"Meeting the Challenge"
November 8, 2007

Dear friends and supporters,

In case you missed it, ICEF Public Schools was featured last night in a half-hour special on Fox 11 television entitled, “Meeting the Challenge.” The program showcased several of ICEF Public Schools, including View Park Prep High and the two new Lou Dantzler Academies and Thurgood Marshall Academies. They also focused on the legacy of a great man, Lou Dantzler, who founded the Challengers Boys and Girls Club of Los Angeles.

I’ve enclosed for you all below links to the four-part series so you can watch it at your convenience in its entirety.

The shows were very inspirational, and served to remind me once again about why the work we do for kids is so important. I was struck by the interviews by several of the teachers and current students, as they articulated what’s so special about our program and why having access to high-quality public charter schools is so important.

I’d also like to thank Cyndee Charles, one of ICEF Public Schools’ first graduates from this past spring. Cydnee is currently at LMU in her pre-med studies. She came back to visit ICEF to describe to the first-year students at the new Thurgood Marshall Academy High School about why succeeding in college is so important. She was interviewed in the Fox 11 special and was inspiring.

I hope you enjoyed these programs as much as I did. If you get the chance, please send comments on this program to newscomments@fox11.com. Even a quick response to them to thank them for showcasing something that is really working in public education will help ensure that great charter school programs get future coverage.

Sincerely,

Michael Piscal
Founder and Chief Executive Officer
ICEF Public Schools


Meeting the Challenge: Part One

Mike Piscal formed the Inner City Education Foundation (ICEF) thirteen years ago, to create independently run public charters. In June, his flagship school, View Park Prep, sent its grads to the best colleges in the country, most on full scholarships. The California Department of Education recently ranked View Park the top public high school in the state at educating African American students.

Meeting the Challenge: Part Two

Long before there was a Challengers Boys & Girls Club and the Lou Dantzler Schools, there was a dream for a better life for kids in South Central Los Angeles. When Lou Dantzler first set out in 1968 to start a club, his main objective was to get kids off the streets.

Meeting the Challenge: Part Three

David Morrow is the founding principal of the Hawthorne Math and Science Academy, one of the top ten high schools in L.A. County. Now, Morrow bringing his skills and dedication to The Thurgood Marshall Leadership Academy as their director.

Meeting the Challenge: Part Four

Cyndee Charles, a View Park Prep grad and freshman at Loyola Marymount University gives back to the next generation of "ICEF" students by advising them on the rigors of the school's program and the importance of being prepared for college.