Banner

La Academia Dolores Huerta is currently looking for a Principal (full time) for the upcoming 2012/2013 school year. Negotiable start date, no later than June 1, 2012.

Interested Principal Applicants Click Here

La Academia Dolores Huerta is a dual language charter middle school (grades 6-8) serving 120 students from within the Las Cruces area. Our students learn in the languages of English and Spanish, where we alternate the instructional language by week. In addition to the core classes of Language Arts, Math, Science and Social Studies, we currently offer the following elective classes: a) PE; b) Ballet Folklorico; c) Mariachi; d) Conjunto; and e) Art. Our first school year was the 2004-2005 academic year. We completed our renewal charter during the 2008-2009 school year and we are approved by our authorizer, Las Cruces Public Schools (lcps.k12.nm.us).

Vision Statement
La Academia Dolores Huerta holds that the current and growing globalization will increasingly demand that our future leaders in all spheres and arenas possess and apply a knowledge and appreciation of the cultures and languages to which they may be exposed locally and beyond. La Academia Dolores Huerta will encourage student's development of social identity through language, cultural values, and global realities. La Academia Dolores Huerta therefore holds that its enrollment, curriculum, goals and objectives and methodologies provide its students with an education based on dual language and multicultural exposition and applications. The curriculum will be academically rigorous, relevant, and content rich to meet the needs of all students. La Academia Dolores Huerta will serve students in grades 6-8 from the greater Las Cruces area whose population is diverse, lower socioeconomic status, socially impacted and currently underserved

Mission Statement
La Academia Dolores Huerta's mission is to create an environment that enables middle school students to achieve high academic standards and personal growth through: 1) promoting multiculturalism and bilingualism; 2) nurturing diverse cultural awareness and appreciation; 3) recognizing and developing the gifts and skills of each student; 4) providing an education equal to or better than that provided by other public or private schools; 5) promoting nonviolence by emulating the principles and spirit of such leaders as Martin L. King, Cesar Chavez, and Dolores Huerta; 6) encouraging and assisting students and their parents to maximize their involvement in an interfacing relationship with the school's staff and thereby assist them to grow in self-motivation, competency, experiences, independence, knowledge and self-worth.

What is a charter school?
New Mexico Coalition of Charter Schools (www.nmccs.org) defines a charter school as the following: A charter school is a tuition-free public school established by a contract with an authorizer, which in New Mexico is either a local school district or the Public Education Commission, to provide a choice in public education for parents, students and educators. A charter school is independently designed and operated and committed to improving the academic achievement of every student, regardless of personal circumstances. Today, over 14,000 New Mexico students attend one of 82 charter schools across the state.

Who is Dolores Huerta?
Dolores Huerta was born April 10, 1930 in the mining town of Dawson, in northern New Mexico. Her father, Juan Fernandez, was a seasonal farm worker, miner, union activist and later a State Assembly man. Her parents divorced when she was three years old and her mother, Alicia Chavez, relocated the family to California's San Joaquin Valley.

In 1955 Dolores became a founding member of the Stockton Chapter of the Community Service Organization (CSO). Dolores founded the Agricultural Workers Association in 1960. Through the CSO Dolores and Cesar Chavez met. CSO battled segregation, police brutality, led voter registration drives, pushed for improved public services in Latino communities throughout the State of California. In 1962, Dolores and Cesar started the National Farm Workers Association, the predecessor to the United Farm Workers Union (UFW) headquartered in Delano.

Dolores worked with Cesar for over thirty years until his death in 1993. Together they founded the Robert Kennedy Medical Plan, The Juan De La Cruz Farm Workers Pension Fund, The Farm Workers Credit Union, the first medical and pension plans and credit union in history for farm workers, worked to end the "captive labor" Bracero Program, and improved working conditions for workers. They did much more - they gave pride and vision to generations of Chicanas/os in the quest for justice and equal opportunity through "La Causa".

In 2002 she received the Puffin Foundation/Nation Institute Award for Creative Citizenship with a $100,000 grant which she utilized to establish her long time dream, the Dolores Huerta Foundation's Organizing Institute.

The Foundation's mission is to focus on community organizing and leadership training in low-income under-represented communities.

Upcoming Events

La Academia Dolores Huerta
Middle School Principal

La Academia Dolores Huerta is currently looking for a Principal (full time) for the upcoming 2012/2013 school year. Negotiable start date, no later than June 1, 2012.

La Academia Dolores Huerta is a dual language charter middle school (grades 6-8) serving 120 students from within the Las Cruces area. Our students learn in the languages of English and Spanish, where we alternate the instructional language by week. In addition to the core classes of Language Arts, Math, Science and Social Studies, we currently offer the following elective classes: a) PE; b) Ballet Folklorico; c) Mariachi; d) Conjunto; and e) Art. Our first school year was the 2004-2005 academic year. We completed our renewal charter during the 2008-2009 school year and we are approved by our authorizer, Las Cruces Public Schools (lcps.k12.nm.us).

Vision Statement

La Academia Dolores Huerta holds that the current and growing globalization will increasingly demand that our future leaders in all spheres and arenas possess and apply a knowledge and appreciation of the cultures and languages to which they may be exposed locally and beyond. La Academia Dolores Huerta will encourage student's development of social identity through language, cultural values, and global realities. La Academia Dolores Huerta therefore holds that its enrollment, curriculum, goals and objectives and methodologies provide its students with an education based on dual language and multicultural exposition and applications. The curriculum will be academically rigorous, relevant, and content rich to meet the needs of all students. La Academia Dolores Huerta will serve students in grades 6-8 from the greater Las Cruces area whose population is diverse, lower socioeconomic status, socially impacted and currently underserved

Mission Statement

La Academia Dolores Huerta's mission is to create an environment that enables middle school students to achieve high academic standards and personal growth through: 1) promoting multiculturalism and bilingualism; 2) nurturing diverse cultural awareness and appreciation; 3) recognizing and developing the gifts and skills of each student; 4) providing an education equal to or better than that provided by other public or private schools; 5) promoting nonviolence by emulating the principles and spirit of such leaders as Martin L. King, Cesar Chavez, and Dolores Huerta; 6) encouraging and assisting students and their parents to maximize their involvement in an interfacing relationship with the school's staff and thereby assist them to grow in self-motivation, competency, experiences, independence, knowledge and self-worth.

Education Administrators Position Summary:

Plan, direct, or coordinate the academic, clerical, or auxiliary activities at La Academia Dolores Huerta.

Reports to: La Academia Dolores Huerta Governing Council

Job Responsibilities Include:

1. Coordinate outreach activities with businesses, communities, other schools, and other institutions or organizations to identify educational needs, and establish and coordinate programs.

2. Review and approve new programs or recommends modifications to existing programs.

3. Oversee curriculum choice and implementation.

4. Counsel and provide guidance to students regarding personal, academic, or behavioral problems.

5. Responsible for student/staff safety issues.

6. Conduct regular staff evaluation with feedback to individual being evaluated.

7. Recruit, hire, train and evaluate primary and supplemental staff and recommend personnel actions for programs and services.

8. Confer with parents and staff to discuss educational activities, policies, and student behavioral or learning problems.

9. Establish program philosophy plans and academic codes of ethics to maintain educational standards for student needs.

10. Write articles, manuals, and other publications and assist in the distribution of promotional literature.

11. Plan and implement all professional development for teaching staff

12. Organize and direct committees of specialists, volunteers, and staff to provide technical and advisory assistance for programs.

13. Collect and analyze survey data, regulatory information, and demographic and employment trends to forecast enrollment patterns and curriculum changes.

14. Plans, direct, and monitor instructional methods and content for educational, vocational, or student activity programs.

15. Determine scope of educational program offerings and prepares drafts of course offerings and descriptions to estimate staffing and facility requirements.

16. Evaluate programs to determine effectiveness, efficiency and utilization and to ensure activities comply with federal, state, and local regulations.

17. Report required information to the charter governing council.

18. Make sure that all state and federal regulations and requirements are being followed.

19. Coordinate and conduct recruitment activities to ensure growth in student enrollment.

20. Develop the master schedule and approves special assignments.

21. Understanding of technology in the classroom.

Minimum Qualifications:

1. Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instructional methods for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

2. Knowledge of the requirements and expectations of No Child Left Behind and New Mexico’s educational standards. Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

3. Bilingual English/Spanish, with knowledge of the structure and content of the English and Spanish languages including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

4. Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits.

5. Master’s degree from an accredited college or university.

6. New Mexico PED administrative license or proof of eligibility.

7. At least three years teaching experience prior to becoming an administrator is required. Three years previous administrative experience is preferred.

Evaluation:

Application Procedure:

Application deadline February 17th 2012 or until filled: Email to governingcouncil@academianm.org or send documents to Governing Council, 1480 N. Main, Las Cruces, NM 88001

• 1. Letter of interest for this position
• 2. Current resume or VITA
• 3. Current transcripts
• 4. Copy of New Mexico PED Administrative License or proof of eligibility
• 5. Criminal History Affidavit Form (required for finalist)
• 6. Agreement, Authorization, Waiver and Release Form
• 7. Three letters of reference written within the last twelve months (one must be from current supervisor). (If this is not appropriate due to one’s employment status, please contact Gina Trujillo at (575) 526-2984 prior to submitting your application)

NOTE: An FBI Fingerprint background check will be conducted. Continued employment will be contingent upon the results of the background check.