EAGLES Academy

EAGLES Academy Central High School (also known as EAGLES Academy Hollywood and EAGLES Center) was a public high school located in Hollywood, Los Angeles, with the target group of but not limited to gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender young people, as well as those questioning their sexuality and educational dropouts. It was founded and opened in 1992 along with the "Educational Options" program by the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) and closed down in 2004. It was the first public high school designed for LGBT youth from grade 7 onwards in the United States.

EAGLES Academy
Address
7060 Hollywood Blvd.

Hollywood, Los Angeles
,
California 90028

United States
Information
TypePublic high school
Established1992
FounderJerry B. Battey
Closed2004
PrincipalJerry B. Battey
Grades7–12[1]
Enrollment35 students (1999)[2]
CampusUrban
AffiliationsLos Angeles Unified School District

History

EAGLES Academy Central High School was a public high school run by the department of "Educational Options" of the LAUSD, also known as EAGLES Academy Hollywood and EAGLES Center.[3][4] EAGLES is an acronym from "Emphasizing Adolescent Gay Lesbian Education Services."[1] The target group of this school was gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender students, as well as those questioning their sexuality and educational dropouts,[5] but being a high school run by the state, it was also open for straight students. The mission statement was A safe place for youth to receive their education.[6][7]

The school was supervised by Ruben Zacarias, in that time period LAUSD's superintendent of schools in charge, Elizabeth Newman, the options administrator, and Sunshine S. Sepulveda, an educational advisor to LAUSD. Founder and principal of the school was Jerry B. Battey, an English teacher, from 1992 to 2004.[8]

In 1996, the school had two campuses: Hollywood and a branch located in South Bay, Los Angeles.[4]

In 1999, eleven teachers worked at EAGLES.[2]

In the same year, there were also one full-time and four part-time volunteer school counselors.[2]

The school was closed in the summer of 2004 due to financial shortages by the LAUSD. Although there was a tax-exempt organization called "Friends of EAGLES Center – Los Angeles, Inc." for raising money and commodity contributions,[9] it was impossible to keep the school alive based only on donations.[4][10]

Student body and activities

EAGLES Center started in 1992 with twelve students.[11] Later in 1992, 35 students were enrolled at EAGLES.[12]

EAGLES Center initiated the first prom for LGBT students for the school, open for students from other high schools in the school district. It was advertised in the media as an open invitation for the first prom of its kind in the nation. On May 20, 1994, it took place in the Los Angeles Hilton hotel. A group of protesters can be seen in the documentary film that was made on it.[13]

At the first graduation ceremony held in Plummer Park in West Hollywood in 1994, six seniors received their diplomas.[14]

Curriculum and external support

The curriculum followed the Carnegie Unit and Student Hour system with 45-minute units in core subjects like English, science, social studies, and mathematics plus German and Spanish as second languages.[2]

A long-term collaboration between EAGLES and the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) patronized several graduates to develop their talents like Marc Imme to become an actor, later known for the role of "Luke" in Ryan's Life (2004),[2][15] and Miguel Lopez, the playwright of Mariposas (2001), a play for children.[2][10]

In statewide comparisons, the students of EAGLE reached in the Junior to Senior ratings of 1998 (known as the "Stanford 9 Assessment tests") six stars.[16]

Criticism

In 2001, some students graduated from EAGLES Academy without fulfilling all requirements.[8]

Media

See also

References
  1. Lisa Meyer: "Hostile Classrooms – The state of hate." In: The Advocate , No. 33, April 13, 1999. Pages 33–35.
  2. Entry in the OPAC of the Deutsche Nationalbibliothek, retrieved on Jue 8th, 2018.
  3. Entry on the LAUSD website. Retrieved June 8, 2018.
  4. archived press release "EAGLES Center expands services – sets sights on South Bay" of March 23, 1996. Retrieved June 9, 2018.
  5. Article "COLUMN ONE – Gay Rights Fight Moves on Campus – Activists on both sides have targeted high schools in battles over curriculum and support groups. Some celebrate a new boldness, others say values are best taught at home." by Tammerlin Drummond and Bettina Boxall, January 10, 1994, in the Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 9, 2018.
  6. David Campos: Sex, Youth, and Sex Education: A Reference Handbook. Contemporary Education Issues, 2002. Page 167. ISBN 978-1576077764.
  7. United States Congress: The Congressional Record. Proceedings and Debates of the United States Congress., Section "Gay And Lesbian Victories in the Los Angeles Unified School District" ["EAGLES Center"], page 25145, Washington, D.C., United States Government Publishing Office, 1994.
  8. 'Graduates' Honored at a Dubious Exercise in the Los Angeles Times, July 27, 2001, by Duke Helfand. Retrieved June 8, 2018.
  9. Entry at the Online Archive of California for the Marjorie Rushforth Papers, Coll2013.042, executive board member of "Friends of EAGLES Center-Los Angeles, Inc.". Retrieved June 10, 2018.
  10. Norma Bowles, Mark E. Rosenthal: Cootie Shots: Theatrical Inoculations Against Bigotry for Kids, Parents, and Teachers.Plays, Poems & Songs. Pages 153, 154, 156. Theatre Communications Group, 2001. ISBN 978-1559361842.
  11. Betty Berzon: Positively Gay: New Approaches to Gay and Lesbian Life, page 283, Celestial Arts, 1992. ISBN 978-0890876763.
  12. Article "Teens Find a Haven in L. A. Program – Education: For gay students who have been harassed or isolated in regular schools, EAGLES Center offers an alternative to dropping out." by Tammerlin Drummond and Bettina Boxall, January 10, 1994, in the Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 10, 2018.
  13. Entry in the catalog of the library of the University of California, Berkeley. Retrieved June 10, 2018.
  14. Chris Freeman, James J. Berg: Love, West Hollywood: Reflections of Los Angeles, page 299, Alyson Books, 2008. ISBN 978-1593500559.
  15. Entry for Marc Imme at the IMDb. Retrieved June 8, 2018.
  16. Article "THE 'STANFORD 9' ASSESSMENT TESTS – L.A. Unified Report Card – How did your school do on the statewide tests?" (Junior-Senior High Eagles Center Hollywood) in the Los Angeles Times of July 14, 1998. Retrieved June 9, 2018.
  17. School Library Journal, SLJ, Volume 42, Issues 1–6, page 150, R.R. Bowker Company, Xerox Company, 1996.
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