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Hrag Hamalian To Head New Charter Middle School In San Fernando Val.

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  • Hrag Hamalian To Head New Charter Middle School In San Fernando Val.

    Hrag Hamalian To Head New Charter Middle School In San Fernando Valley
    http://www.asbarez.com/2009/06/05/hrag-hama lian-to-head-new-charter-middle-school-in-san-fern ando-valley/

    By Asbarez Staff on Jun 5th, 2009 and filed under Community, News.
    Tuition-free Valor Academy now accepting applications for next year's
    5th graders


    LOS ANGELES - Following 18 months of planning and preparation,
    educator Hrag Hamalian has earned the approval of the Los Angeles
    Unified School District (LAUSD) to launch a charter middle school in
    the San Fernando Valley.

    The new school, Valor Academy, will open its doors this fall with a
    class of 5th-graders. It will add a grade each year until it becomes a
    full-fledged, 5th-8th-grade middle school. With plans to be located on
    Woodman Avenue, Valor Academy is a tuition free, public charter
    school, which will serve North Hollywood, Arleta, and Panorama
    City. Although any California resident may apply, seats are limited to
    120 5th grade students in 2009.

    `We believe that our children are our most precious resource, and that
    top-notch education is crucial to preparing a generation of achievers
    and exemplary citizens, especially in a time of economic uncertainty,'
    stated Hamalian, who will lead the school as its principal. `Valor
    Academy is being established to address the longstanding educational
    crisis in the Arleta-Panorama City-North Hollywood area, which is also
    home to a growing number of Armenian families,' he continued. `We are
    launching the area's first-ever charter middle school, and our goal is
    to put every one of our students on a clear path to college.'

    According to Hamalian, Valor Academy will place equal emphasis on
    educational excellence and character-building. Toward this end, he
    explained, the academy will feature a longer school day, a highly
    qualified corps of teachers, free tutoring, a disciplined school
    culture that aims to foster self-respect and initiative, frequent
    communication with parents, and an overarching focus on literacy and
    math.

    A former member of the Teach for America Corps, Hamalian was
    associated with Locke High School in Los Angeles, where he served as a
    biology teacher, department head, and co-founder of the School of Math
    and Science. He has spent the past two years working in a
    school-leadership residency with Building Excellent Schools, a
    nationally recognized incubator for new schools. Studying and
    analyzing over 25 of America's highest performing urban charter
    schools, Hamalian has drawn from the country's best practices to lay
    the foundations of Valor Academy. Many of his achievements as an
    educator are chronicled in the book Relentless Pursuit: A Year in the
    Trenches with Teach For America.

    In fulfilling his vision for Valor Academy, Hamalian worked closely
    with Valor Board chair William Ryan and community leaders, elected
    officials, and the LAUSD. `I would like to express my deep gratitude
    on behalf of the entire Valor Academy Board of Directors to all those
    individuals and organizations that have been so supportive,' Ryan
    said. `As a result of their incredibly generous work, we have reached
    this milestone and are poised to open our doors in a few short
    months.'

    Ryan continued: `As a charter school, Valor Academy is a tuition-free
    public school that the LAUSD permits to operate with more freedom
    compared with a conventional public school, in terms of innovative
    teaching methods and curriculum. Valor's mission is to provide
    middle-school students in Arleta, Panorama City, and North Hollywood
    with a rigorous education that will prepare them for top-flight high
    schools and colleges.'

    Valor Academy is currently accepting student applications for the
    2009-2010 school year. If more than 120 5th grade children are signed
    up, a lottery will be held at the end of the sign-up period to
    determine admission, Ryan said. Applications and further information
    are available at the school's website (www.valoracademy.org).

    Although Valor Academy has secured core public funding to open the
    school, a mix of additional and ongoing assistance is needed to ensure
    the envisioned quality and full range of its services, Hamalian
    said. `Opening a successful charter school designed to produce the
    strongest academic outcomes is an all-encompassing effort that cannot
    be realized by a small team,' he explained. `It takes the dedication
    of many like-minded people bound by a commitment to improving the
    lives of our children.'

    To meet this goal, Hamalian said, community members can help in a
    variety of ways. They can make donations (Valor is approved by the IRS
    as a 501(c)(3) charitable nonprofit); volunteer to sign up families
    for the school, attend fairs, pass out flyers, and spread the word;
    become community partners to provide the school with in-kind products
    and services such as uniforms, printing, and afterschool programs; or
    invite Valor Academy personnel to community events where there might
    be families interested in the school.Valor Academy is also hiring
    employees, including teachers and various staff members. For more
    information, visit www.valoracademy.org or call (818) 528-5467.
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