By Beatriz Gutierrez

When it comes to education there are a multitude of factors at play in delivering a quality educational experience to our children. As the new Executive Director of the Soleil Academy Charter School in Lynwood, I know community support of our students is paramount to their academic success.

Our kids are challenged with external forces more than ever before including family matters, peer and social issues, technology usage and personal development taking their focus away from their studies.

Therefore, it is important for students to have a support mechanism to steer them back onto the pathway to graduation and a fulfilling academic career.

Communities that value education help establish safer neighborhoods and are better informed and better-connected as citizens. High performing schools also add value to area properties making the community more desirable to live-in, attracting new businesses and community members.

In fact, a recent poll by the Public Policy Institute of California indicates that California voters rank education as a top priority in this year’s governor’s race. This makes it clear that Californians have education as a top-of-mind issue.

To keep our promise of a better future to our kids, we must invest, in a personal manner, to help motivate their learning process – whether through volunteering at a local school, serving on a school committee or board, or donating in-kind services or supplies to a teacher or classroom – every little bit helps students in their efforts.

Our goal as teachers, administrators, family and community members should be to have every child graduate from high school - a 100 percent graduation rate. This is ambitious and not without its challenges. How we can support this goal is through daily actions that show kids what hard-work, diligence and determination can do to improve their lives.

As an educator with over 10-years of service in the classroom and as an administrator, I have chosen to engage students directly, so they can reach their full potential academically and in their personal goals.

As a former Lynwood Unified School District student myself, it always made me happy to see parents assisting the teaching staff and administrators in the classroom, volunteering at school functions and serving as mentors. As an administrator of a newly opened community public school, I encourage parents and members of the community to learn more about Soleil Academy and every other school in the area to see how you can become a driving force for positive change in a young person’s life.

As we rally together we can create bonds of support bringing knowledge to our students and making education a primary focus – creating a win-win for all.

Beatriz Gutierrez is an educator who attended the Lynwood Unified School District as a child and later was accepted to become a Corps Member with Teach for America and a Fellow with Building Excellent Schools. She currently serves as the executive director of the Soleil Academy Charter, a public school open to all students.