Apple began with a core group of five teachers who initiated the development of the charter school with one purpose in mind – to be able to continue providing a high-quality, rigorous and nurturing educational opportunity for the families whose students were abruptly displaced due to the closure of several charter schools. Apple was founded by experienced educators, business leaders, and community members. With the support of AJ Duffy, former UTLA president, they reached out to David Cunningham, Jr., civil rights leader and former Los Angeles City Councilman, and Caprice Young, founding CEO/President of the California Charter Schools Association, knowing they had the civic credibility, experience and knowledge to guide their efforts. We came together through mutual respect for each other’s strengths, achievements and shared commitment to the children and community of Los Angeles. We are creating a learning environment in which our students will thrive, as scholars and individuals. In many ways, this is a truly groundbreaking team.
To create great public schools, we have brought together a highly qualified team of educators with multiple generations of diverse education reformers-- Los Angeles’ leaders of the teachers union, charter school movement, civil rights community, elected officials, LEARN/LAAMP and business. Our team includes people with decades of experience improving public schools through community engagement, research proven educational strategies, professional development, responsible management and governance integrity. We have stepped beyond our former philosophical differences and embraced our underlying common mission.
