News

Press Release: Local Principal Wins Prestigious Leadership Award

06/16/10

For Immediate Release
June 16, 2010

Media Contact: Glenn Gritzner
(310) 923-1551

LOCAL PRINCIPAL WINS PRESTIGIOUS LEADERSHIP AWARD
Angella Martinez chosen to receive the New Leaders Council’s 40 Under 40 Award, celebrating leadership in entrepreneurship, advocacy, media and politics.

Los Angeles - Angella Martinez, School Leader for KIPP Los Angeles College Preparatory School (KIPP LA Prep) has been awarded the New Leaders Council’s (NLC) 40 Under 40 Leadership Award for her leadership in elevating KIPP LA Prep to one of the top 10 middle schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District. KIPP LA Prep is located in Boyle Heights, with a student population that is 94 percent Latino, and 95 percent of its students qualify for the federal free and reduced lunch program.

"At KIPP, we pride ourselves on exemplary leadership”, said Marcia Aaron, Executive Director of KIPP LA Schools. “Angella Martinez is a great example of the quality of our team and she certainly deserves this recognition”.

Students enrolling at KIPP LA Prep students typically perform two to three years below grade level. However, during their time at KIPP LA Prep, students usually close that gap, finishing at or above grade level. Currently, KIPP LA Prep is one of the top ten highest performing middle schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District according to its scores on the Academic Performance Index (API).

“I have been passionate about educating underserved kids my entire life," said Martinez. "I may be receiving this award, but it belongs to the entire KIPP LA Prep team of committed teachers and dedicated students that work so hard every day.”

Each year, NLC honors the work of 40 leaders under the age of 40 nationwide to help recognize the hard work of a diverse group of young leaders including elected officials, inspiring community organizers, as well as non-profit and policy leaders who exemplify the spirit of progressive political entrepreneurship.

Ms. Martinez joins past recipients such as Los Angeles City Council President Eric Garcetti and Michelle A. Rhee, Chancellor of the District of Columbia Public Schools system of Washington, D.C.

NCL will formally present the 40 Under 40 Awards in Los Angeles on Tuesday, July 13, 2010.

About KIPP LA Schools
KIPP LA Schools (KIPP LA) is a non-profit organization that operates three free, open-enrollment, college-preparatory public charter schools in East and South Los Angeles. According to the 2009 Academic Performance Index, KIPP LA’s middle schools were ranked among the top 20 percent of middle schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District. KIPP LA schools are part of KIPP (Knowledge Is Power Program), a national network of public schools. For more information, visit www.kippla.org.

About KIPP Schools
KIPP (Knowledge is Power Program) is a national network of public schools started by two teachers, Mike Feinberg and Dave Levin. KIPP was started in 1994 in Houston, TX after Feinberg and Levin’s completions of their commitments to Teach For America. KIPP has grown to a national network of 82 public schools in 19 states and the District of Columbia, serving 20,000 students. More than 90 percent of KIPP students are African American or Hispanic/Latino, and more than 85 percent are eligible for the federal free and reduced-price meals program. KIPP schools have been widely recognized for narrowing the achievement gap in public education and putting students from underserved communities on the path to college. More than 85 percent of KIPP alumni have gone on to college. For more information, visit www.kipp.org.

About Angella Martinez
Angella Martinez came to KIPP LA Prep from the KIPP Foundation in 2008, where she recruited school founders and leaders for KIPP schools across the country. Prior to working for the KIPP Foundation, Ms. Martinez taught at Ralph J. Bunche Elementary School in Compton for six years. At Bunche, she held a variety of leadership positions, including Grade Level Chair and Teacher Representative to the School Site Council. She also served as a Leadership Team Member, and in this capacity she wrote winning applications for the California Distinguished School Award for 2005-2006 and the Title I Academic Achievement Award for 2004, 2005 and 2006. Ms. Martinez holds a masters degree in elementary education from Loyola Marymount University and a masters in educational leadership from UCLA. She previously served on the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing Assessor for Teaching Performance Assessment Task 4 and Foundations at LMU. Ms. Martinez holds an undergraduate degree from the University of California at Los Angeles.

About New Leaders Council
New Leaders Council (NLC) was formed in 2005 to address a gap in the progressive leadership development infrastructure. While there are, numerous programs, trainings, and seminars for eager college students and for mid-career professionals, there were few programs for young professionals in their twenties and early thirties. NLC provides emerging leaders with training, mentoring, networking, and job placement opportunities that equip them to be civic leaders, not only for elective office, but also in their communities and workplaces. Recognizing that a truly progressive movement is inclusive and empowering, NLC makes a special effort to recruit people from outside the usual power structures. NLC is shaping America's future by developing tomorrow's leaders today. For more information, visit www.newleaderscouncil.org.

###