The Prince and a Cinderella School : Royal visit spotlights an educational transformation of almost fairy-tale proportions

It’s a good thing the Prince of Wales stopped by Foshay Learning Center in South-Central Los Angeles this week, media in tow. His visit served nicely to turn the spotlight onto the school, meant to be a cutting-edge model for high-performance urban schools.

Just five years ago the scores of students at Foshay, then a middle school only, ranked the lowest of any such institution in the Los Angeles Unified School District, and it was in danger of takeover by the state. Now Foshay is touted as a national example of successful reform.

The center, along with several other innovations in the L.A. public schools, couldn’t have happened without the support of the largely unsung heroes who make up the Los Angeles Educational Partnership.

The LAEP, a nonprofit organization of good corporate citizens, is working to improve the quality of education in Los Angeles schools. In collaboration with LEARN (Los Angeles Educational Alliance for Restructuring Now) and committed teachers and principals, the partnership taps private-sector money and resources and funnels them into bolstering education reform. In a public school environment where it’s often easier just to follow rules whether they work or not, the LAEP helps make experimentation possible. The benefit is obvious: Once a school achieves success with a new approach or program, it can be duplicated. That’s how true educational reform blooms.

The LAEP also provides trainers at schools that are looking for new ways, as well as proven ways, of teaching and learning. It does fine work. Prince Charles marveled at the results at Foshay. News of the school’s extraordinary transformation won’t make screaming tabloid headlines in London, but we think it’s a pretty big deal just the same.