School Governance
Establishing an honest, accountable and harmonious organism of governance for Semillas is a fundamental element of our pedagogy. All community members in the teaching/learning dialectic of our school are active participants. The comprehensive design of our school reflects a model that allows for the full participation of working people. Accountability is ensured by every child, parent, and teacher of the school through town-hall type gatherings called Asambleas Comunitarias. The Semillas governance design provides for fair and participatory school governance. We draw from traditional indigenous forms of social organization in building a collective responsibility
for school governance. Specifically, Semillas community-based governance is modeled after the indigenous Mexican political form and traditions known as the Calpulli. Indigenous governance begins with the principles of serving collective interests, assembling an informed polity, and honestly administering and executing collective decisions in practical and effective methods.
The Semillas governance model is guided by indigenous traditions, which emphasize community-based decision-making. Semillas charter schools are operated by a separate legal entity independent of the Los Angeles Unified School District, Semillas Sociedad Civil (“Semillas”), an IRS-designated 501 (c) (3) nonprofit public benefit organization incorporated on May 1, 2002. Semillas is governed in accordance with applicable California Corporations Code sections and is established to operate charter schools. As provided for in the California Corporations Code, Semillas is governed by a Council of Trustees (“Council”), whose members have a legal responsibility for the operation of the school. The purposes of the corporation are to manage, operate, guide, direct, support and promote charter schools and to encourage and support the appreciation of the cultural and intellectual heritage of Indigenous Peoples. The corporation is managed by an executive director, Marcos Aguilar, who is charged with managing nonprofit development operations as delegated by the Council.
Anahuacalmecac and Academia operate as divisions of Semillas and are governed by Community Councils, understanding that the Council of Trustees has the ultimate legal and fiduciary responsibility for the school. The Council of Trustees have assigned day-to-day administration of the charter schools to a Director of Schools, Gerardo Felix, who is charged with managing academic operations. Community stakeholders, such as charter school parents and local elders, engage charter school administrators through regular dialogue to advise and provide input in the schools’ decision-making processes called Yehcohtzintle (el Agradable Compromiso, the Good Compact)
For information about a particular meeting held by our Council of Trustees, please submit your request by calling (323) 352-3148.
for school governance. Specifically, Semillas community-based governance is modeled after the indigenous Mexican political form and traditions known as the Calpulli. Indigenous governance begins with the principles of serving collective interests, assembling an informed polity, and honestly administering and executing collective decisions in practical and effective methods.
The Semillas governance model is guided by indigenous traditions, which emphasize community-based decision-making. Semillas charter schools are operated by a separate legal entity independent of the Los Angeles Unified School District, Semillas Sociedad Civil (“Semillas”), an IRS-designated 501 (c) (3) nonprofit public benefit organization incorporated on May 1, 2002. Semillas is governed in accordance with applicable California Corporations Code sections and is established to operate charter schools. As provided for in the California Corporations Code, Semillas is governed by a Council of Trustees (“Council”), whose members have a legal responsibility for the operation of the school. The purposes of the corporation are to manage, operate, guide, direct, support and promote charter schools and to encourage and support the appreciation of the cultural and intellectual heritage of Indigenous Peoples. The corporation is managed by an executive director, Marcos Aguilar, who is charged with managing nonprofit development operations as delegated by the Council.
Anahuacalmecac and Academia operate as divisions of Semillas and are governed by Community Councils, understanding that the Council of Trustees has the ultimate legal and fiduciary responsibility for the school. The Council of Trustees have assigned day-to-day administration of the charter schools to a Director of Schools, Gerardo Felix, who is charged with managing academic operations. Community stakeholders, such as charter school parents and local elders, engage charter school administrators through regular dialogue to advise and provide input in the schools’ decision-making processes called Yehcohtzintle (el Agradable Compromiso, the Good Compact)
For information about a particular meeting held by our Council of Trustees, please submit your request by calling (323) 352-3148.