Weekly Message

Hello and Happy Saturday Aspire CCPA,

As most of you know I have a bit of a drive to and from work every day. Not only have I become accustomed to doing it, but I am beginning to enjoy it. Yes I know, many of you think I am crazy, but I have grown to appreciate the uninterrupted time in the car which allows me to sit, reflect and think about the choices, decisions, and actions I have make both in my personal and professional life.

This past week has been a learning experience for me. We have had multiple visitors on our campus from the Jenn Garcia (Aspire Chief Academic Officer), Javier Cabra (Associate Superintendent) to NAEP testing coordinators. From preparing for Program Inquiry Walks (PIW), Instructional Rounds (IR), Testing students individually for NAEP testing all while preparing for our LAUSD oversight visit. This week was a lot. However, Even though it has been challenging, I appreciate the push as well as all that I learned this past week. Much of it is about the work we do, about our team, and some about myself.

Some of my takeaways from this past week is that there is always something to do, to learn, and areas for us all to grow. The work we do is non-stop. From coaching our students through social-emotional challenges, teaching them to build, restore and rebuild positive relationships with community members, preparing them for a world that may judge them for mistakes made unintentionally, all while supporting them to become college and career ready. There is a lot to do and the work is always challenging. But even though the work is challenging, we as a community continue to move forward. We productively struggle through all odds, challenges, and obstacles.

My teammates and colleagues, I want to thank you for everything you do and leave you with this quote by Henry Ford

"If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself"

Thank you for your commitment and let us continue to move forward together.

Best,

Mike