Cesar Chavez Academy Mission Statement

The mission of the Cesar Chavez Academy is to prepare a diverse cross section of Pueblo's children for success as young scholars, citizens of the world, and community leaders by providing them with an ambitious academic program in a supportive and challenging learning environment. In the spirit of Cesar Chavez, the school will focus on exceptional Scholarship, Leadership and Community Involvement. While preparing children to meet and exceed Colorado's high academic content standards, the school will also place a unique emphasis on the history, culture, and native language of Latinos. This focus will be integrated throughout the educational experience of children K-8th. The Core Knowledge curriculum, a demanding world knowledge scope and sequence system developed by E.D. Hirsch, will serve as the basis for subject area studies. The Insights curriculum and Investigations Everyday Math, developed by the National Science Foundation and the Educational Development Corporation, will supplement the Core Knowledge curriculum.
Cesar Chavez Academy will serve children grades K-8th. The school will be divided into three separate academies each with its own curriculum emphasis. The Primary Academy (k-2nd) will focus on accelerated reading using Success For All, developed by Johns Hopkins University and the development of strong writing skills using the Jon Collins Writing System. The Elementary Academy will build on the strong literacy skills through thematic units connecting all subject areas. There will also be an increased attention to demonstration of skills via research projects, portfolios, presentations and community involvement activities. Using a cohort model, the first group of middle school students will have the opportunity to stay with the same teaching staff over three years as they develop close relationships, work in small groups in the subject areas and undertake individual thesis work in science, math, English, the arts or social studies under the careful supervision of the thesis advisor. The Middle School Academy will provide the students with frequent opportunities to "Stand and Deliver" as they delve more deeply into academic subjects while honing research, writing, speaking, and leadership skills. As a requirement for middle school graduation, students will develop a portfolio, undertake a "thesis" project and demonstrate scholarly capacities through a series of presentations.