One Minute Elevator Speech

If you can't write your idea on the back of my calling card, you don't have a clear idea." --David Belasco, American theatrical producer, director and playwright     This is why we want all our Esperanza stakeholders to learn/memorize our "Elevator Speech" that they can give when others ask about Esperanza.          One Minute Elevator Speech:  Although students from all ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds are invited to attend Esperanza, Esperanza is a charter school located in WVC that specifically targets the needs of low income Hispanic learners so they and their families can access more opportunity doors.  It is built upon 4 pillars:  1) Invitational Education which is a theory based on the work and research of IAIE (International Alliance of Invitational Education).  The findings are that when everything (people, places, policies, processes, programs) are intentionally inviting for the students we are targeting and lay the foundation for the school, learners will be more academically successful.  For example, we are intentionally making sure all Esperanza staff (people) are bilingual , 2) Quality School which is based on the theory and research finding of the Glasser Institute.  The three prongs of this theory are •Students will understand quality •Coercion will be eliminated •Students will learn to self-evaluate These three prongs will have an influence and impact on the 5 P's of Invitational Education and permeate every aspect of Esperanza. , 3) Best teaching/learning practices based on research focused on Hispanic students or included them in the research including a 90/10 Dual Immersion Model, and 4) the Community Learning School which is based on the "developmental triangle" which calls for a strong instructional program, expanded learning opportunities through enrichment and services designed to remove barriers to students' learning and healthy development, so that they can thrive academically and socially.