Health Leadership helps so many kids
I WAS surprised to find our school’s name on the front page of the Albuquerque Journal (last) week. The article paints an inaccurate and injurious picture of our school, basing its critique almost entirely on the school grade we received from the Public Education Department. A grade that, in our case, is based on PARCC and SBA testing. Across our state and the country, there is consensus that these standardized, high-stakes tests measure a very narrow set of what students can do, and further, do not prioritize the critical thinking, problem-solving and communication skills necessary for students to succeed in the workforce.
Health Leadership High School celebrated our first graduating class this year. Because we are a newer school, we often get no credit for the fact that 37 out of our 44 seniors, 65 percent of whom had dropped out or were off track to graduate, graduated in 2017. Thirty-six out of those 37 students were accepted to a post-secondary institution. Our first graduating class earned $163,059.05 in scholarship awards. There’s no question that when our students walk across that stage to receive their diplomas, they are prepared for a successful, contributing future.
Students at our school receive a rigorous education based on the state Common Core Standards through projects created by our teachers in close cooperation with our health industry partners: First Choice Community Healthcare, Thornburg Foundation, UNM Health Sciences Center, UNM Young Children’s Health Care, Albuquerque Urology Associates of New Mexico, UNM Community Engagement Center, Young Women United, Together for Brothers, Juntos N.M. They also receive social and emotional support, mentorships and paid internships. None of these activities are reflected in our grade.
Health Leadership High School and our fellow Leadership Schools are focused on serving students who have not been served in traditional settings. This means our students are sometimes young parents who had to leave high school to work and provide for a family. Our students are sometimes experiencing economic hardship, social-emotional distress, and food and shelter insecurity.
In addition, the article in Tuesday’s Journal suggests that the reason we decided to renew with APS has something to do with our school grade with PED. This decision to renew our charter through APS is unrelated to the results of PED’s grade. We recognize the benefits of a partnership with APS as we serve the same students and community, and can achieve progress together, especially in terms of supporting disengaged students as they transition to college and career. We believe that the synergy will help us reach and work with students who need our school model. We look forward to working with APS, and sharing our industry and community resources and partnerships for the benefit of our Albuquerque community. BLANCA A. LÓPEZ Executive Director, Health Leadership High School