Dear FLACS community,
I have some truly exciting news to share!
In mid-October, Family Life Academy Charter Schools received a call informing us that we were selected to receive a generous $4.5 million gift from author and philanthropist MacKenzie Scott. The gift was received earlier this month. We are honored to be included among Ms. Scott’s charitable nonprofits selected nationwide, who are dedicated to empowering and raising the voices of those that have, for too long, been unheard and unseen. At a time when so much has happened to impact and change the lives of scholars and their families across our community, this astonishing and unsolicited gift recognizes the important role that our charter school network, our partner LPAC (Latino Pastoral Action Center) and so many others play in addressing and expanding educational and racial equity in our community.
We are beyond grateful for Ms. Scott’s generosity and remain deeply committed to our mission “to create the conditions for self-empowerment for all its K-12 students to excel academically, take responsibility for their own learning, and affirm human values, today, in college, and beyond.” This is the largest single gift that FLACS has received since its founding in 2001, and is a testament to the incredible work of our Board, school leadership, and staff in providing access to high-quality educational programs that support academic excellence. This contribution comes at a critical time as the FLACS model continues to replicate and expand with the recent opening of its first high school in 2022-23, whose theme is rooted in equity, leadership, and social justice.
FLACS owes its success to the grassroots efforts of Bishop Raymond Rivera and the Latino Pastoral Action Center (LPAC) who recognized the need for improving educational opportunities in the community. FLACS schools over the past 21 years have operated on the social justice platform of providing equitable educational opportunities in the high-need communities of the South Bronx. FLACS has a long track record of alleviating racial, social, and economic pressures that detract from learning and healthy development with comprehensive strategies, including a rigorous core curriculum and targeted interventions for all learners, especially English Language Learners (ELLs) and students with disabilities. FLACS has been an agent of change in creating schools that contribute to our scholars' total developmental experience. FLACS believes that learning happens both inside the classroom and beyond school walls—and must be connected to higher education, employment, and civic life.
This gift will allow FLACS the opportunity to continue to bring all “voices" to the table–Board, Staff, Parents, Scholars, and Community Partners to actively engage in discussions in setting the course and next steps for continuing a legacy of providing access to high-quality educational options for all learners, creating a transformation for equity education and choice in our communities.
Marilyn Calo, CEO
Marilyn Calo, CEO
***To read our full press release click here