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Mango Becomes "No Excuses University" in Commitment to Prepare Students for College
Although the application process was a fairly simple one, being accepted by Turn Around Schools as an NEU was no sure thing. Not all schools that apply are accepted, and not all schools that are accepted are invited to remain in the NEU network if they fail to hold up the standards. According to Damen Lopez, Founder of NEU, "Only the boldest and most passionate schools are accepted into the NEU Network of Schools." Mango Elementary School would definitely fall into that category. When Mrs. Najarro told the Board how Mango got started in the program, she said, "It was easy, all we had to do was transform our attitude and my team of seven teachers that went to "Turn Around Schools" with me did that easily for me. They came back and it just spread through our entire school and entire staff, 'this is the commitment, this is what we want to do.'" Mrs. Najarro explained some of the steps the staff took to begin the transformation in the school: "We changed our language. We have bulletin boards and every student has a pennant with a school and the year they are graduating from college. They were all exposed to college vocabulary, from the simplest word 'college' in kindergarten, all the way up through fifth grade. We have mentors and mentees and they all discuss where they are going to college and why." Because studies show that post-secondary education is a key to success, students are prepared to think in terms of attending college. Goals for attending college are put in writing and future occupations are discussed. Goals and symbolism play a large part of the NEU culture. This symbolism is seen in the college flags and banners hung on every door, felt through the class partnerships forged between classrooms and universities, and heard in the college chants that exist at each grade level. Said Mrs. Najarro, "That's why we adopt universities and universities adopt us. We have about eight classes that have been adopted by universities, nationwide. Mrs. Gonzalez's 4th grade class is the first one to be adopted and they were adopted by my alma mater, Lehigh University in Pennsylvania. We've also had classes adopted by Berkley, Cal State Long Beach, the University of Arizona." College is part of the daily language at Mango and an expectation of what will occur after high school. "Why college? Here's the simplest reason, $40,000 a year vs. $13,000 a year for a college graduate. The graduation rate for Hispanics in California is 58% and for Blacks it is 53%," continued Mrs. Najarro. "It's a greater value to society and that's what we are committed to do."
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At the June 3, 2009 Board
Meeting, Principal Sara Najarro proudly announced that her school, Mango
Elementary, is one of 50 schools across the nation that has been accepted into
the No Excuses University (NEU) network. These schools actively promote a
comprehensive model of college readiness to all students the moment they begin
elementary school. Said Mrs. Najarro, "To be an NEU is to create a culture
of universal achievement and that means doing whatever it takes to prepare students to go
to college. Our philosophy as a NEU at Mango is that all students deserve the
opportunity to be prepared to go to college, if they choose to do so, and it our
responsibility to make this happen."