISTRIBUTES HEALTHY KIDS HERE COOKBOOK FOR FAMILIES

IDEA PHARR CROSS COUNTRY TEAMS PLACE AT STATE IDEA Pharr College Preparatory has plenty to celebrate as several teams placed at the state competition. Gerardo Muñoz took home the gold as varsity boys state champ, while the varsity boys team placed 3rd in state, the varsity girls team placed 2nd in state, middle school girls placed 3rd as a team, and the middle school boys team ranked 5th. Way to go, IDEA Pharr!

SPURS LEGEND DAVID ROBINSON ANNOUNCES $500K GIFT TO IDEA CARVER Spurs legend, David Robinson, and Tom Torkelson, CEO and Founder of IDEA Public Schools, joined forces to formally announce the gifting of more than $500,000 to IDEA Carver to help 10 graduating seniors on the road to and through college. The goal of the fellowship is to foster success and graduation from a Tier I or Tier II college or university within four years.

IDEA’S NEWEST PRINCIPALS REVEALED AT HALFTIME EVENT Eighteen outstanding individuals will become principals of IDEA schools during the 2019-20 school year, serving all of our regions and continuing our mission of college for all children.

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In our never-ending commitment to the health and well being of students, IDEA compiled a collection of delicious recipes for the 2nd Annual Healthy Kids Here Cookbook. With submissions from Team & Family members, this collection is chock full of healthy, kid-friendly dishes the whole family will love.

IDEA PUBLIC SCHOOLS BROKE GROUND ON 5 NEW CAMPUSES IDEA recently broke ground on five new campuses that will be in operation for the 2019-2020 school year including IDEA Rise and IDEA Achieve in Tarrant County, IDEA Robindale in Brownsville, and IDEA Toros in Pharr.

THE IDEA CLASS OF 2018 ACHIEVES NEARLY 100 PERCENT COLLEGE MATRICULATION RATE In addition to 100 percent of the Class of 2018 gaining admission to college, nearly 100 percent of these students matriculated to college. In total, our Class of 2018 saw nearly 47 percent of students getting into the nation’s top colleges, with 594 students being the first in their family to attend college.

MICHAEL AND LOUISE BURKE DONATE $1.5 MILLION TO IDEA PUBLIC SCHOOLS IDEA Public Schools recently received a $1.5 million donation from Michael and Louise Burke.

The money will support IDEA’s mission to give all students the best college prep. This will continue at IDEA San Antonio’s 11 campuses and start at the newest campus, IDEA Burke in 2019.

IDEA PUBLIC SCHOOLS CELEBRATES 6 YEARS IN AUSTIN AT LUNCHEON

IDEA MISSION ACADEMY DESIGNATED AS NATIONAL BLUE-RIBBON SCHOOL

IDEA Austin’s annual luncheon celebrated many recent accomplishments including now serving 4,500 students, 9,000 parents and employing 600 people. Among the highlights were two new campuses in Kyle and Pflugerville opening this academic year, recent ground breakings for IDEA Parmer Park and IDEA Health Professions opening in August 2019, and celebrating IDEA Montopolis’ first graduating class in 2019.

IDEA Mission Academy has been designated as a National Blue-Ribbon School for 2018 by U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos. The Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing Schools are among their state’s highest performing schools in closing achievement gaps between a school’s student groups and all students over the past five years.

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 Lauren Joseph leads her kindergarten class

through a learning exercise at IDEA Innovation.

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MEET THE

TEACHER Excellent teachers are the key to realizing our promise to students. IDEA teachers in Southern Louisiana represent diverse backgrounds and experiences. In this issue, we feature an outstanding teacher making a difference in the lives of students each and every day.

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MEET THE TEACHER

Lauren Joseph Kindergarten teacher, IDEA Innovation

For most parents, Open House at their child’s kindergarten classroom in a brand-new school would be an important event. But Lauren Joseph, Kindergarten teacher at IDEA Innovation, went the extra mile to make sure it would be a truly special night. She and co-teacher Sydney Bernard served up a home-cooked meal of rotel dip, meatballs, and cookies for the parents of their new students. The evening included a sample lesson, so parents could see what happens in class every day, and a scavenger hunt as well, making the evening a memorable, educational, and bonding experience for everyone. “It was more like a party,” says Joseph. “It was so much fun!”

CONNECTING WITH FAMILIES and getting to know parents in this way is part of Joseph’s mission to create a home-away-from-home learning environment for her students.

Within her classroom, Joseph is committed to doing what it takes to set high expectations and make learning a priority for her students. “I want to create that hunger for learning here. For those eight hours that they are here, I want them to feel loved; I want them to feel excited about school; I want them to feel wanted; I want them to feel confident.”

Whether it is learning to write their names for the first time, or learning to read their first words, Joseph teaches her students to celebrate each accomplishment, big or small, and to persist and work hard. “I want them to understand that they can do whatever they put their minds to,” she states emphatically.

Born and raised in Baton Rouge, Joseph is committed to the children of her community.

So committed in fact that she moved away from her hometown and her job with the State of Louisiana to train for a year as a teacher at IDEA Weslaco Pike in Texas before coming back to Baton Rouge to be a part of the #FoundingFamily at IDEA Innovation.

When she first heard about IDEA, she says that it sounded like it was too good to be true.

“But when I was down there in the Rio Grande Valley, I was able to see first-hand how it all comes to life and it just fueled a fire in me. Seeing kids who are primarily speaking Spanish able to read in English by the end of kindergarten was just mind-boggling to me,” she says.

Given this experience in Texas, she is excited to be part of the #FoundingFamily at IDEA Innovation, bringing the IDEA culture back to her hometown: “We are so excited because IDEA is such a successful school network. We want that same opportunity for our kids.”

Although Joseph did not initially have a preference for the level at which she would teach, she is delighted to be a kindergarten teacher at IDEA Innovation. “I just love to see kids succeed and to enjoy what they are doing, to enjoy learning, to not feel like it is only rigor. I like them to understand that they’re learning something that they can use in the future.” Working at the kindergarten level, Joseph is building an early foundation for a lifetime of learning and achievement for each of her students. ♦

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“

What I have learned at IDEA is that hard work pays off; it really does. even in my downtime I find myself cooking up something, thinking ‘What else can I be doing to make my classroom better, to make my kids better?’”

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PRINCIPALS WITH A

PURPOSE

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Cecilia Paz Aguilar Principal, IDEA Bridge College Prep favorite children’s book: If You Give a Mouse a Cookie The best part of your work day: It’s every moment, every moment, even when it’s bad. favorite Louisiana food: Blackened Shrimp Pasta Alfredo 14

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An interesting fact about yourself that the students may not know: I once met Michael Jackson…

A motto that you live by: If everything is important, then nothing is.”

Patrick Lencioni

PRINCIPALS WITH A PURPOSE

While preparing for the opening of IDEA Bridge College Prep on August 8, 2018, Principal Cecilia Paz Aguilar also had her sights on a very different date: June 2025. That is when her incoming 6th graders, the founding class of IDEA Bridge College Prep, aim to graduate and matriculate to college.

TO PRINCIPAL PAZ, working backward from this 2025 goal for her students, and drilling down to the details of their needs, has been essential in formulating a vision that will help her students close achievement gaps as they progress from grade to grade. Building the best team around her has been a big priority while getting her new school ready to meet this goal.

As a principal, she recognizes that she is one step removed from the classroom, that her lever is the teachers she hires and coaches. “How do I identify the best teachers for my school, for my kids? What kind of teacher is it going to take, what level of dedication, planning, and foresight is going to be needed?

And how do I build a team among those adults—all hired for different reasons—and invest them in a collective vision?”

These have been the considerations at the top of her mind for every hiring decision.

Principal Paz’s own extensive experience with teaching, instructional coaching, and school leadership has honed her sense of the environment and support systems she must create for her team: a sense of joy and love for what they do, coupled with accountability. Meanwhile, her vision for the ethos of IDEA Bridge College Prep is unwavering: “You don’t give up on kids.

You give a hundred percent because kids deserve that, but you don’t lower the bar,” she says.

At IDEA Bridge College Prep, where the incoming students this year hail from over 40 different schools with vastly varying achievement levels and norms, creating a shared vision and culture of high expectations is a high bar. But to Principal Paz, the real challenge is also acknowledging that achieving this for students is going to take time: “It’s going to take adult patience, it’s going to take family partnerships, it’s going to take students believing in themselves. That type of mindset you don’t create overnight. It’s going to take a lot of fire, passion, and unwavering dedication even on the hardest days.”

Long committed to educational equity, Principal Paz had graduated from the prestigious Ryan Fellowship and was already a principal in Baton Rouge when IDEA recruited her to join the two-year Principal-in-Residence program at IDEA North Mission in Texas. The end game? To head up a new IDEA school in Louisiana. Although this meant taking a step back from her trajectory, visiting IDEA in Texas convinced her that it was the right move. “I felt that kids and families here deserve that level of rigor, but also the success that comes with that rigor,” she says.

Today, she leads the new IDEA Bridge College Prep with her unique approach of pairing rigor with one more essential ingredient: “I believe in rigor plus real love. Rigor is holding the bar high for our kids, because they can meet it. But real love means understanding exactly where the students are coming

from and making adjustments while holding the bar high,” she says. As Principal Paz sees it, this is the key strength of her school: “The great thing about IDEA Public Schools…is the autonomy to do what you need to do to meet the needs of the kids…So, what does it mean if your kids cannot access the curriculum at the expected level? It means you scale back, you plan differently, you figure out what kids need, and you differentiate.”

With every step she takes toward that first 2025 goal, and toward the graduation and college matriculation of the many students who will become IDEA Bridge College Prep Capitals in the years to follow, Principal Paz is working to ensure a bright future for more young people in Baton Rouge.

“Every child deserves to have every educational opportunity available to them,” she says. “This is why we do what we do.

We aren’t just helping students get accepted to college. We are impacting lives and the community, and ultimately investing in our future.” ♦

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Chloe Wiley Principal, IDEA Bridge Academy

favorite children’s book: Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls The best part of your work day: Seeing kids first thing in the morning with smiles on their faces, just ready to start their day off in a good way. Also seeing teachers really shine with quality instruction...those moments where the light bulb goes off and seeing a teacher really get into the zone. favorite Louisiana food: Crawfish Étouffée 16

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An interesting fact about yourself that the students may not know: I was, once upon a time, the Louisiana State University Homecoming Queen.

A motto that you live by: Heart is what separates the good from the great.”

Michael Jordan

PRINCIPALS WITH A PURPOSE

One of Principal Wiley’s favorite moments since IDEA Bridge Academy opened in August 2018 was seeing her students’ jaws drop as they walked into the gleaming facilities of their new school.

FOR WILEY AND HER STAFF, the opening of the new school on a new campus was the culmination of months of work, merging Baton Rouge Bridge Academy—an independent charter school—with IDEA Public Schools’ network.

As founder and director of the former Bridge Academy, Wiley’s preparation for this merger was extensive. One of the most important first steps was a listening tour of sorts in spring 2018. As she recalls, “This included a lot of conversations with families and staff about what they wanted to keep sacred, and what their hopes, dreams, and expectations were for the joining of forces between the two schools and for becoming a part of IDEA’s network.”

Families and staff were given the space and opportunity to ask questions and add their input, while Wiley ensured that communication about these conversations and expectations flowed to all parties. In a community that had never heard of IDEA before, Wiley also had to spread the word about the new school and maintain excitement about the opening of the new school as the plans came together. As for the teaching staff, their preparation included participating in IDEA’s intensive New Teacher Institute over the summer, in order to get on the same page around values, instructional best practices, and organizational changes.

Seeing the happiness on her former students’ faces as they walked into the new building seemed to make all the preparations worthwhile: “They are so excited to have such a nice facility to learn and grow their brains in,” says Wiley.

New students and families too are making their appreciation known. At Meet the Teacher night, just a few weeks after school opened, one new parent was in tears. “Y’all have done so much with my child already. This is nothing compared to his old school, and we’re just so happy,” Wiley recalls the parent saying.

As with the establishment of any new school, growing pains are inevitable. This is especially true given the expansion of the school, which now has triple the number of staff and students.

“Adjusting to the increase in size while maintaining the quality and support has been our biggest challenge so far. But because everybody has the mission at heart, navigating these challenges becomes a little bit easier,” reflects Wiley.

For Wiley, the passion to provide kids with an excellent quality of education is deeply personal. Growing up in a small rural town in central Louisiana, Wiley herself experienced

educational inequity. This experience drives her daily to lead a school where students have access to excellent instruction at the hands of capable and committed teachers. In her words, together with IDEA she shares, “the dedication to growing teachers as professionals, and to do whatever it takes to send every kid who walks through our doors to and through college.

The level of commitment at IDEA to make sure we are giving kids the best instruction and best environment possible is something that is near and dear to my heart.”

While maintaining an expansive vision, Wiley recognizes the importance of day-to-day details for herself and for her team. When asked what lessons she has learned for success as a principal, Wiley is clear: “Celebrate the small wins frequently and over-communicate with people. Communicate the logistics, make sure people have what they need, and make sure teachers learn to see the small wins on their own each day.” ♦

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Deion J. Brown Principal, IDEA Innovation favorite children’s book: Amelia Bedelia The best part of your work day: Interacting with students…talking about life and laughing at and with each other. favorite Louisiana food: Gumbo And Fried Catfish 18

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An interesting hobby about yourself that the students may not know: I love to play basketball. Sometimes I pretend I’m Steph Curry!

A motto that you live by: The only real way to make a better future for yourself is to decide that you want a better future for yourself, and to align every decision you make to creating it.

PRINCIPALS WITH A PURPOSE

Principal Deion Brown clearly remembers the meeting at which IDEA Superintendent JoAnn Gama asked the group of assembled IDEA leaders whether any among them would be willing to head to Louisiana to lead the first IDEA school outside of Texas. Hearing about the academic community in Baton Rouge, Brown raised his hand to be considered for the role.

AT THE TIME, Brown was the principal at IDEA Eastside in San Antonio, where he led the school to achieve three out of five state distinctions in the first year, and five out of five distinctions in the second. Born and raised in Houston, he states, “I’ve always wanted to be in a community that was most reflective of where I come from. At first that was IDEA Eastside and now it’s Baton Rouge.”

At IDEA Innovation, Brown and his team are primarily focused on doing what it takes to set their scholars up for academic achievement to succeed in college and in life. A big part of getting ready for the new school opening was teacher training and development, through IDEA’s New Teacher Institute and other professional development activities. “The majority of our teachers are new to IDEA this year, so it is important that we ensure that they embody the culture and the mindset necessary to be successful,” says Brown.

As a founding principal in a new region, Brown’s challenges include building a recognition of the IDEA brand. Some of his first steps in Baton Rouge involved going door to door to meet families and build awareness about IDEA. “We have invested in this community and are looking forward to offering the highest quality education, and every opportunity for our families,” he says.

He particularly notes the investment in leadership development, instructional coaching, and in individuals as key factors in IDEA’s track record of success. While it is early for IDEA Innovation, Brown is already getting positive feedback from parents.

In November 2017, before the school had even been built, Brown met a prospective parent at church and told her all about IDEA. At the first IDEA Innovation Open House in August this year, he saw the parent again, now a part of the IDEA family. To his surprise, she stopped him in the parking lot.

“Mr. Brown, I just want to thank you,” she said. “You made me a promise in November that my child who is in 6th grade would enjoy coming to school, that he would feel safe, he’d learn, get homework every day…that he’d feel better about his educational experience.” She continued, “We are only three weeks in and he doesn’t want to ever leave school. He doesn’t want to come home. He just speaks highly of you and his teachers and what he is learning in class.” Brown was elated.

“See? I told it you it was going to happen!”

When the going gets tough, such interactions give Brown and his team inspiration. “It’s things like this, whether they happen every week, every month, or once a quarter, that refill the tank and keep us going.” ♦

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BUILDING A

Bridge

Jervion’zoe Brown, 3rd grader, and Kiante Walker, 1st grader, are students at IDEA Bridge Academy. They also happen to be cousins and give each other a cheery wave and a greeting when they pass in the school corridors each day.

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BUILDING A BRIDGE

BOTH CHILDREN were at the former Baton Rouge Bridge Academy charter school before it merged with IDEA to become IDEA Bridge. In fact, it was Jervion’zoe’s mother, Roshare Sylvester, who introduced her sister Tayshara Harvey, and niece Kiante to the original charter school. The two families decided to stay on after the merger and see what IDEA had to offer.

Roshare admits that she didn’t know much about IDEA at first, but what convinced her was “having faith in Baton Rouge Bridge Academy and knowing those teachers and hoping that they would get the same opportunity. I looked into IDEA, how big it was and how many things they have accomplished, and I am hoping that they can bring the same to Louisiana,” she continues.

The merging of the former school with the new one brought many benefits including that of familiar faces and a quick adjustment for the younger kids.

Although Kiante was a bit nervous after the summer to come back to a new school with its big campus, she was relieved to see her old teachers and her old head of school, Principal Chloe Wiley, there to welcome her back. Meanwhile her big cousin Jervion’zoe was quick to appreciate the new building and the spacious new amenities such as the playground and the cafeteria. Both children love the singing and music that they participate in at school. Each class has a different theme song and the children love to sing these songs at home.

As for the hard work of the classroom, Tayshara approves of the progress Kiante had made last year and also in 1st grade so far. “They are just really cool as far as academics go,” she says. “They send them homework every day, make sure that they’re understanding it…It’s a really good school.”

Roshare is a certified medical assistant and Tayshara is soon to start nursing school.

Perhaps it is no surprise then that the medical profession is part of the children’s future goals as well: Jervion’zoe says he’d like to be a dentist when he grows up. Kiante has many dreams for her future profession, from being a hairstylist, to a nail stylist, from a doctor, to a nurse, to a firefighter.

As Tayshara talks about Kiante’s education, her focus is on the future. She wants to make sure that Kiante “is getting information that she’s going to be able to use now as well as in the future, that she can apply to upcoming grades so that she is ready for the next step.” She also appreciates the focus on college at IDEA Bridge. “I love that they get a chance to grow with the school and also, really, that they’re preparing them for college. That’s what really matters the most.”

Roshare also notes that IDEA Bridge children are being acclimated to the college mindset from a young age. Every classroom, for instance, has a university mascot and Jervion’zoe’s mascot is West Virginia University. While Roshare knows that they are still very young to be thinking a lot about college, she hopes the message will be instilled deeper as they grow.

To Tayshara, what says it all is the IDEA school uniform: “I love that the uniform logo is ‘No Excuses.’ That’s what I try to instill in Kiante all the time: There’s no excuse for anything. Whatever work you put in, that’s what you’ll receive.”

With the help of their families and a dedicated learning community supporting them at IDEA Bridge, these two young cousins are on their way to building a bridge to a successful future at whatever colleges and professions they choose in their lives. ♦

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FROM IDEA TO REALITY: A Behind-The-Scenes Look At How The New Schools Went From Conception To Completion

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It was late at night, one week before IDEA’s first two schools in Louisiana were scheduled to open. At IDEA Innovation, it was ‘all hands on deck’ in unexpected ways. Sarah Turner, Executive Director of Facilities at New Schools for Baton Rouge (NSBR); Arnold Flores, IDEA’s Senior Director of Facilities & Construction; Arely Benavides, IDEA’s former Vice President of Auxiliary Services; and Martha Pena and Cassie Contreras from IDEA’s School Launch Team were there not just to supervise as the project approached the finish line: They were hard at work securing protective footies on each of the four legs of hundreds of classroom chairs. This was not necessarily what the senior team had in mind when they got there earlier in the day, but this is what they knew had to be done, in that moment, for the project to be delivered and school to open as scheduled on August 8.

THIS DOWN-TO-THE-WIRE SCENARIO at IDEA Innovation was somewhat unusual for the launch of a new IDEA school.

With 79 schools now constructed and operating in Texas and Louisiana, IDEA has honed its school construction process down to a science. Here are some interesting facts about what happens behind the scenes at the initial stage of a typical project, as the school moves from concept to construction: 

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Years before the school start date, the team conducts extensive research to identify an appropriate site. Some of the many considerations include demographics and considering the area’s population breakdown; geography and the physical characteristics of the land and atmosphere; and topography, the natural and physical features that make up the potential site.

A fit-test is then conducted on the prospective site. This involves taking an existing IDEA school design and working with architects to ensure that something similar can actually fit on the site. Factors to be considered include space for all the classrooms, a parking lot, outdoor learning spaces such as the soccer field, at least two entry-points onto the property, and whether any geographical factors, such as slope and land contour, might prevent construction.

If the site meets these initial tests, then come the complex matters of arranging financing and acquiring the land.

IDEA typically aims to acquire the property by July 1 in the year prior to school-opening, giving the design and construction process a year-long head start.

Now comes the design phase, when IDEA works with its architects on the exact plans for the school: How it will be shaped, the flow and size of classrooms, and even the direction in which the school will face. Throughout each of the planning phases, a strong emphasis is placed on the safety of students and the school environment.

The team prepares construction documentation, conducts bidding, hires the contractors, and gets the necessary permits.

Then, it’s on to construction for the next 11-12 months, with the toughest part yet to come!

IDEA is well versed in this process. However, building outside Texas, in a new state that has its own rules and regulations, and working with new architects and contractors, meant a steep learning curve. IDEA Innovation was particularly unusual because it involved working together with a new partner, New Schools for Baton Rouge (NSBR), in a completely new way.

NSBR is a community partnership organization that is committed to expanding educational equity and excellence for the children and families of Baton Rouge. NSBR had been vital in getting IDEA to come to Baton Rouge and had paved the way for making the IDEA Innovation plan viable through access to private community development financing. IDEA and NSBR forged a unique partnership in which NSBR would acquire the Innovation property, assemble the financing, manage the construction to IDEA specifications, and own the school, which IDEA would then lease from the organization. For IDEA, this was an unprecedented arrangement. For NSBR, which has supported charter schools in many ways for years, this was nevertheless the first project of this magnitude. For both organizations, it was a first.

While the construction of IDEA Bridge proceeded mostly as planned, plans for IDEA Innovation hit a number of unforeseen snags. For starters, in a last-minute change, the 10-acre property which was originally to be leased, had to be purchased outright.

This led to a six-month delay, with the related complications related to financing and underwriting.

After NSBR finally acquired the property, the weather gods would not cooperate. Site preparation at the critical early stages was immediately hampered by unusual weather which continued into early spring. Continuous days of rain, cold, and even snow—an extremely rare occurrence in Baton Rouge— ended up resulting in some 31 weather days between November and March, during which absolutely no work could proceed.

“I had two different general contractors tell me that that has never happened in Louisiana, where they actually cannot perform work because it’s too cold, persistently too cold throughout the day in order to pour concrete,” recalls Turner.

At the formal ground-breaking ceremony in January, the Innovation site was virtually a blank slate, with the typical 12-month construction schedule now compressed into seven months. Turner recalls people telling her: “Sarah, no one believes you can do this, no one believes you’re going to pull it off.”

In the end the naysayers were proved wrong: “I kept saying, ‘We hired people I completely trust and they will bring us over the finish line.’ I think if you don’t have good partners, if you don’t have a general contractor or an architect and engineering firm that you trust, particularly going into a new city like IDEA was, it’s a lot easier to fail. But when you have other people who believe in what IDEA’s mission is…,” says Turner, underlining the commitment of the many teams and individuals on the project.

IDEA and NSBR maintained a close working relationship, with IDEA departments, from Finance to Facilities, involved as needed at every stage. The IDEA Bridge project management firm PMSI regularly shared their experiences to help IDEA Innovation with lessons learned. Noting individual dedication, Turner gives the example of people like Rob Liles, President of Buquet & LeBlanc, the general contracting firm for IDEA Innovation: “In the weeks leading up to August 8, Rob was there late at night, every night, making sure that anyone who was supposed to still be there working past 10pm was there,” says Turner. IDEA’s Arnold Flores concurs: “On both our

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FROM IDEA TO REALITY

projects in Baton Rouge, we couldn’t have asked for better contractors. In my opinion, we had the two best contractors in the entire state of Louisiana working on our schools!”

Turner reserves her loudest shout-out for Matthew South, NSBR’s project superintendent, who, she notes, worked 14-hour days every day for 90 days straight to get the school up and running. “He is the reason that that building got built…We had an excellent superintendent who was as dedicated as anyone could be,” she notes.

With everyone going above and beyond to meet an extremely challenging timeline, IDEA Innovation received its occupancy certificate just seven days before back-to-school. Still on the to-do list: A deep clean of the facilities, waxing of the floors, furniture delivery, and finally the work of numerous IDEA teams that needed to move in and put the complex finishing touches that take the building from a shell to a school: 

  

The IT Team needed to lay down all the data and communication infrastructure so that teachers and students could have internet access, take attendance, and use the learning software The School Launch Team needed to install the furniture and set up the classrooms The Marketing Team needed to install all the signage The Child Nutrition Team needed to get the kitchen ready to serve 400-500 kids on the first day…

And yes, even 400+ chairs needed to be fitted with footies!

On August 8, despite all the hurdles, both IDEA Bridge and IDEA Innovation were ready, and nearly 900 kids in IDEA uniforms walked through the doors into two gleaming new schools.

Looking back, Arnold Flores notes the constant communication that developed between IDEA and NSBR, and the dedication and doing-whatever-it-takes mindset of both teams to get to the goal on time: “I think one of the things I’m most proud of is the way we all came together at the end.

All of us had the same mindset, the same drive, that sense of responsibility, and feeling of urgency…It was a huge accomplishment, overcoming all the obstacles that we did. And never were we deterred, never were we discouraged. It just seems like we were hit with a challenge at every corner, and we were up to the challenge every time.”

Reflecting on IDEA’s role, Turner says: “I used to be a teacher.

You set goals with your students for their achievement each year. Well, the IDEA Operations Team and the Finance Team work the same way. They set really rigorous goals and they hold themselves accountable in a way that teachers are held accountable for their students results in the classroom…it’s just different types of goals. And I think [I’ve] never worked with an organization that was not just persistent but committed to [even things] that seemed small to me.”

IDEA is proud of the extraordinary work done by its staff and teams and its partners, especially New Schools for Baton Rouge, to deliver on the promise made to two communities in Baton Rouge. This is just the start! ♦

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THE HEART OF INNOVATION At the heart of IDEA Innovation is the families of South Baton Rouge who have enrolled at our new school and taken a chance on IDEA. Without these #FoundingFamilies, there would be no school.

Here are the experiences of two such families— The Funchess family and the Johnson family—that have entrusted their children to us in our first year in Louisiana.

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Ashley & Conner Funchess

IDEA Innovation Parent

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IDEA Innovation Kindergartener

HEART OF INNOVATION

“Mom, do you know what I learned at school today?” asked Conner Funchess, jumping into his mother’s car after his first day in kindergarten at his new school. “‘IDEA kids never give up!’ that’s what I learned.”

His mom Ashley Funchess had expected an answer related to reading or writing but was delighted to hear that he was learning about persistence right from the start. “That’s right Conner, IDEA kids never give up,” she reiterated enthusiastically.

IDEA INNOVATION had been on Conner’s radar even before it became a reality.

Mother and son would pass the Innovation campus construction site twice a week while the school was being built, and Conner, still in pre-K, would insist that this is where he wanted to enroll for kindergarten. Ashley didn’t take it seriously until she did some research on IDEA and learned of its graduation and success rates in Texas.

“Why would you not want to send you kid there?” she recalls thinking.

A few months into the Conner’s first year at IDEA Innovation, Ashley has several observations on what she appreciates about his experience as well as her own as a parent.

First, she appreciates that the children are recognized individually: “All the kindergarten teachers know all the kindergarten students, and regardless of where the child is or in what grade, every single teacher, and everyone in the administration and staff, wants what’s best for every single child,” she says.

Conner himself is most excited about learning how to read. When it comes to his unique needs, Ashley was concerned about him going to a big school, falling behind and not having the opportunity to catch up and keep up with his peers. But in his classroom, she notes, he is far from a number. “His teacher loves him so much and is so patient with him,” she says. She likes that students are separated into groups according to their learning abilities and styles, so that without getting singled out, their individual needs are still being met.

As a parent, what she has most appreciated is that she gets the answers she needs: “The staff are always there to help. If you have a question and they don’t know the answer, they will go find it for you while you’re sitting right there.” She has found the school willing to step in and help out even when it comes to logistical challenges such as figuring out carpool.

Ashley is also doing her part to support and keep an eye on the school. “I’m the type of parent who wants to be very involved in my child’s school. I want to know what’s going on. If my child is having issues, tell me why and how to fix it. I want to know how I can help.” She feels like a lot of parents want to be involved in this way, but don’t always know how or where to start. So, she made a decision: “I decided to put myself out there. I thought if I showed what I am doing and say, ‘Why don’t you come join me?’ more people would show an in interest in also being a part of their child’s school.” Ashley has taken an active role on-campus as a room parent in Conner’s class.

She says the experience has allowed her to become an active member of the school community while giving her a new respect for the hard-working teachers and staff.

Despite some of the challenges Baton Rouge faces, Ashley feels positive about her community and what IDEA can contribute to it. “At the end of the day, we all still work together, and we all want what’s best for our community. I feel IDEA really fits in because they too want what’s best for the community and for our children, and they are willing to do whatever it takes.”

Parents like Ashley are an asset to any school and we at IDEA Innovation are lucky to have Ashley and Conner as part of our #FoundingFamily. ♦

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  Mrs. Johnson reviewing the day’s homework with Jillian.

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Jeremy and Veniayetta Johnson with twins Jacob and Jillian, 1st graders at IDEA Innovation in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

 Mr. Johnson congratulates Jacob on acing his math assignment.

HEART OF INNOVATION

The Johnson Family When IDEA parents Veniayetta and Jeremy Johnson talk about their own childhood experiences at school, they remember a supportive learning community and specific teachers who recognized them as individuals and went the extra mile to spark their enthusiasm for learning.

“THE TEACHERS WERE ALWAYS ENCOURAGING ME, even long after I had left their class,” recalls Jeremy, who grew up in Vicksburg, Mississippi. He remembers, for example, when his name appeared in the town newspaper for his participation in an engineering camp around junior high: His 1st grade teacher immediately wrote him a letter telling him that she remembered him and how proud she was of him.

Veniayetta, who grew up in Baton Rouge, particularly remembers Ms. Ritchie, her 6th grade teacher: “She’s the one who really lit the fire dealing with current events. She was the one who got me interested in paying attention to the news and things that are going on in politics. And since then, I’ve been that type of person.”

So, when looking for a school to educate their own children—Jillian and Jacob, 1st graders at IDEA Innovation—Veniayetta and Jeremy were clear on what they wanted.

“The biggest thing to me is engagement from the teachers,” says Jeremy. “I’ve heard of a lot of friends whose kids’ teachers just kind of come into the class, do their work, and then leave. One of the things that we were looking for was a school that actually had teachers who were enjoying their job, and enjoying the kids, and enjoying what they did and that shows in the way the kids actually learn and want to go to school and talk about school. So probably my top priority was ensuring that we found a place where the kids were around teachers who were engaged and enthusiastic about what they were doing every day.”

The family learned about IDEA when they came across an IDEA information booth at the YMCA. Jeremy recalls his subsequent research and interactions with IDEA staff: “They just had this attitude that shows that they were really about the students and really eager to do something great in the area. So, we went ahead and registered the kids and started them at the school.”

Since the school year began, Veniayetta and Jeremy have been happy with their children’s experiences at IDEA Innovation. In Jacob, they see a steady increase in studiousness: “We’ve seen that progression in him and in his excitement for reading,” says Veniayetta. He’s especially diligent about his required daily reading and if his parents happen to forget, he is quick to remind them. “He’ll say ‘Mommy, I have to do my 15 minutes of reading,’ and he goes and gets his book, and we do the reading,” says Veniayetta. Jillian, who has always been a reader and a writer, brings home at least a book a week from the school Accelerated Reader Zone and keeps building good learning habits.

While working hard at their academics at school, these 1st graders are also having fun. They particularly enjoyed a recent teacher-versus-student basketball game, speculating for hours about the game in the lead-up, and recounting all the details to their parents afterwards. Something else they enjoyed was discovering that their Accelerated Reading teacher, Mr. Young, shared their birthday. “I remember them coming home and saying, ‘Mr. Young is our birthday twin!’ They were just excited to find that out about their teacher and he was excited with them,” recounts Jeremy.

When Jillian and Jacob look back on their education one day, we hope they remember an experience filled with fun, with rigor, with deep personal connections to teachers who sparked their curiosity to learn and achieve their dreams. The hopes and aspirations of families like the Johnsons lie at the heart of what we do at IDEA Innovation every day. ♦ IMPACT WINTER 2019

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IT TAKES A

When IDEA Bridge and IDEA Innovation opened in Baton Rouge on August 8, 2018, it was the culmination of a three-year-long process that involved the extraordinary efforts of many entities who partnered with IDEA. It has taken a village to make these two schools a reality and to deliver on a promise that resulted in 900 children walking through the campus doors in IDEA uniforms on the first day of school.

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IT TAKES A VILLAGE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PROCESS, two facts came into focus: the compelling need for better education options for students in Baton Rouge and IDEA’s proven track record of achieving results for its students in Texas. Chris Meyer, CEO of New Schools for Baton Rouge; John White, Louisiana State Superintendent of Education; and John Spain, Executive Vice President of the Baton Rouge Area Foundation, among others, made a convincing case to IDEA to establish a presence in Louisiana, and paved the way to move from exploratory conversations to commitment.

“It became clear to IDEA that we could make a difference for students,” says Sam Goessling, IDEA’s Chief Advancement Officer, who was involved in the process from the earliest stages.

As plans coalesced, projects got underway, and challenges arose and had to be dealt with, these partnerships deepened, expanded, and showed their mettle. Kenneth Campbell, Executive Director of IDEA Southern Louisiana, who has led this expansion, highlights some of the key players: At the top of the list is New Schools for Baton Rouge (NSBR), a community-partnership organization that is committed to educational equity and excellence. “Like a lot of organizations that are city-based, they are looking forward to making a difference for kids and their community. But the folks at New Schools for Baton Rouge take it to a whole different level,” says Campbell. “Chris Meyer and his team have just been super-partners.” In addition to supporting IDEA with an $8 million grant to support the expansion, NSBR acquired the land for IDEA Innovation, secured the financing, managed the construction, and helped with outreach to local media and elected officials to mobilize local publicity and support.

Another key partner has been the East Baton Rouge Parish School District. Because IDEA Bridge and IDEA Innovation are Type 1 Charter Schools, they are a part of the local school district, making this partnership particularly important. “We are hopeful that our work with the district will not only mean that our schools are great, but that we have an impact above and beyond the kids who walk through our doors.”

Campbell also praises the two IDEA Boards of Directors, one each for Baton Rouge and New Orleans: “They are just a dynamic group of people, a very diverse group of people in terms of skill set who are really committed to this work and committed to the kids of Baton Rouge and New Orleans, and we’re super excited to be able to work with them. They provide great advice and have their finger on the pulse of the community.”

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At the grassroots level, he highlights community organizations, such as the 100 Black Men of Metro Baton Rouge and the Gardere Initiative, that have proactively reached out to partner. IDEA has eagerly responded to their requests in turn, such as when IDEA Innovation served as a much-needed polling place for the Gardere Community. Elected leaders at the state and local levels, including elected school board members and city council members, have also provided support. “They come to our events, they give us advice, they open doors for us. We feel super welcomed and proud to be part of the community,” reiterates Campbell.

In fact, there has been no shortage of generous outreach from the community. The Director of Athletics for the local school district reached out to express support for adding the two new schools to the middle school athletic leagues next year, and local entities such as tutoring organizations and the Emerge Center (which adjoins IDEA Innovation and provides services to children on the autism spectrum) have reached out to help.

At the foundation of these partnerships, notes Campbell, is one important factor: Sincerity. “There’s been a sincere interest in collaboration. And for me, the sincerity is the most important thing. I think partnerships require two sides to actually go in with eyes wide open and a willingness to put our politics aside, so that we can work together and do great things for kids and families.”

People haven’t come in and tried to dictate what we could or should do in order to be a part of the partnership. They’ve come forward with that openness a willingness to put our politics aside, so

IT TAKES A VILLAGE

that we can work together and do great things for kids and families.” a willingness to put our politics aside, so that we can work together and do great things for kids and families.” and that sincerity and that transparency to say ‘This is what we have. This is what we do. We would love to partner with you.’”

As for the significance of this expansion for IDEA, Campbell notes that it is huge. In Texas, where policies, regulations and politics are now familiar, IDEA has a proven model and been able to serve the needs of many children. “But across the country there a lot of kids with needs.” he says. “To be able to go to another state and be able to demonstrate success is important.

And we’re happy to be on the leading edge of that for IDEA.” With the support of committed partners, who are now all members of our Southern Louisiana Founding Family, IDEA looks forward to ensuring the success of its beautiful, new Baton Rouge schools and to expanding its presence in this and other communities in the region. IDEA is working to raise $15 million by 2020 to achieve that vision. ♦

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#FoundingFamily

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