CEO's letter

Dear Students, Parents, Educators and Civic Leaders,

When I left a career in building technology and Internet companies in the summer of 2007, I had intended to help build schools and access to education in other countries around the globe. But in researching educational issues, I was astounded to find an educational crisis in my own backyard:

• The U. S. high school drop out rate is 33%, but the drop out rate for Latinos nationwide is 50% (or above)
• The California Achievement Gap is huge: Latino/Black students score 20% to 30% at grade level in language arts vs. white or Asian students who are at 60% or above
• Latinos account for 50% of the K-12 student population in California, but only 2% of Latino Ninth graders are completing college within 6 years of starting;
• Students of color are underrepresented in the best schools, and disproportionately are taught by non-credentialed or new teachers

At ALearn, we believe:

• That every child deserves a first-rate education
• That every child can learn, and that learning can and should be fun
• That all students deserve the opportunity to go to college
• That going to college requires more support than most schools, especially public schools in California, have been able to give students of color and poverty;
• That parents, teachers, administrators and communities must provide extra support to these students so that they have the chance to succeed in college;
• That ALearn can contribute to helping more historically underrepresented students go to college

Every day we see exceptional students and exceptional schools beat the odds. Our hope is to design programs that will transform the lives of many students with historically underrepresented backgrounds by helping them choose to go to college and succeed when they get there. We hope you will join us in our mission to change the trajectory of the lives of these students of color, immigration and/or poverty by helping them be the first in their families to go to college. It is a matter of economic viability and social justice!

Sincerely,



Kathryn S. Hanson