LPS- Changes Over the Years
Leadership Public Schools in East San Jose (or LPS) has seen and felt changes ever since the school opened back in 2004. Since the school has opened in 2004 it has had its increase in students. LPS has also moved from place to place, initially located next to Mount Pleasant High School. After a year at that site, LPS moved next to Piedmont High School. LPS was there for two years and then it relocated again to its present day location which is next to Overfelt High school. The chart to the right shows how our school has increased in population. According to Mr. Smith, our Dean of Academics, our school’s population will increase next year to about 400 (the year 2009-2010).
This increase in student population has both positive and negative aspects. Here at our location next to Overfelt, there are only 24 classrooms available and not all of the rooms are used to teach an academic subject. Right now, there are about 20 to 25 students per class. In some classes there are even less, but that all depends on the subject that is being taught. If there is another increase in student body, then the class rooms will be packed, and it would be really hard for a teacher to be able to pay attention to every student in the classroom.
At the same time, if student population increases in the next school year, it would be a good thing in the sense that there would be a larger variety of students, each with their own stories and personal backgrounds. When I asked a Sophomore Ranfis Villatoro if he likes the current class sizes, he answered, “It is alright, it isn’t too crowded and you get more room to move around. There is also more space to get your work done; then the teachers pay more attention to you, and you are able to get more work done.”
However, the good thing about being at a small school is that you are able to get more attention from a teacher. You can get along better with your teachers, and the teachers here are actually your friends. At a smaller school, you get to know everyone and are able to find out which students are like you. I was able to ask Mr. Truong what he liked about teaching in a small school and he answered: “You get to know all the teachers and become close friends with them outside of school.” He also said, “You get to come up with unique lesson plans, new and improved ones. You get to know all of the students by first names and it feels like a family.” By what Mr. Truong said, it is easy to tell that he feels very comfortable teaching here.
Another change that has happened at LPS are the teachers and staff. Since it is my second year at LPS, I have seen teachers come and go. Six teachers that were here last year are no longer here. According to Mr. Smith, there were about 20 teachers at LPS last year and this year there are 22 teachers. The other teachers each left for their own reasons, possibly pursuing another dream they had.
It really affects the students and teachers as well because the more time you spend at this school, the more you are able to build up relationships with your teachers. Mr. Truong said, “Its a shame that we lose good talent each year….” The teachers become your friends. You expect to see your teachers the following year, but some don’t come back. After the whole year you spent getting used to the teacher and how they run the class, now you have to adjust to the new teachers and their rules. With new teachers coming and going from LPS, it gives a bad view for the school. Teachers leaving LPS can mean a few things. They didn’t enjoy teaching here, the pay here wasn’t what they expected, or that they were moving on to bigger and better things.
This school year started off really differently than any before because we had a large increase in student population and a lot of new teachers and staff. The new staff members this year are about 15 new teachers and staff members here at LPS. Each new staff member has something new to offer and some new knowledge that can help the students. With the teachers’ extensive knowledge of the real world, they can help out the students and each other with whatever they need help with. With the increase in population, there could be a lot of of problems. With more people, the school gets a bit more crowded. The lunch line is longer and not everyone gets along well with the new students and teachers.
For the past two years that I have been here at LPS East San Jose, I have also seen students come and go. Each year there are new faces in the crowd, and some students decide to go to other schools. Some kids go to other schools because this school doesn’t offer all of the sports that other schools do. Other school have classes that specialize in what the student wants to be when he or she grows up. A lot of kids stay at this school for a lot of reasons. A lot of students like the attention that they get from their teachers.
Some of the students come here to LPS to better themselves and earn the remaining credits that they need in order to graduate. Others come because there feel that students get more personal attention. The teacher is able to help each student more due to the small nature of the LPS environment. I believe that students coming to this school have a greater chance of graduating from high school because the teachers and staff members are always on our students’ case about our grades and other school related topics. The average class is from 20-25 students, and in some classes there are even less. Over at Overfelt, the classes range from 30-40 and some have even more.
LPS East San Jose offers a lot of things that other high schools don’t. LPS has a freshmen field trip the first three days of school, and they take every new incoming student on a trip to Stanford University. This gives each student a feeling of being away from home, and it is kind of like a college experience. Everyone that is able to go on the trip gets an amazing experience. They get to meet new people and start to learn to be on their own. LPS offers a lot of things that aren’t offered anywhere else. LPS has its signature Week Without Walls field trips, when teachers design their own field trips and the students get to choose where they want to go.
I truly believe that coming to LPS has helped me out a lot. I was able to meet some new people and I was able to get to know a lot of very different people. The teachers here at LPS have been really nice to me and have been very helpful. When I need help or have a question, they are here to help me. When I ask Mr. Truong for help with my Geometry work he helps me out and makes sure I understand the material. This is true for every teacher, they are here to help you.
I am really glad that I was able to come to this school, and since it is my last year here, I want to make it my best year at LPS. I am really going to miss this school, the teachers, my friends, and all of the people that helped me out throughout the years. I would recommend this school to everyone who wants to be in a friendly environment and learn a lot from the people here.
I was able to go and get an interview from an ex-LPS student (my brother, Irving Herrera) who went to LPS for his Freshman and Sophomore year. When the asked what he thought about LPS during the time that he attended the school, he answered: “I really enjoyed my two years at LPS. I got a lot of support from everyone and I am really thankful that I was able to get along well with my friends, teachers and other staff members. With all of the help and support I got from them, (and a lot of hard work from my part) I was able to get a full Scholarship to Bellarmine College Prep for my junior year. I had a 4.0 at LPS, but when I went to Bellarmine, I had a lot of trouble adjusting to the workload and higher standard of education. I am thankful, because if I wouldn’t of come to LPS for my first two years of High School, then I would of never gotten the opportunity to go to Bellarmine.”
Overall, LPS East San Jose is a very good and coming here is one of the best decisions that you could make. We are LPS San Jose and we are going to college. Hurah!!!
admin @ March 4, 2009