A Note From our Directors

Welcome Back, Exploration Families!

We are thrilled to begin iLEAD Exploration’s fifth academic school year stronger than ever. Last year, iLEAD Hybrid (in which iLEAD Exploration is a program) received a five-year charter renewal, the longest allowable time frame. Additionally, our school received a six-year WASC renewal, the highest term possible. Our team continues to improve, grow and invest in this program so that all of our learners and families can benefit. Here are a few exciting updates:

• We have hired a full-time high school counselor and a part-time college advisor. Our high school team is easy to access and you may schedule appointments with our counselors at any time! If you would like to meet our high school team in person, please join us at a High School Meet and Greet in various locations. RSVP for the date that is best for you. 
• Regular town hall meetings with the Directors will be implemented in various regions. We are excited to get to know your family better while providing you with updates about our school, and we want to hear from you on ways to continue to enrich our program. Stay tuned for dates and locations near you!
• We are rolling out CTE Pathways. Career technical courses are a great way for our high school learners to gain valuable skills and work experience. 
• We are launching our very first iLEAD Exploration Washington D.C. trip in the spring of 2020 that is available to all learners in grades 7-10! 
• Our student support team is hard at work organizing our learners who need specialized support and preparing a fall student support symposium open to all iLEAD families and staff.
• Our OC Studio is booming and some grade levels have a waitlist! Come experience a day at the center and see if it’s a good fit for your child. 
• Building a strong, inclusive community is important to us. We would love to see you at one of our Back-to-School events over the next few weeks. Come join us!

You might be aware that charter schools are facing some big challenges and are under heavy scrutiny in the current climate. Rest assured we have worked diligently to ensure that our program is as flexible as it can be in providing a unique educational experience for our learners while also remaining in compliance with the state and our authorizer. Integrity is of the utmost importance to iLEAD. Here are a few ways you can continue to help our program remain a viable educational option for years to come:

• We want to hear your stories and celebrate your successes! Please email ways our charter school has positively impacted your family. You can send emails to info@ileadexploration.org. You can also share your feedback through a review on our iLEAD Exploration Facebook page. 
• We encourage all families to participate in our beginning and end of the year benchmark assessment called MAP. MAP testing can be done from anywhere, anytime. These assessments are only shared with you as a parent and your EF. We are able to measure growth over the year for our learners and provide this positive data to show that our program is successful!
• CAASPP assessments are state mandated tests given in the spring for various grade levels and subjects. We would be ever so grateful to your family if you would consider joining us at one of our many, many testing sites to participate. We have our goal set high to aim for 95% participation this year. Please help us achieve it! 

As always, we are so grateful to partner with your family to provide support throughout your independent studying journey. Whether you are a new family or have been with us for years, our goal is to exhaust every talent on our team to provide a variety of educational resources, social events and academic experiences to enable your learner(s) to thrive. Your EF is your main point of contact and will always help with information and/or connect you with the appropriate department.

We wish you a wonderful year of growing and learning together!

Sincerely,

“Leather” Lara Durrell + Heather Ferenc

Directors of iLEAD Exploration