Founded in 1999
to
Transform Public Education
Our Mission
At Green Dot Public Schools, our charter schools are dedicated to transforming public education, so ALL scholars graduate prepared for college, leadership, and life.
Our Values
An unwavering belief in all students’ potential
A passion for excellence
Personal responsibility
Respect for others in the community
All stakeholders are critical in the education process
Our History
Green Dot was founded in 1999 with a mission to transform public education in historically underserved neighborhoods throughout Los Angeles. Since then, we’ve been committed to creating small, successful public schools that provide high-quality academic opportunities. We believe that public schools can do better and must provide all scholars with equitable learning experiences, regardless of zip code.
2000
We started with one 9th grade class of 140 scholars at Ánimo Leadership Charter High School in Lennox, California
2002-2006
We opened 9 more schools during this period
2008
Green Dot teams up with teachers, parents, and the community to transform Locke High School to support and transform the Watts community
2009
Ánimo Inglewood, Ánimo Pat Brown, Ánimo Leadership and Oscar De La Hoya Ánimo are named as California Distinguished Schools
2010
Our first middle school - Ánimo Jefferson Charter Middle School - opens, serving the communities of Downtown, Vernon, and Central Alameda
2011
Green Dot began operating Ánimo Legacy, formerly Henry Clay Middle School, which was once a Los Angeles Unified School District school
2012
CRESST evaluated Green Dot’s transformation of a low-performing school, Alain Leroy Locke High School and found statistically significant positive effects, including improved achievement, higher persistence rates, and increased completion of college preparatory courses for Locke scholars compared to matched peers
2014
Green Dot is awarded the Charter Schools Program (CSP) Grant by the Department of Education
2015
2018
2019
2021
Green Dot was recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as a national leader in school turnarounds
2023
2023
2024
Ánimo Ellen Ochoa Charter Middle School, Ánimo Inglewood High School, Ánimo Jackie Robinson High School, and Ánimo Leadership High School in Los Angeles are named 2024 California Distinguished Schools
What Are Public Charter Schools?
Stanford University’s Center for Research on Education Outcomes (CREDO), found that California charter public schools outperform traditional public schools. CREDO study named Green Dot California a “gap-busting” organization for delivering significantly more learning days in reading and math including: Ánimo Jackie Robinson High School, Ánimo Ralph Bunche High School, Ánimo Leadership High School, Ánimo Watts College Preparatory Academy, Oscar de la Hoya Ánimo Charter High School, Ánimo Pat Brown, Ánimo South Los Angeles Charter, Ánimo Venice Charter High School, and Ánimo Inglewood Charter High School.
