LEEP Dual Language Academy

LEEP Dual Language Academy Charter School is a high-performing, culturally responsive, dual language school for a diverse community. At LEEP Dual Language Academy Charter School, every student will become biliterate and bilingual in Spanish and English by fifth grade.

Our first free public charter school will open in a private facility within the richly diverse Sunset Park neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York in Fall 2019. We'll begin with grades K and 1 in school year 2019-20 and gradually expand to at least K-5.

In our "two-way 90:10 immersion" model, students are immersed in the Spanish language for 90% of the school day in kindergarten, balancing out to 50% Spanish and 50% English by grade 4. Each class uses methods from the latest research and the experience of the nation's top dual language schools. You can find more information on our Dual Dozen Best Practices here.

Additionally, our students experience a "pedagogy of cariño" in which they are personally known, supported, and challenged by caring adults. Each student will also practice essential relationship skills and character virtues, growing into una persona completa.

We model this through our seven core values:

1. Valentía/Courage: We believe a high-fidelity, whole- school dual language program is worth the effort, planning, and discipline required to create it.
2. Ganas/Urgency: If we want all of our students to thrive academically, economically, and as participants in American civil society, we believe they deserve a knowledge-rich education without delay.
3. Cariño/Caring: We believe that when students experience a rigorous school as a place where they belong, they can thrive.
4. Empeño/Determined Effort: We believe in helping teachers treat every student as a gifted learner with vast potential and never as a “pobrecito (poor little thing).”
5. Confianza/Trust: We believe that instruction, behavior management, culture-building, and family engagement are all more effective when school leaders and staff work on them as a team.
6. Crecimiento/Growth: We believe that every adult should constantly work to make concrete improvements in his or her practice and help others do the same.
7. Respeto/Respect: We believe in empowering all parents to help their children as directly as possible.

LEEP Dual Language Academy Charter School is a project of Latino Educational Equity Partnerships (LEEP), a tax-exempt nonprofit organization.

LEEP Dual Language Academy Charter School is committed to a policy of equal treatment for all individuals applying for employment. LEEP Dual Language Academy Charter School does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, sex, gender, sexual orientation, pregnancy, national background, religion/belief, marital status, caregiver status, veteran status, disability, age, political party, or salary history.