HISTORY

UNO Charter Schools

With the power and experience to enact widespread change, we opened our first charter school, located at two sites in Greater Tri-Taylor and Little Village, in 1998.

UNO believed then, as it still does, that schools are the “vehicle” in communities that can drive the dreams of opportunities and success, and makes them come true for the children of local families and generations to come.

Originally managed and operated by another organization, UNO’s first charter school – Octavio Paz – was failing until UNO assumed full responsibility and took over day-to-day operations in 2000. By 2003, Octavio Paz had reversed its decline in test scores and currently achieves some of the highest test scores among Chicago’s charter schools.

Today, UNO manages eight charter schools in Chicago and one in New Orleans, making it the second-largest charter holder and the largest direct-service charter school management firm in Illinois, as well as one of the nation’s largest Hispanic-based charter managers. By the 2016-2017 school year, UNO expects to operate 19 schools and educate and serve more than 6,200 students and their families to close a widening gap in the public school system’s ability to serve the Hispanic community.

UNO’S EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY

UNO’s mission is to fulfill the promise of public education by proving that all children can achieve academic success, regardless of their income level or ethnicity. UNO chooses to open enrollment at its schools at full capacity from the first day of school, with full classes in grades K-8.

UNO’s approach challenges charter school “best practices” and demonstrates that all children can learn while building a culture of high academic expectations for younger students. With a “no excuses” approach to public education, the UNO educational philosophy has a 10-year record of success that emphasizes:

Effective management is as important to educating children as curriculum and facilities.

The entire school community of parents, students, administrators, staff and teachers is held to high expectations based on what is possible in education, not simply public education. UNO’s goal is for students to achieve 1.5 years of learning during each year in UNO schools, clearly an accelerated rate. This is accomplished through regular assessment of student skills and ensuring that curriculum is employed that meets student learning needs.

UNO believes that everyone involved in the education of children are learners. UNO’s organizational structure serves to support and challenge our school staff and parents toward enhanced performance. Strong emphasis is placed on professional development and parent engagement.

Parental involvement programs create and sustain a vital link between home and school through frequent communication, school-sponsored family activities, and an emphasis on accountability. UNO’s policies and programs are designed to engage parents by strengthening the connection between home and school, parent and teacher.

UNO challenges students and their families through rigorous curriculum and a deep respect for the learning process; a tough discipline code; high levels of parent engagement; intensive Structured English Immersion; and high expectations for students, teachers and parents. Students and teachers are required to wear uniforms while on school grounds and each is expected to maintain a structured and disciplined learning environment.

UNO seeks to redefine the culture of public education, especially in urban settings among Hispanic and African-American students. Too often, inner-city schools are satisfied attaining the low standards that many administrators and society have set for them.

To change this scenario, UNO maintains structured learning environments focused on clear goals and standards. This philosophy applies not only to students, but to all faculty and staff, all of whom are held to the highest levels of performance and accountability.

At UNO charter schools academic success is not a hope, it is an expectation.