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Genuine equality means not treating everyone the same, but attending equally to everyone’s different needs. –Terry Eagleton
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From the beginning...The School of Social Justice began in 2002 as small learning community at Belmont High School comprised of a few teachers dedicated to encouraging and harnessing student potential and care into future careers in the public and human services. In 2005, SJ and three other small learning communities applied to be housed at the new central high school campus located just west of Downtown LA in Westlake. SJ finally opened its doors as its own school in 2013 and was awarded its Pilot School status, the state of California's public school response to charter schools. This status affords SJ autonomy over its curriculum and assessments.
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...to where we are nowSince 2013, SJ has grown into a community of caring, supportive, socially aware educators and students committed to raising awareness and taking action against social, economic, and political inequities through curriculum tied to the needs of SJ students and their communities. We welcome students of all identities, languages, statuses, abilities, skills, and interests, as we believe that the struggle to eliminate oppression and forage the path to social justice for all is a necessary endeavor in any and every profession. SJ more than just a school; it is also a home and safe place to students who need it most.
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The School of Social Justice, a Los Angeles Unified School District Pilot School
What is a pilot school? How is it different from any other kind of school?
According to the LAUSD website on pilot schools, "...the Pilot Schools are a network of public schools that have autonomy over budget, staffing , governance, curriculum & assessment, and the school calendar. These autonomies allow them to operate with greater flexibility in order to best meet their students' needs."
In short, a pilot school is a public school with certain autonomies, or rights, to make certain decisions for itself in order to do what the staff, families, and stuents thinks is best for its particular students.
What does this status mean for SJ?
Every year in the spring, SJ staff signs an Elect-to-Work Agreement (EWA), which is drafted and voted on every school year, agreeing to the working conditions for our pilot school. This EWA is in addition to the contract signed by staff when they become employees of LAUSD.
For SJ, our pilot school status means:
According to the LAUSD website on pilot schools, "...the Pilot Schools are a network of public schools that have autonomy over budget, staffing , governance, curriculum & assessment, and the school calendar. These autonomies allow them to operate with greater flexibility in order to best meet their students' needs."
In short, a pilot school is a public school with certain autonomies, or rights, to make certain decisions for itself in order to do what the staff, families, and stuents thinks is best for its particular students.
What does this status mean for SJ?
Every year in the spring, SJ staff signs an Elect-to-Work Agreement (EWA), which is drafted and voted on every school year, agreeing to the working conditions for our pilot school. This EWA is in addition to the contract signed by staff when they become employees of LAUSD.
For SJ, our pilot school status means:
- teachers create their own curriculum based on their interests and their students' needs and interests;
- teachers work collaboratively in teams across disciplines and across grade levels;
- teachers can create and teach new classes, depending on scheduling needs;
- grades focus on mastery of a content area through Mastery Learning and Grading;
- students are taught and assessed in a variety of ways, which can be based on their needs;
- full inclusion of students with disabilities, as well as English Language Learners (ELLs);
- budgets are used for resources that are most relevant and supportive for what students and teachers want and need;
- the school can experiment with new scheduling to determine what bell schedule best suits students' and teachers' needs;
- the school can create and test new programs to help students adapt and learn English;
- students and families participate in decision-making that affects the school;
- open governance and site council meetings;
- easier fostering of partnerships with community groups and leaders;
- a close-knit and family-like environment for students and teachers
Who We Are
Our Students (coming soon!)
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Our Community
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Our Partners (coming soon!)
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2019 WASC Mid-Cycle Progress Report
Read our self-study here to learn more about our school.
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2018 SBAC Test Scores
Link defaults to breakdown by English language status.
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2020-2021 Budget (coming soon!)
Budget breakdown delayed due to COVID-19.
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Follow us on social media!
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Our Location
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School of Social Justice at Miguel Contreras Learning Complex
322 South Lucas Ave Los Angeles, CA 90017 213.240.3896 Please note that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Miguel Contreras Learning Complex is currently closed. If you need assistance, please call Principal Nova Meza at 818.732.9513.
Tenga en cuenta que debido a la pandemia de COVID-19, el Complejo de Aprendizaje Miguel Contreras está actualmente cerrado. Si necesita ayuda, llame a la directora Nova Meza al 818.732.9513. |