Back to School

Although my internship is coming to an end, a new school year is just about to start at Green Dot! Eighteen schools will welcome new students, families, and teachers over the next few weeks, marking the 10th school year since Green Dot was founded by Steve Barr. This morning, all Green Dot staff and teachers – close to 700 people – gathered downtown to celebrate the successes of the previous years and look forward to the challenges that remain for the students we serve. And perform cheers and step routines to show which Animo has the most spirit (yes, that would be the principals and teachers on stage – not a student in sight).

Even amid funding cuts and political turmoil at all levels, Green Dotters have persisted in thinking strategically about the future of the organization and committing to the success of all students. The goal my project this summer has been to research and identify the key metrics that demonstrate the organization’s progress towards achieving its strategic goals. After several rounds of interviews, workshops, and discussions, we are ready to present a slate of metrics for a management dashboard to the executive leadership a Green Dot.

It’s been a great project for learning how a charter management organization works and how all the moving parts of the mission are demonstrated on a day-to-day basis. Another highlight of the summer was having lunch with the other Education Pioneers interns and Steve Barr. We asked him about his vision for growth, discussions with Arne Duncan (US Secretary of Education, and how the Dodgers are going to make it to the World Series this year.
This internship has been a great professional and personal learning experience for me. I look forward to making my final presentation and wrapping up my work, and keeping in touch with the Dotters I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know this summer.

To get a taste of Green Dot’s work in Los Angeles, check out the SoCal Connected series on Locke High School.