About Aurum Prep

Through rigorous instruction and positive character education, Aurum Preparatory Academy Charter School (“Aurum Prep”) educates all of its students, grades 6 – 8, to succeed in high school, college, and life and to serve as the next generation of moral leaders. All students deserve a quality education regardless of race, gender, socio-economic status, and/or zip code. At Aurum Preparatory Academy Charter School (“Aurum Prep”), each of our students will receive a quality education that will prepare them for success in college and career. We know from numerous examples of high achieving schools in the communities of Oakland and around the country that all students can achieve at high levels when provided with the proper structure, strong instruction, and clear guidance. We will provide our students with a rigorous middle school education rooted in expanding their literacy and mathematics skills, and in full alignment with rigorous national standards as adopted by the State of California. At Aurum Prep, we foster character development through our GOLD values: Growth, Optimism, Leadership, and Designing. For students to determine their own life’s trajectory, they must have a foundation that prepares them to (a) excel in high school, college, and life and (b) become moral leaders in their communities and in our world. We must have high expectations and clear structures, all provided within a culture of joy for learning, working hard, and honoring our students’ fullest potential.

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In 1903, W.E.B. Dubois supported the idea of the “Talented Tenth,” articulating that advancement for black people would ultimately be possible through the attainment of a rigorous education by a few. In a more fully democratic country, in which we push for the advancement of all people, and in an intellectually-based modern economy, in which advanced education provides the fullest access to life’s opportunities, we believe that rigorous education for the few is now insufficient.  At Aurum Prep, we recognize that a rigorous education is the means by which all students can and must develop the foundation necessary to be caring, competent, fully-informed, critical thinkers prepared for college, career, and community success. We are responding to the demand in and interest from the communities of deep East Oakland in which local families, struggling with poverty and a lack of resources, have had little access to transformative public schools that allow their children to harness their fullest dreams and potential, and instead have continued access to the public schools in which students are chronically underperforming, as measured by California State Assessments and local graduation rates.

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For Aurum Prep to accomplish its mission and for all young people in Oakland to have access to the fullest promise of our democracy, we believe that the following elements are needed.

1. A rigorous and engaging academic program. We believe that ALL of the students in Oakland can reach high levels of academic success. We will ensure that our rigorous, standards-based curriculum is engaging through our commitment to design thinking, culturally responsive pedagogy, and restorative justice practices.

2. Relentlessly high expectations and support for all stakeholders. We do not believe that socioeconomic status is the determinant of a students’ ability to achieve academically or their ability to be moral leaders. We will be relentless in the pursuit of excellence and will go above and beyond in providing support in order to achieve our mission.

3. Development of character and identity. At Aurum Prep we recognize that character development can’t be divorced from the development of identity. We explicitly teach, honor, and celebrate demonstration of our GOLD values, supporting students and releasing autonomy as they mature over time.

4. Involved and engaged families and community partners. We value the assets in the Oakland community and the critical role they play in shaping the school. We communicate with families frequently and proactively in support of the dreams they have for their children and we work together to realize those dreams.

5. A professional environment that nurtures continuous growth and excellence. Our staff will possess strong content knowledge, a hunger to continuously grow, an ability to graciously receive feedback and implement it with fidelity, and an unyielding optimism about and unwavering belief in our students’ abilities.