Among the Nation’s Best
For 15 years, Green Dot has dedicated itself to creating positive, academically rigorous public schools for high school and middle school students in the nation’s poorest neighborhoods. We’re proud of our achievements, which others are starting to notice as well.
This year, three different publications—U.S. News & World Report, Newsweek’s The Daily Beast, and Los Angeles Magazine—honored seven different Green Dot schools as among the best, both in Los Angeles and across the country.
Nationally: Two Sets of Five
In April, U.S. News & World Report called out five Green Dot high schools as among the best in the state and country:
Venice and Jackie Robinson made their third straight appearance on the annual list, while Pat Brown and Inglewood returned to the top nationwide list for the second year in a row. All five high schools are among the top 6% of schools in the country.
Then, in August, The Daily Beast announced its own list of the best high schools in the country, and five Green Dot schools made the list: Inglewood, Leadership, and Jackie Robinson were joined by:
Both Jackie Robinson and Oscar de la Hoya were held up as “Changemakers,” a special badge of achievement, for “beating the odds and experiencing incredible academic success.”
Locally—and with Community Honors
In September, Los Angeles Magazine ranked Green Dot’s Ánimo Venice among the top 75 high schools in Los Angeles County that prepare students for college and beyond. Venice, which serves 600 students on the Westside of Los Angeles, was ranked forty-second out of 75 schools overall and fourth for all of Los Angeles County in serving the highest-need communities.
“We’re proud of our schools who ranked among America’s best,” said Cristina de Jesus, president and CEO of Green Dot Public Schools California. “Independent recognition helps reaffirm our commitment to providing our students a safe, small-school environment that continues to produce powerful results.”
But national publications aren’t the only things who like Green Dot schools. We also ranked high among our neighbors—those who live in the communities Green Dot serves. At GreatSchools.org, 12 of the 16 Green Dot schools reviewed on the site received a four- or five-out-of-five star rating.
At Green Dot, we’re proud of all our schools as they seek to make a significant difference for America’s underserved students. Today, 15 years after we began, we’ve got 11,000 students counting on us to keep up the work.
