I saw an all-boys school with a banner that read “Breaking Barriers, Building Bridges” stretched across its chain-link fence on the way to the gala. It had the familiar, slightly worn-out aspirational feel of school slogans. That slogan began to seem insignificant by the time I sat across from Dr. Liz Hicks an hour later. She was still wearing the green polo T-shirt with the Associated Administrators of Los Angeles logo from the strike that had been avoided earlier in the day. The school she founded in 2016, GALA, has overcome obstacles and bridges. These girls are creating their own futures, and they do it with a confidence that is difficult to replicate.
The conference room had the standard features of high-quality, well-run schools. Students moved between buildings on a vast green lawn that was illuminated by the windows. In the library was a wooden recliner that the GALA students had constructed. We were joined at the round table by Novelyn Aquino, who organizes community partnerships and events. Sitting in that room gives me the impression that something strange is going on. It’s not ostentatious or branded, but rather unusually serious about what teenage girls are capable of when adults stop hedging.
A portion of the story is revealed by the numbers. 700 pupils were selected from 100 zip codes. 100% of students graduate. a 100% acceptance rate to colleges. Yale, all UC campuses, Cal State, a number of Ivies, University College Dublin, and the London School of Economics have all accepted graduates. CSUN professor emeritus Dr. Enrique de la Cruz referred to the school as “a civil rights success” during this year’s USC fundraiser. Instead of being declared, that phrase has been earned gradually.
The interesting part is the pedagogy. Computer basics are taught to all ninth graders. AP Computer Science Principles is taken by all tenth graders. Under mastery-based grading, students are given multiple chances to show that they understand the material rather than being penalized if they don’t understand it the first time. For decades, education researchers have advocated for this kind of approach, which the majority of districts have subtly shied away from. It was just done by Dr. Hicks. Students internalize a different attitude toward difficulty as a result, she claims: “Yes, why not? I’m not yet aware of that. I will shortly.
At GALA, field trips aren’t exactly field trips in the conventional sense. More than sixty each year, and the majority don’t go to museums. Students visit SpaceX to observe the work of female engineers. They shadow sports medicine specialists, sit with Google executives, and watch the Dodgers and NFL in action. They go to financial centers and pick the brains of women who work as financial managers. It’s exposure as curriculum, and in public education, where the distance between a classroom and a workplace can seem vast, it’s difficult to ignore how uncommon that is.
Nearly 300 people attended USC’s eighth annual “Launch Her Future” fundraiser, which raised nearly $200,000. An anonymous donor contributed an additional $100,000. The speakers were graduates who are currently enrolled in master’s programs at Yale, Stanford, and USC. What they discussed was more about a way of thinking than prestige. They claimed to have learned how to ask better questions, how to advance at their own speed, and how to fail without fear. You got the impression from watching them talk that a college acceptance letter isn’t the school’s true offering. It was earned by temperament.
In April, ICGS global leader Megan K. Murphy stated unequivocally that Hicks is “setting a new standard for equity and achievement in girls’ education in Los Angeles and beyond.” In addition to being a generous quote, the evidence supports its accuracy. The more difficult question is whether what works here can travel, and districts across the nation should be asking this question. Whether the GALA model can be applied to different situations, political systems, and financial situations is still up for debate. However, the argument for trying is becoming more compelling.
