[VIDEO] 3…2…1…Blast off Rocketship Concord!

by Kevin Bronk, Editor, Beyond

On Thursday, June 18, parent leaders filed a charter petition with the Mt. Diablo Unified School District to open a new Rocketship school in Concord’s Monument Corridor. This school would be our first in the district, and comes after extensive advocacy and relationship building in the community with parents and local organizations.

“My 4 year old son starts school next year. As a mother of two, I want the best education and support for my children,” said Cindy Navarro, a Concord parent.

“I know firsthand from volunteering in the classroom that there are kids that are in need of extra support to ensure their success. After visiting a Rocketship school, I had a chance to experience the inspirational and supportive environment in the schools, not to mention the instruction that caters to the learning styles and unique places that each child is at. I want my children to succeed, and Rocketship brings a great option to parents and families here in Concord for an excellent education.”

While over 75% of students in Contra Costa County are on grade level, seven out of ten students in the Monument Corridor are behind grade level. Only 15% of Latino students in the county graduate high school having completed the requisite coursework needed to gain acceptance into a UC university. This means of the 606 Latino students who graduated in 2013, only 91 were college ready.

With a proven track record of success in San Jose, Rocketship is striving to break this cycle with the introduction of a high performing, public charter elementary school in the Monument Corridor in 2016 to eliminate the achievement gap.

“We’re incredibly excited to build a new school in the Monument Corridor,” said David Kuizenga, Vice President of Rocketship in the Bay Area. “We’ve been working with the Concord community and local parents to learn about the needs of their students, and how Rocketship can best serve them. We are optimistic about our partnerships in the community and the progress we can make together to eliminate the achievement gap in the Monument Corridor.”

“We proudly support the introduction of quality education choices for the families and children in the Monument Corridor,” said Alex Chavez, Chair of the Central County Regional Group sponsored by First Five Contra Costa.

“We’re excited to learn more about the opportunities Rocketship will offer the students and families in the community.”

We are aiming to open our new elementary school in the Monument Corridor in fall of 2016.

Kevin works on the Rocketship Network Support Team as the resident Rocketship story-teller. He is the Editor of Beyond. He is a former Special Education teacher in San Jose, with experience teaching in both traditional public and Rocketship schools. He earned a BA in Journalism and Digital Arts from the University of Oregon. A current Bay Area resident, Kevin is passionate about education, story-telling and creative exploration. 

Published on June 22, 2015