About Us

Larchmont Charter School - West Hollywood

Diversity . Achievement . Community .

A member of the Larchmont Schools family

44 percent non-white students, and as the school grows we will continue to make sure that we maintain a diverse student body.

We are a school of choice and offer an alternative to the traditional public school curriculum of the LAUSD. While parent and community involvement is key to our mission, educators make all decisions involving curriculum and the educational program. Every child at LCW has an individualized education plan rich in art, music, outdoor exploration, and physical education that meets his or her needs and helps each child realize his or her potential in a supportive environment. This research-based educational model has proven successful in closing achievement gaps by providing a first-class education to low-income students and bringing middle- and upper-income families back into public education.

Our school’s philosophy is based on three tenets:

DIVERSITY . To serve a diverse and mixed Socio-Economic Status (SES) student population (30 to 50 percent low-income and 60 percent non-white)

ACHIEVEMENT . To foster creativity and academic excellence; our students learn with and from each other in an experience-centered, inquiry-based learning environment

COMMUNITY . To harness the energy and spirit of our community through volunteerism and fundraising.

LCW is one of only a handful of schools in the country to be affiliated with Alice Waters's EDIBLE SCHOOLYARD program. Edible Schoolyard integrates the concepts of ecology into the curriculum while infusing the curriculum with real-life applications through gardening, cooking, science experiences, and a healthy, seasonal, locally-grown lunch. Through the Edible Schoolyard, students awaken their senses, learn about nutrition, help to build a community, and begin to take personal responsibility for the earth.

WHO WE ARE

1. Larchmont Schools Board of Directors

To advance and sustain a school built on a foundation of diversity, achievement, and community, a fundamental leadership structure is key. The Board of Directors is the governing board of Larchmont Schools: Larchmont Charter School and Larchmont Charter School – West Hollywood. The Board provides oversight and ensures financial stability for Larchmont Charter Schools. The Board meets monthly, and meetings are open to the public.

Members of the Board:

- Danny Corwin (Chair)

- Marya Francis (Secretary)

- Gabi Loeb (Treasurer and Chair of the Finance Committee)

- Carl Cade

- Kriste Dragon

- Rebecca Hutchinson

- Nicole E. Jaeger

- Alicia Lara

- Susan K. Lee

- Amber Medina

- Gene Straub

- Richard Wright

2. Larchmont Schools Executive Director: Brian Johnson

Before serving as the Executive Director of the Larchmont Schools Brian served as the Executive Director of Teach for America in Los Angeles. During his time at Teach for America, Brian substantially increased the organization’s presence in Los Angeles, oversaw dramatic increases in student achievement gains made by Teach for America teachers, and nearly tripled local fundraising efforts. He began his career as a Teach for America corps member teaching first grade in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He holds an A.B. magna cum laude from Princeton University, a J.D. from Stanford Law School, and an M.B.A. from the Stanford Graduate School of Business, from which he graduated as an Arjay Miller Scholar. Brian is a member of the Loyola Marymount University School of Education Board of Visitors, serves as the Vice President of the City of Los Angeles Quality & Productivity Commission, and is a former Trustee of Princeton University.

3. LCW Principal: Dr Kristin L. Droege

Kristin has been a professional educator for 23 years. She taught at the elementary level for six years in both public and private schools. She taught Child Development to beginning teachers at the undergraduate level and later was Assistant Professor of Curriculum and Instruction in the M.A. program at California State University-Dominguez Hills. In 1999, she and a colleague conceptualized and founded Mountain View Montessori Charter School in Victorville, California, where she served as Head of Curriculum, as well as developing the teacher evaluation system. Kristin has publications in the area of teacher accountability, Head Start, and children’s social development, and the educational benefits of high-quality child care. She did her undergraduate work at Duke University, and has an M.A. and a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from UCLA.

4. LCW Administration & Faculty

4a. LCW Administration

- Tiffany Castro (Assistant Principal of Operations)
- Cindy Torroba (LCW Primary School Campus: Business Manager/Office Manager)
- Maria Alvarado (LCW Middle School Campus: Office Manager)
- Glenda Reyes (Custodian)

4b. LCW Faculty: Lead Teachers

- Mersedeh Emrani (Kindergarten)

- Cecilia Wong (Kindergarten)

- Lillie Pardo (First Grade)

- Jennifer Santangelo (First Grade)

- Scott Lenhert (Second Grade)

- Emery McCabe (Second Grade)

- Elham Tavabi (Second Grade)

- Cassandra Geiser (Third Grade)

- Whitney Homchick (Third Grade)

- Megan Howe (Fourth Grade)

- Rich Kane (Fourth Grade)

- John Resendez (Fifth Grade)

- Jill Stefani (Fifth Grade)

4c. LCW Faculty: Enrichment/Specialist Teachers

- Alejandra Domenzain (Reading Specialist)

- Kelly Ferguson (Reading Specialist)

- Kate Thompson (Reading Specialist)

- Mat Baker (Music Specialist)

- Jamia Weir (Arts Specialist)

- Alan Morales (Athletics Specialist)

- Tracy Erland-Zehnder (Resource Specialist)

- Karen Thomsen (Resource Intern)

- Kathy Block (Classroom Assistant)

- Sarah Heacox (Classroom Assistant)

- Hana Hutchcroft (Classroom Assistant)

- Will Todisco (Classroom Assistant)

- Marguerita Mees (Edible Schoolyard Kitchen/Garden Teacher)

- Brenna Lyons (Edible Schoolyard Kitchen/Garden Teacher)

- Rick Perillo (Edible Schoolyard Kitchen/Garden Teacher)

- Aleksandra Saska Neil (Yoga Instructor)

- Braden Nagel (SPA Director)

- Miguel Alvarez (SPA Director)

4d. LARCHMONT SCHOOLS Central Administration

- Brian Johnson (Executive Director)

- Margaret Winnen (Business Manager)

- Rebecca Bailey (Development Associate)

5. LCW Principal’s Council

The Principal’s Council is the LCW site-based governing group that assists and supports the principal in moving our school forward. The purpose of the Principal’s Council is to assist in decision-making by providing input from all constituents regarding issues of budget, scheduling, enrichments, facilities, community outreach, and more. The parent representatives serve an extremely important role, as they are the voice of the parent community in decision-making at the site level and also a means to disseminate information regarding some of the bigger-picture issues that interest our community, such as charter school policy, LAUSD processes, and state budgetary issues.

LCW Principal’s Council 2011-12 Members:

- Susan Matloff (Kindergarten Representative)

- Andrew Delaney (First Grade Representative)

- Blythe Baten-Witt (Second Grade Representative)

- Moon Morse (Third Grade Representative)

- Johnny Camacho (Fourth Grade Representative)

- Yaelle Shaphir (Fifth Grade Representative)

- Scott Gray (Family Council Chair)

- Brandon Block (Family Council Vice Chair)

- Dr. Kristin L. Droege (Principal)

WHO WE ARE

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Larchmont Schools

Board of Directors

Larchmont Schools Executive Director:

Brian Johnson

LCW Principal:

Dr Kristin L. Droege

LCW Administration &

Faculty

LCW Principal’s Council

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ABOUT US

In 2007, a group of dedicated parents and educators felt there was a need in the West Hollywood area for an alternative public elementary school, and, under the guidance and support of the Larchmont Charter School Board of Directors, spearheaded the effort to open a new school that would serve this community. The result is the Larchmont Charter School - West Hollywood (LCW) which opened its doors in September 2008.

For the 2011-2012 school year, Larchmont Charter School – West Hollywood has enrolled 285 students making up the K-5 student body. Our plan is to continue adding a new group of kindergarteners each school year until we have a full K-8 school. Our student population is currently made up of 33 percent low-income and