Appendix A: Letter of Intent
This letter of intent (LOI) will provide formal notice to the Office of School Reform and Innovation in Denver Public Schools regarding an applicant’s intention to submit a new school proposal for the 2013-2014 school year cycle.
The information presented in the LOI is non-binding.
Name of Proposed School: / PODER AcademyType of School: / Charter X Performance
Grade Configuration: / We will start out K-5, but a grow a grade a year until we are K-8.
Model or Focus: / We are a college-prep school that focuses on the core subjects (reading, writing, math, and science) and incorporating tennis and chess into the daily routine.
Primary Contact Person:
Phone:
Email: / Nicanor Avila
720-936-9271
and
Region: / Northeast
Proposed Leader (if known): / Co-Directors- Nicanor Avila and Marcos Martinez
Replication: / Yes No X
Contract with ESP/EMO: / Yes No X
Enrollment Projections: Provide additional rows and columns if necessary.
GRADE / 2013-14 / 2014-15 / 2015-16 / 2016-17 / 2017-18K / 30 / 30 / 30 / 30 / 30
1st / 30 / 30 / 30 / 30 / 30
2nd / 30 / 30 / 30 / 30 / 30
3rd / 30 / 30 / 30 / 30 / 30
4th / 30 / 30 / 30 / 30 / 30
5th / 30 / 30 / 30 / 30 / 30
6th / 27 / 27 / 27 / 27
7th / 24 / 24 / 24
8th / 22 / 22
Total # students / 180 / 207 / 231 / 253 / 253
FRL % / SPED % / ELL %
Proposed Demographics / 90% / 10% / 80%
Mission of School: / The PODER Academy prepares students for college and beyond through rigorous academic and athletic programs.
Provide a brief overview of the education program of the proposed school: / The PODER Academy will create a culture of high expectations for behavior and academics through rigorous, research-based curricula and a focus on achievement. It is our goal that PODER Academy students will graduate from eighth grade, attend a college preparatory high school or program and ultimately gain acceptance to and graduate from a four year college. We will keep the finger on the pulse of every student by maintaining the small school model, analyzing student data on a weekly basis, using data driven instruction to maximize student performance, and meeting with students and families in a formal manner 8 times a year. We will literally do whatever it takes to ensure that students are performing at grade level or above by the end of the school year. These actions will include free before school tutoring, free after school tutoring, free winter break remedial school, free spring break remedial school, and free summer break remedial school. Our daily classes will include reading, writing, mathematics, science, Spanish, leadership studies, tennis, and chess.
Complete the following table to list Board members for the school at this time.
Name / Current Professional Title and Organization / Board Role / Focus/ExpertiseNicanor Avila / Director of Tennis at the Ricardo Flores Magón Academy / Lead Founder, Board Leader, and Legal Expertise / Legal, Compliance, Tennis and Chess Program Formation, School Discipline, and Arts/Design
Marcos Martínez / CEO of PODER Academy in Cheyenne, Wyoming; Creator/Founder of the Ricardo Flores Magón Academy / Co-Founder and Co-Board Leader and Education/Finance Expertise / Academics, School Design, School Culture, Finance, Teacher Training, Facility Expertise, Data Evaluation, and Staffing
Berenice Ornelas / Operations Assistant at the Department of Environmental Health / Secretary and Parent/Student Outreach / Parent/Student Outreach, Fundraising, and Organization
Marshall Emerson III / CEO of I CAN Schools in Cleveland, Ohio / School Design Advisor / Academics, School Design, School Culture, Finance, Teacher Training, Facility Expertise, Data Evaluation, and Staffing