New Las Cruces charter school to focus on immigrant students By Diana Alba Soular/dalba@lcsun-news.com Posted: 04/06/2012 02:52:59 PM MDT LAS CRUCES –
LAS CRUCES – Construction of Doña Ana County’s sixth charter school is in full-swing in downtown Las Cruces, and school officials are recruiting their first-ever students and teachers.
The New America School, a publicly funded school, will focus on teaching English to immigrant high schoolers and anyone – regardless of their age – who never earned a high school diploma, school officials said.
The nonprofit that pitched the idea to the state of New Mexico already has similar schools in Denver, Albuquerque and Las Vegas, Nev.
The board of the future Las Cruces school hired a principal, Las Cruces native Margarita Leza Porter, 39, in mid-March. She works at The New America School in Albuquerque and has accrued 17 years in that city as a teacher and school administrator.
“The premise of the school is to empower immigrants and students who struggled with English and any students, from 14 and up, who didn’t get their high school diploma,” Leza Porter said during a visit to Las Cruces in recent days.
The school’s curriculum and teaching approach are tailored to help students overcome their barriers, Leza Porter said. Plus, the school will offer classes at night and will only operate Monday through Thursday, which helps parents with children who rely on child-care services.
“Our teachers are trained in strategies that help second-language learners,” she said.
Classes are expected to begin in August, and the school is on the lookout for prospective students, Leza Porter said. About 150 are expected to attend the first year, though eventually, the school will accommodate 450.
The seven-member, local board overseeing the new Las Cruces school selected its location: the former Las Cruces Furniture store off Church Street in the southeast corner of the downtown mall. The building also will have a presence along a stretch of Main Street that’s currently being built by the city.
“We went all over town looking for different buildings,” said Ben Dominguez, 62, president of the local New America School board of directors.
One feature about the furniture store site was especially attractive: the city’s bus hub is just across the street, which will help students without cars get to class, Dominguez said. And the school can offer bus passes to students, said Leza Porter.
During a recent visit to the site, a flurry of construction activity could be seen. The furniture building has been gutted, and steel framework for the future walls now occupies the two-story space. It will eventually hold a multi-purpose room/cafeteria, a computer lab, learning resource center and a number of classrooms. Dominguez said the work should be done in mid-July, though students won’t start until the following month
The population will be many of the 30 to 35 percent of students who drop out of larger Las Cruces high schools. Leza Porter said part of the advantage of The New America School will be its small size, which keeps students feeling connected.
Other area charter schools are: Alma d’Arte Charter High School, J. Paul Taylor Academy, La Academia Dolores Huerta, Las Montañas Charter High School and Anthony Charter School.
Students interested in applying to The New America School should contact Leza Porter at (505) 944-5448 or stop by a portable building the school plans to soon park at its site, 207 S. Main St. Also, teachers interested in applying for seven openings at the school should call the same phone number. It’s also likely to hire a counselor, security guards, a receptionist and a business manager.
The New America School was founded by “philanthropist and educational activist” Jared Polis in 2004, according to the school’s website.
Diana Alba Soular can be reached at (575) 541-5443; follow her on Twitter @AlbaSoular
To apply as a student or teacher at The New America School, call Principal Margarita Leza Porter: (505) 944-5448