California Educator

December 2018 / January 2019

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that Hick s hired b efore th e school op en ed . " We're thinking about who these girls are going to be after high school and beyond . Who are the leaders we are building here?" Each student at GAL A has an advisor y period ever y day, focused on supporting students' socio-emotional learning, nur- turing their growth as young women, and helping them build self-advocacy and resil- iency skills. All GALA students are assigned a teacher as an adviser, who will guide and mentor them from the moment they arrive unti l th e y graduat e. Tif fany R a gozzino, a physical education t each er and U TL A member, said the unique environment, focus on oppor- tunity for girls and supportive atmosphere make it a positive place for students and teachers. "Knowing that there's a place like GALA that wants to build girls up is amazing," she said. "It's the first school I've ever worked in that everybody wants to be at, every day." Physical education teacher/athletic director Johanna Petrich marches a line of girls in purple shorts and gray T-shirts across the shared Los Angeles High School campus. She opens a door with a small sign above it that reads "Boys Weight Room" and allows entry to the nearly 30 girls. Petrich, a UTLA member, is teaching her students how to use the assorted exercise machines properly and without injuring themselves. She's passionate about teaching girls to be proactive in their own health routines, and she appreciates the ability to be creative and think outside the box. "If we have an idea, nobody says we can't. ey say, 'How can we help you,'" she said. "I like the support I get here to do the things I didn't think I could do in class. If I want to do something, there is a team here that will help me do it." at support doesn't come only from the educators com- mitted to GALA's mission. Laila Nur, a seventh-grade math teacher and UTLA member, learned recently about the ded- ication of the school's parents. Nur said she wanted to get high-end graphing calculators for each one of her students and started a DonorsChoose account to ask for financial assistance from parents. Nur reported that by the following morning, more than $1,900 had been donated, eclipsing the amount needed to buy the calculators. "It's very different than what I'm used to. All those crazy ideas I used to have might actually happen now," she said. "At my other schools, I felt like I wasn't growing anymore, but now everything I'm doing is about how I can be more innovative. I'm inspired now. I'm not burned out anymore. ere's so much positivity." By the Numbers Grades: 6–11 (6–12 in 2020, when first class graduates) Educators: 22 Administrators: 1 Students: 490 Ethnicity: • 32% Latina • 28% White • 22% African-American • 11% Asian • 7% Other Advanced Placement enrollment (at grade levels): • AP Biology: 55% of 9th • AP Chemistry: 37% of 10th • AP Computer Science: 100% of 10th • AP Physics: 100% of 11th • AP English Language: 67% 11th • AP World History: 62% of 10th • AP U.S. History: 43% of 11th • AP Seminar: 67% of 11th Note: Only 70 girls of color statewide took AP Seminar in 2017–18 "If we have an idea, nobody says we can't. They say, 'How can we help you?' I like the support I get here to do the things I didn't think I could do in class." —J O H A N N A P E T R I C H , U T L A Physical fitness and health are also important at GALA, from lessons on exercise techniques to organized athletics. GALA 37 D E C E M B E R 2 018 / J A N U A R Y 2 019 Tiffany Ragozzino

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