May 2021
News, updates and perspectives on the
future of education from Learn4Life
Her Name Perfectly Describes Her Journey
Serenity Hunter – was just that. This shy girl with a troubled family life was searching for the calm, peace and untroubled mindset that most people enjoy. She first enrolled at Learn4Life as a foster youth with her head down low, very little self-confidence and no motivation to attend school. She had almost no support – her mom was in prison and her dad had his own struggles. This student bounced from home to home her entire life, creating so many obstacles and causing her academics to suffer. She had earned very few credits, which made her even more discouraged.

Her teacher and counselor tried and tried to help her and motivate her, but much to their great disappointment, Serenity left school. A few months later, they learned that Serenity enrolled at another of our locations and was back in school, doing well and interested in dual enrollment at Chaffey College!
What is the #1 Predictor of Student Success?
Think back to your favorite high school teachers and why you liked them? Was it because they didn’t pay attention and let you skate by? Likely not. Our favorite teachers were the ones who knew us, encouraged us, and challenged us to grow and do our best work. They helped us stay motivated, supported our goals and taught us to be resilient despite the ups and downs of life. They reminded us every day that we had the potential to become whomever we wanted.

After a year of remote learning, students need strong relationships with their teachers more than ever to ensure they don’t fall behind or drop out. 
Why is the CA Legislature Trying to Prevent Students from Catching Up on Credits?
Just as high schools are struggling to get kids back in school and help them catch up on lost learning over the past 15 months, our out-of-touch legislature is trying to put restrictions on schools that will affect hundreds of thousands of students – most of whom are from low-income households, are students of color and have special learning needs.

This impending disaster is in the form of AB 1316, which is a teacher union-backed attack on charter schools. In addition to cutting funding to nonclassroom-based (NCB) charters, this bill contains several serious clauses that will do nothing but hurt at-risk students.