Even though Locke High is now a charter school with higher academic standards, students are still as likely to drop out as graduate. The odds were against the three students we followed on Inside Locke High and Return to Locke High - Joanna Alatorre, Damon Horton and Bryan Ordaz - did they make it?
Here are some pictures and thoughts on the day.
Joanna Alatorre: "The first thing I was thinking about this morning was success. The word 'success'."
Damon Horton: "Even though my Mom is gone, it felt like she was in the stands cheering for me like everyone else was."
Bryan Ordaz: "What a lot of people don't know about this community is that we have a lot of heart."
RELATED STORIES:
Inside Locke High - Angela Shelley - For years, Locke High School in Watts has been a poster child for failing inner city schools. In the summer of 2008, a charter company - Green Dot Public Schools - took over from L.A. Unified and vowed to turn the troubled school around. This is the story of three typical Locke students told in their own way. In their own words.
Return to Locke High - By Producer Angela Shelley - Locke High School sits in the center of rival gang territory in Watts. Fights. Graffiti. Truancy. Apathy. All daily occurrences at the notorious, sprawling campus where students were more likely to drop out than graduate. But now there's a new sheriff in town and the school has been transformed. Can the charter company Green Dot also transform the lives of the kids?
Want to subscribe to SoCal Connected's RSS feed? Click here.
Congratulations to the Locke High School Graduates from Jerome Vincent Carter and Team Success at Inspiration 52!
Angela Shelley and KCET has done an excellent job this entire year celebrating the students, their triumphs, and trials and the positive change at Locke High School. I am so proud of all the graduates at Locke High School, especially Joanna, Bryan and Damon.
Special thanks to Steve Barr, founder of Green Dot Public Schools, Ronnie Cloeman, Principal at Locke High School and Mike Moody, Dean of Students- for your support and leadership at Locke High School!
Please keep up the great work.
Inspirationally,
Jerome Vincent Carter
Congratulations to Bryan, Damon, and Joanna for completing what you set out to accomplish. You have served as inspirations for those in your community, and I hope you will continue to do so.
Congratulations also to Angela Shelley and her team at SoCal Connected for a moving series of documentaries regarding Locke's transformation. There is still much work to be done, but the commitment of high-quality journalists to important stories enhances the likelihood that all the hard work and sacrifices will pay off and will help us extend a revolution in American education beyond the too-long isolated neighborhood of Watts.
Thanks to all.
Bruce William Smith