blackvoicenews.com

Tears of joy filled the eyes of parents, volunteers, staff and family members as the reality of Hardy Brown College Prep Charter School came to fruition, as planned on August 18, 2010. The children, some there at 6:30 in the morning, were greeted by a welcoming staff and parent volunteers. Some citizens just came to see it happen. One spectator cried and as she was wiping the tears away she said, “I don’t have a child here I just wanted to be here to see it open.” As parents filed in, fathers, mothers, grandparents even aunts brought their children to school. All had high expectations.

One woman said she was bringing the neighbor’s child because the mother was unable to be there. One mother and father stood in the wings watching their child as this was her first day of kindergarten. She had trouble leaving her parents and her mother bawling. The teacher stepped in and calmed her (the child) right down. “I knew it (the school) would be great but I had no idea I would be this emotional,” said Parent Coordinator Joette Campbell. After over a year of hard work, staying on task and designing a wonderful school environment Hardy Brown College Prep is open.

The training began with younger students right off the bat. The school works on a model of discipline, precision and excellence. From the children earning the right to have a desk in the 6th grade to breakfast in the morning, lunch in the afternoon and an after school program all of the components were top quality. The parents thanked Margaret Fortune for using her talent to help students of San Bernardino.

The charter school is committed to preparing students to succeed in school and in life, and opened its doors to 240 kindergarten through third grade students and sixth graders. A groundswell of grassroots support from community leaders helped Hardy Brown College Prep school receive unanimous approval by the San Bernardino City School Board.

The tuition-free college prep academy is named after community icon, Hardy Brown, who was born in 1942 to a family of sharecroppers in North Carolina.

To ensure his four children and all students in the community received a high-quality public education, he ran for the San Bernardino Unified School District Board. He was president of the board and served for 12 years, where he was instrumental in reopening schools on the west side of San Bernardino. Since 1980, he and his wife, Cheryl, have served as the publishers of the Black Voice News.

“At Hardy Brown College Prep, educators, parents and students all share in the goal of ensuring our children succeed. We also all share in the commitment to ensuring our students reach their fullest potential,” said Howana Lundy, veteran educator and principal of Hardy Brown College Prep. Lundy’s son is a first grade student at Hardy Brown College Prep. “Our school is focused on results and expects a high level of academic performance, so every child may succeed in college and the world beyond.”

Since 2006, Lundy has been Assistant Principal of McKinley School, a high performing, K-8 school that has won the Title I Achievement Award for closing the achievement gap. A part of the Pasadena Unified School District, McKinley has 1,122 mostly lowincome, minority students who have met the state goal for 800 of 1,000 points on the Academic Performance Index.

The Hardy Brown College Prep school day is longer than other public schools, with classes beginning at 7:30 am each day with younger students dismissed between 2:45 pm and 4 pm and the sixth graders dismissed at 5 pm. In addition, the school has programs after school and during vacation breaks to help accelerate student achievement.

Months of work already have been underway to get students and teachers ready for the first day of school. Sixth grade students attended a boot camp at CSU, San Bernardino to learn more about the culture and founding principles of Hardy Brown College Prep.

Teachers also participated in three weeks of staff development. Each student, parent and teacher met to determine every student’s individualized learning plan.

“We’ve set the bar high, and we have every confidence that our students will not only meet but exceed our expectations,” said Margaret Fortune, President and CEO of Fortune School of Education and California State University Board of Trustee.

Fortune School of Education, of Sacramento, will administer Hardy Brown College Prep. Under the leadership of a senior management team with vast experience at other high-performing charter schools, Fortune School of Education has a proven model for success based on five pillars: High Expectations, Choice and Commitment, More Time, Focus on Results and Citizenship. The model is based on the accomplishments of PS7, a Sacramento-based charter school serving an 86% African American and 76% economically disadvantaged population. PS7 received recognition as a 2010 California Distinguished School. The kindergarten through eighth grade model will be implemented by PS7 founding superintendent and current Fortune School President and CEO, Margaret Fortune, and PS7 founding principal and current Fortune School Vice President of Academic Affairs, Herinder Pegany.

Hardy Brown College Prep’s Five Pillars of Success

1. High Expectations- We have high expectations for academic achievement and conduct that are clearly designed, measurable and make no excuses based on the background of the students. Students, parents, teachers and staff create and reinforce a culture of achievement and support.

2. Choice and Commitment- Students, their parents and staff choose to participate in the program. Everyone must make and uphold a commitment to the school and to each other to put in the time and effort required for success.

3. More Time- We know that there are no shortcuts when it comes to success in academics and life. With an extended school day, week and year, students, teachers, school leaders, parents and staff dedicate more time. This ensures that students acquire the knowledge and skills that prepare them for competitive colleges, as well as opportunities to engage in diverse extracurricular activities.

4. Focus on Results- We focus relentlessly on high student performance through standardized tests and other objective measures. Just as there are no shortcuts, there are no exceptions. Students are expected to achieve a level of academic performance that will enable them to succeed in the nation’s best colleges and the world beyond.

5. Citizenship- We strongly believe that the measure of a person’s success is in what he or she gives to others. Through community service, students develop a strong sense of civic responsibility and establish the foundation for a lifetime of meaningful community involvement. Students also deepen and demonstrate their learning and are empowered to become productive citizens and leaders in the community in which they live.