For Stefanie Baker, education is about more than teaching students academics.
Born and raised in LA, Baker started her career teaching adults in the early 90s. She soon realized she could make a greater impact serving children.
“While I was teaching adult school, I had a student tell me that he would’ve had more opportunities if he had learned what I was teaching in third grade. So, I began teaching third grade,” Baker said.
That experience and revelation combined with the desire to develop a faith-based curriculum are what led Baker down the road to co-founding Hope Academy LA in Inglewood, which opened in August at the Center of Hope Church LA.
The academy currently has eight students enrolled in the first and second grade along with seven staff members and four volunteers on campus. Baker said student enrollment will be capped at 10 this inaugural school year, but they plan to eventually serve students from kindergarten through eighth grade.
The curriculum is designed to make the Christian faith a central part of students’ education while also supporting academic achievement, preparation for the future job market and enriching their cultural heritage as Black students.
“When we think about the way the world is changing, we understood that there was an assignment to create a space where children could learn about who they are in Christ as children of God,” Baker told The LA Local. “And also honor the history, the present and future of Black people in this country and around the world.”
Hope Academy opened its doors just as the nearby Inglewood Unified School District prepares to exit state control next year with intentions to rebuild its reputation and student population. Baker said their school is not competing with the district for students, but views the district as an ally and a potential partner.
“What we are trying to do is just be another option, be another member of the community,” Baker said. “We recognize, as a private school, that our support does come from the local education agency, which is Inglewood Unified.”
The history behind Hope Academy
Pastor Geremy Dixon, who co-founded Hope Academy with Baker, leads the Center of Hope Church LA, formerly known as First Church of God until 1996.
Dixon has a long history with the Center of Hope and its quest to become a vessel for Christian education. Dixon became senior pastor at Center of Hope in 2012 — the church his father, Gregory Dixon, served as senior pastor until his death that same year.
“My father closed the former school with the intention of reimagining it, but he wasn’t able to do that before he died,” Dixon said.
Re-establishing a Chrisian school at the church was his father’s dream, Dixon said, and having a school with a faith-based curriculum in an urban environment is now a reality at Center of Hope.
“While we’re not a school exclusively for Black children, we want to teach our children Black history and for them to grow up with morals and values and how to understand the world around them,” Dixon said.
Hope Academy isn’t the first school to be housed at the church. First Church of God Christian School opened in 1972 by former Pastor Benjamin Reid. It closed in the late 2000s after parents began enrolling their children in charter schools that didn’t charge tuition, Baker said.
Hope Academy offers a multi-age curriculum, co-founder says
Baker said the academy offers a multi-age curriculum, aiming to reach students where they are academically.
She explained that students who test above grade level can be taught the curriculum that matches their level of assessment. Students who don’t meet grade level benchmarks, will receive the appropriate curriculum to help them meet those standards regardless of their grade level as they continue their education
With a $12,000 annual tuition fee, Baker said Hope Academy LA is subsidizing tuition this year through fundraising and grants and plans to continue providing financial assistance to families.
The school also throws events outside the classroom, hosting a golf tournament and a winter jazz festival in the church garden with plans to host the Innovation Awards, a fundraiser and celebration of those impacting the community.
As far as personnel, Hope Academy’s staff and volunteers have extensive backgrounds in education, including Baker who is not only executive director but also teaches the curriculum temporarily as they prepare to hire a full-time instructor.
Janice Yorksmith, a church member and classroom volunteer with 40 years of teaching experience, told The LA Local her son attended First Church of God Christian School years ago and she saw the value of giving him a formal Christian education.
She said volunteering at Hope Academy now gives her the freedom to be herself and use her skills as a retired educator.
“I wasn’t able to mention religion or pray when I taught school,” Yorksmith said. “It’s been awesome to be able to work with Dr. Baker and take all of the experiences that I had with LAUSD and bring them with me here. It’s an honor.”
