History and Background of the School
The Chula Vista Learning Community Charter School opened its doors in the Fall of 1998 as the district’s first start-up charter school with the vision of a school-wide K-6 dual language program fostering the philosophy of critical pedagogy and problem-posing education (Freire, 1970). Interested school leaders and members of the business community developed the design and implementation of the school. The “Dream School,” as it was known throughout the planning sessions, focused on skills students would need to acquire to become active members of the 21st Century. The goal was to go beyond the classroom walls and experience education through a variety of lenses that will challenge traditional schooling to one of education that will transform our world. The Chief Executive Officer and a team of committed educators have transformed a learning community into a vision of what education must and should be. The school’s motto, “Create Knowledge to Transform the World,” synthesizes the work that has been integrated through continuous partnerships, including:
- Harvard Graduate School of Education, Project Zero & Instructional Rounds
- University of San Francisco
- University of San Diego
- University of California San Diego
- Escola IPSE in Barcelona, Spain
- WestEd
- San Diego County Office of Education
- San Diego State University
The school genuinely believes that when education is humanized, labels of language, special needs, or economic status are seen as assets rather than deficits. To accomplish this task, the Chula Vista Learning Community Charter School has identified four unique aspects that transform systems of education to one that fosters dual language, social justice, global perspectives, and community engagement. Learning outcomes focus on these concepts for students to engage in the thinking and learning process to create knowledge.