By Jo Mathis
Xochitl Calix loves walking into her high school every morning in inner city Detroit.
The halls are bright, clean and colorful. The staff is friendly. And she knows they care.
“I really do love it here,” said Xochitl (pronounced SO-she), a 16-year-old junior. “When I transferred here, I didn’t really want to leave my old school. But I’m so glad I did. It totally changed my world.”
Cesar Chavez Academy High School is a public charter school in southwest Detroit with high standards, impressive graduation rates, and a list of teens waiting to get in. It doesn’t have a swimming pool or football field or huge auditorium.
“We’re just a small school in the heart of the community,” said school leader Juan Martinez. “But despite the lack of amenities, kids want to be here. They don’t get lost in the shuffle.”
The statistics are impressive: Last spring, the students earned the highest Michigan Merit Examination/ACT scores in the area, and about 75 percent of students who start as a freshman go on to graduate. Of those graduates, 30 percent go on to college.
CCAHS is one of only a handful of Detroit high schools that made Adequate Yearly Progress (improvement goals related to federal No Child Left Behind legislation) in 2009. Ninth grade social studies MEAP scores led the entire city in 2008, and Martinez expects more of the same.
This academic year, CCAHS reached its highest enrollment numbers so far, with 610 students in grades 9-12.
What makes the difference?
Martinez gives part of the credit to the spirit felt throughout campus.
“We believe that all of our students can learn and achieve at high levels,” he said. “We’re enthusiastic; we think outside the box; we believe that going the extra mile makes a huge difference.”
Giving much of the credit to the CCAHS staff, he said educators must be passionate about teaching and serving students for a school to be successful.
“I’m a firm believer that kids don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care,” he said.
Cesar Chavez Academy began as a charter school kindergarten 14 years ago and has grown to include grades K-12 on four campuses. It is operated by the Leona Group, a national provider of services to charter schools, through Saginaw Valley State University.
CCA now has more than 1,800 students in grades K-12, a waiting list of over 200 students and is the second largest K-12 charter school in Michigan. Of these students, 88 percent are Hispanic; 94 percent are economically disadvantaged; and 35 percent are English Language Learners.
Although charter schools receive about the same state funding as other public schools, they operate independently of the local school district and thus have more flexibility to spend those dollars.
“As a result of a great working relationship with the Leona Group and Saginaw Valley State University, our budget is healthy and balanced,” said Martinez, now in his third year as school leader.
CCAHS allocates some of its money to offer free professional tutoring to students and free workshops for their parents. The school also buys school uniforms — khaki pants and navy shirts. And school officials can tweak the menu in the cafeteria to better suit the students’ tastes.
This year, seniors each received laptop netbooks, which they’ll pass down to next year’s seniors at the end of the year.
“We’re in the 21st century. We sat and said, ‘Why should the kids have to wait to go to college to get these computers?’ And now they’re used every hour of the day because it was part of the vision. As a result, our kids are walking around with a lot of pride.”
Martinez, a lifelong Detroit resident who attended Detroit schools, reminds his students that despite any adversities they may have faced in life, they can and will succeed.
“I absolutely expect everyone’s very best every day — from both staff and students,” he said.
Students are encouraged to join clubs and teams, and there’s no push to get kids out of the building by 4 p.m.
“Sometimes it’ll be 8 or 9 in the evening, and kids are hanging out here,” he said. “It’s a place of safety and enjoyment with friends.”
Xochitl Calix said she enjoys hearing some Spanish spoken between students now and then.
“It kind of makes you feel close to your roots,” said Xochitl, whose parents are from Central America. “The whole school just really feels like family. I like the whole vibe.”
7 Comments
It’s all true. I have visited the CC Academies and they are wonderful schools. i am not at all surprised by this student’s testimony.
Like Xochil, many students at Cesar Chavez are full of enthusiasm, attending a school that boasts a safe environment and an atmosphere of acceptance among fellow students and staff. There is a strong sense of commitment to bringing the best education to our community, never losing sight of the importance of the individual student. Thanks to our leadership and the supportive institutions that help to raise the achievement level of our students.
When you walk into the schools there is a good feeling in the air. Mr. Martinez is encouraging and innovative. I appreciate what they are doing at the school and the community. Keep up the great work!
Thank you for sharing this story. It is exciting to watch all the wonderful ways that the students, teachers and leadership at CCAHS have impacted SW Detroit. I look forward to hearing more about how the students and staff at CCAHS are using their gifts to shape our community.
This is a great article about a great school. Go there yourself and you will see that the school, its students and staff are even more impressive in person. Keep up the great work Principal Martinez.
I am so proud of the success that CCA has. You’re a great leader Juan!!!
“Students are encouraged to join clubs and teams, and there’s no push to get kids out of the building by 4 p.m.”
Actually, I have found the opposite to be true. The administration sometimes “corrals” students, many waiting for their rides to pick them up, out of the building. They once did this on a winter day.