Annual Report Archives - The Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ /category/annual-report-diego-barreras/ Dedicated to strengthening the community support and investment that has lifted our schools and scholars since our inception. Tue, 03 Nov 2026 17:00:32 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.1.4 /wp-content/uploads/2024/12/cropped-Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ-logo-e1734036233583-32x32.png Annual Report Archives - The Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ /category/annual-report-diego-barreras/ 32 32 Catherine Suitor /catherine-suitor-letter-2026/ Wed, 28 Oct 2026 13:35:35 +0000 /?p=3897 Dear Friends, What makes Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ schools successful isn’t any one ingredient. It’s belief in the brilliance of every child, a deep commitment to excellence and delight in every classroom, exceptional educators, and data-driven decisions, all held together by a community of champions, that sets our schools apart. Together, we invest in programming that helps our…

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Dear Friends,

What makes Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ schools successful isn’t any one ingredient. It’s belief in the brilliance of every child, a deep commitment to excellence and delight in every classroom, exceptional educators, and data-driven decisions, all held together by a community of champions, that sets our schools apart.

Together, we invest in programming that helps our scholars thrive in and out of the classroom. We volunteer in Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ schools and provide mentorship. We advocate for policies that advance great public schools for all.

This work has never mattered more. Every day, our scholars navigate an uncertain world — economic pressures, political division, a public education system under strain — and every day, they show us why our community’s investment is worth it. Our progress results from compounding acts of courage, collaboration, and contribution, and our collective resolve and generosity are what fuel life-changing opportunities.

We proudly celebrate a year of incredible accomplishments:

  • Completing our $10 million Reimagine, Advance, Advocate Campaign to fund new strategic investments that will propel Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ schools forward;
  • Receiving national recognition for our Reimagining the Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ Educator initiative to improve teacher efficacy and scholar achievement;
  • Connecting our scholars to dozens of businesses and mentor partners through Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµâ€™s Career Exploration and Internship Program; and
  • Awarding $500,000+ in college scholarships to send our graduating seniors to top universities across the nation.

Every contribution here becomes another scholarship, another mentor match, another scholar walking across a graduation stage because someone believed in them first.

Thank you for supporting our scholars’ incredible aspirations, sharing your time, talents, and resources, and helping create a brighter future for the next generation.

In partnership,

Catherine Suitor
Executive Director
Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ


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Pablo Villavicencio /pablo-villavicencio-letter-2026/ Wed, 28 Oct 2026 13:22:31 +0000 /?p=3895 Dear Friends, I’m incredibly proud of the Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ community and everything we achieved this year. Looking back at the accomplishments of our scholars and schools, it is clear that Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ is about powering possibility. Over 20 years ago, our founders believed our communities were brilliant; they believed our scholars deserved more. Those beliefs motivate us…

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Dear Friends,

I’m incredibly proud of the Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ community and everything we achieved this year.

Looking back at the accomplishments of our scholars and schools, it is clear that Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ is about powering possibility. Over 20 years ago, our founders believed our communities were brilliant; they believed our scholars deserved more.

Those beliefs motivate us still. Picture it: every year, families send their children to Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ campuses with backpacks and notebooks — but also with dreams and talents not yet discovered.

Our job is to facilitate that discovery. We have the privilege of helping young people realize their potential. It’s a high-stakes honor. In a world of rapid change and societal division, our scholars must learn to read, think, analyze — to separate fact from fiction — and adapt. They must solve problems, express themselves clearly, and work through differences with empathy.

They must see themselves as agents of change.

That’s the education we deliver, and Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµâ€™s journey and track record tell the important story of what happens when individuals come together to take bold action.

This year was no exception.

  • In June, we graduated 2,000 Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ seniors, with 96% accepted to college and 85% accepted to four year universities.
  • A record-breaking eight Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ high schools received the state’s highest designation for educational excellence: California Distinguished School.
  • Our scholars demonstrated academic gains in English language arts and math for the fourth consecutive year, dramatically outpacing their peers by the time they reach high school.
  • Seven Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ schools received unanimous five-year charter renewals, reaffirming the strength of our schools and the trust Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ has built over decades with our scholars, families, neighborhood partners, and alumni.

I’m in awe of what Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ educators have achieved. They create learning environments where joy, belonging, and high expectations can be seen, heard, and relied on across our 25 campuses. I continue to be deeply moved by the courage and commitment of leaders who stand by our scholars and families, many of whom arrive at our schools bearing the brunt of economic inequality and political divisiveness.

For them, college readiness isn’t just a degree. It’s the audacious promise that every Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ scholar can shape their own future. It’s freedom.

So, to our supporters and volunteers: Thank you for helping ensure the next generation of Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ scholars reaches their greatest potential.

Because when we invest in our young people, we double down on a future that benefits us all.

Con solidaridad,

Pablo Villavicencio
Chief Executive Officer
Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ College-Ready Public Schools


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Pablo Villavicencio /pablo-villavicencio-letter/ Mon, 03 Nov 2025 08:47:00 +0000 https://alliancefoudev.wpenginepowered.com/?p=2973 Dear Friends, For more than 20 years, Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ has remained anchored by a simple yet profound truth: In a world where divisions can run deep, we do not choose sides; we choose our scholars. Like me, most Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ scholars are the first in their families to attend college. Nearly all come from communities that have…

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Dear Friends,

For more than 20 years, Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ has remained anchored by a simple yet profound truth:

In a world where divisions can run deep, we do not choose sides; we choose our scholars.

Like me, most Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ scholars are the first in their families to attend college. Nearly all come
from communities that have been overlooked or underestimated for far too long.
Despite the odds, they show up every day with courage and conviction.

Our job is to meet them with the same.

That’s what Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ was built to do. To believe in our scholars, without condition or exception.
To build schools that affirm who they are, where they come from, and the brilliance they carry.
To prepare them for the future, and stand with them in shaping it.

Because we have stayed focused, our scholars continue to excel, demonstrating significant year-over-year academic growth and outpacing their peers in LAUSD, and even the state. Last spring, nearly all were accepted to college, and they will go on to graduate from college at a rate of 3.5 times the national average. Today, our 25,000 alumni are launching careers, mentoring peers, and transforming the world around them.

The road ahead will not be easy. The challenges facing public education are complex and growing, but Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ has never been a place of comfort. We are a place of clarity, and that clarity continues to carry us forward as we reimagine how we lead, how we teach, and how we show up for the next generation.

The story you’ll find in these pages is one of action, imagination, and what becomes possible when we choose scholars, every time.

At Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ, there’s a light ahead. And it’s never shone more brightly than now.

Thank you for believing in this work. Thank you for choosing our scholars.

Onward, always together,

Pablo Villavicencio
Chief Executive Officer
Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ College-Ready Public Schools


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Catherine Suitor /catherine-suitor-letter/ Mon, 03 Nov 2025 08:27:48 +0000 https://alliancefoudev.wpenginepowered.com/?p=2967 Dear Friends, At the Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ Foundation, we have the privilege of serving as both champion and catalyst, mobilizing the resources, partnerships, and ideas that turn brilliance into action. We fund what matters most—exceptional educators, innovative school models, and programs that open doors for scholars. We also listen. We advocate. We mentor. Because we know that…

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Dear Friends,

At the Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ Foundation, we have the privilege of serving as both champion and catalyst, mobilizing the resources, partnerships, and ideas that turn brilliance into action.

We fund what matters most—exceptional educators, innovative school models, and programs that open doors for scholars. We also listen. We advocate. We mentor. Because we know that real impact is born from community, and carried forward in the hearts and dreams of our 12,000 scholars and 25,000 alumni.

This year, the brilliance of our community illuminated new possibilities.

Our Reimagine, Advance, Advocate Campaign has become the spark to propel us toward the future. With a $5 million matching contribution from a private family foundation, we’re on track to raise an additional $10 million in new strategic investments that will accelerate innovation, expand college and career success, and transform the educational landscape to one that fosters the thriving schools our scholars, educators, and communities have long envisioned.

Our annual report, The Light Ahead, is more than a collection of metrics. It’s a celebration of people. You’ll meet educators redefining what it means to teach, alumni shaping their communities with vision and purpose, and young scholar advocates stepping into civic leadership.

Proof of what’s possible when we invest in brilliance—not only in individuals, but in whole communities working together to light the way forward.

As the Foundation for Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ schools, our charge is clear: to unlock the brilliance all around us. We do so with deep gratitude for partners like you, our believers, advocates, and builders of possibility.

Our shared future is brighter because of you.

With gratitude,

Catherine Suitor
Executive Director
Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ


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Diego Barreras /diego-barreras-letter/ Mon, 03 Nov 2025 07:39:58 +0000 https://alliancefoudev.wpenginepowered.com/?p=2959 Dear Los Angeles, I am proud to be a 12th grader at Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ Leichtman-Levine High School. Living in the city of El Sereno in East LA, I’ve spent my entire K-12 journey in charter schools. When my older brother was ready for school, my parents wanted the best for both of us. Because private schools…

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Dear Los Angeles,

I am proud to be a 12th grader at Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ Leichtman-Levine High School. Living in the city of El Sereno in East LA, I’ve spent my entire K-12 journey in charter schools. When my older brother was ready for school, my parents wanted the best for both of us. Because private schools were out of reach, and the public schools around us were under-resourced, charter schools became our answer.

I chose Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ Leichtman-Levine because I knew I could not find the same level of education anywhere else in Los Angeles. A big part of my academic success, personal growth, and leadership development is thanks to my school and the resources it continues to provide me. School is more than just a place for me to learn; it’s where I find community. It’s where my friends and peers show me constant support, where I have meaningful conversations with my teachers, and where my counselors inspire me to reach beyond my limits.

At Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ, I’m reminded every day that there is a battle worth fighting for, and that everyone deserves a fair chance at a great education.

Right now, I’m working towards my dream of attending a four-year university so I can serve the community that raised me by pursuing a career as an immigration attorney. Thanks to Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ, I feel ready for my future, and understand that I, along with others who look like me, belong in higher education.

As I look ahead to graduation, I carry with me the belief that the future of our city is built in classrooms. Through the turmoil and division, I still see the LA that I know; a city of compassion, equity, and unity.

Education is the most powerful tool we have, and no one, regardless of race, creed, ethnicity, financial status, background, or any other demographic characteristic, should be without it. We must all do our part to ensure that generations of children have the opportunity to learn, grow, and become future leaders.

Together is how we ensure the future of our city starts today.

Thank you for believing in the promise of education for all, for supporting me in my dreams, and for standing with scholars across Los Angeles.

Sincerely,

Diego Barreras
12th-Grade Scholar
Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ Leichtman-Levine High School


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