Alternative School Offers Chance to Grow : Taking in students that other public institutions were ready to give up on, Middle College High stresses character building and college preparation.

It’s 9:30 a.m., and most students at Middle College High School are well into their second or third class of the day. Two girls, however, sit sulking in the principal’s office after a hallway scuffle neither will own up to instigating.

Kimberly, the more confrontational of the two, is grim; fashion-conscious Stacey avoids eye contact and struggles to keep tears in check.

Principal Natalie Battersbee, who has tried unsuccessfully to make peace, towers above them like an exasperated mother. “Listen to me,” she says, choosing her words carefully. “If both of you go out into the world like this, they’ll hang you. Do you believe that?”

The girls nod.

“In order to deal with attitudes, we’ve got to deal with our own first,” Battersbee says. She leans forward suddenly, her voice low and confidential. “You’re black women. You have monumental tasks ahead of you. Now, I want you reach an agreement in 10 minutes. Not with me. Together. Alone.”

Despite lingering animosity, Kimberly and Stacey make a pact, knowing they must. At Middle College High School, a tiny enclave of bungalows on the campus of Los Angeles Southwest College, personal accountability is a guiding principle.

Taking in students that other public schools were ready to give up on, Middle College stresses character building and college preparation for its nearly 300 students. In the three years since the alternative public school opened, no students have dropped out, while the statewide dropout rate for blacks and Latinos now tops 50%. Of Middle College’s first graduating class last year, 32 of 34 went on to college.

“These kids here were bored and frustrated at large traditional schools,” said Battersbee, 51, who leads the school modeled after one started 18 years ago at La Guardia College in New York City. “They need nurturing and encouraging. Ability is not the problem. They simply couldn’t flourish in a big setting.”

Emphasizing education through self-awareness and a connection to society, Battersbee and Middle College’s 12 teachers force students to tackle tough issues through such courses as the Psychology of Racism, Social History, Peer Counseling and Healthful Living.

In Healthful Living, each student is responsible for bringing in a guest speaker to address a topic of the student’s choice. Extracurricular activities may include visits to museums, conferences and political events such as a recent Bill Clinton rally and a trip to Sacramento.

The “Earth Rent” project, in which students perform community service as “payment” for occupying space on the planet, is a graduation requirement. Many juniors and most seniors take college courses before or after their high school classes, and all Middle College students carry eight courses per semester, compared to the traditional five or six.

Though Middle College’s average class size of 32 is smaller than the Los Angeles Unified School District’s average of 37, students say it is the unusual course topics and an emphasis on student participation that make the difference.

Carlos Serrano, who transferred to Middle College from nearby Washington Prep High, admitted to having a “bad temper” that led to poor grades and run-ins with administrators there. “I just kind of tuned out in a room with 40 or more people,” said Serrano. “Here it seems like a lot less (of) that. I don’t get behind anymore.”

Counselors from 14 area junior high and high schools recommend students each year for Middle College. “Some of them are failing, some are behavior problems, some are just quietly falling by the wayside,” Battersbee said. “The counselors tell me, ‘Here, he’s broke, she’s broke. Fix them.’ ”

Kimberly, who transferred to Middle College two years ago from Centennial High in Compton, said she was among those most in need of repair.

“I was a gangbanger,” she said. “Schools used to just kick me out. But Miss B. really talked to me. She wouldn’t give up on me, even when I didn’t understand what she saw in me. And she doesn’t just give speeches. She shows she cares in everything she does.”

The school is operated by the Los Angeles Unified School District but also accepts students from neighboring districts. Middle College is helped by $150,000 a year from the state Chancellor’s Office of Community Colleges to hire part-time student mentors and pay for a few extras such as sports uniforms. Southwest College, at 1600 W. Imperial Highway, pays for Middle College’s maintenance and utilities.

The school’s budget covers salaries for Battersbee, 12 instructors, one full-time office manager and some instructional materials. The only counseling position was frozen last year, a victim of budget cuts.

So Battersbee finds herself playing administrator, counselor, mother and helpmate to the students, all of whom she seems to know intimately. “I get on their cases,” she said, “but the kids know I love them--fiercely.”

Many students agree that the teachers, who were interviewed by Battersbee and a panel of students and parents before being hired, share a strong commitment to Middle College.

“I love the concept of this school,” said Dorothy Hauser, a two-year teacher of such diverse courses as Healthful Living, government, history, physical education and marathon training. “We get to teach things we’re interested in. We hardly have any texts for these classes, let alone money. But we just do. Last month, the local Democratic headquarters bused us to the Clinton rally because we helped stuff envelopes.”

Moses Robinson, who also coordinates the Interscholastic Alliance of African American Males, a mentoring program, says Middle College allows him to take subjects “beyond the classroom.”

“It’s amazing what happens here,” said Robinson, who teaches English, speech, body dynamics and psychology. “The smallness of the place gives us the chance to intervene before negatives can take root.”

But the impact of Middle College is best seen through the eyes of its students. Many say taking college courses not only strengthens their academic records, but makes them feel more like adults.

“I like the fact that big things are expected of us,” said Amber Adams, 15. “I take a special marathon-training class on Saturdays, and we’re up to 10 miles now. I never thought I could do that before.”

Added senior Farleigh Dismukes: “There’s no racial tension here. We always talk together. We have a Black/Latino Union that really works. We discussed things after the riots and everything was cool.”

Senior Keena Eason, who came from nearby Horace Mann Jr. High three years ago, credits Middle College for his budding interest in neurosurgery.

“I used to have a real attitude problem. I didn’t even graduate ninth grade. But I’ve gotten a lot of one-on-one attention here,” Eason said with a laugh. “Maybe even a little too much.”