EAGLES Academy

{{Infobox school

| name = EAGLES Academy

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| established = 1992

| closed = 2004

| type = Public high school

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| affiliations = Los Angeles Unified School District

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| principal = Jerry B. Battey

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| founder = Jerry B. Battey

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| enrollment = 35 students (1999)[http://d-nb.info/1000635996 Entry] in the OPAC of the Deutsche Nationalbibliothek, retrieved on Jue 8th, 2018.

| grades_label =

| grades = 7–12

| streetaddress = 7060 Hollywood Blvd.

| city = Hollywood, Los Angeles

| state = California 90028

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| country = United States

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| campus = Urban

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EAGLES Academy Central High School (also known as EAGLES Academy Hollywood and EAGLES Center) was a public high school located in Hollywood, Los Angeles, with the target group of but not limited to gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender young people, as well as those questioning their sexuality and educational dropouts. It was founded and opened in 1992 along with the "Educational Options" program by the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD); it closed down in 2004. It was the first public high school designed for LGBT youth from grade 7 onwards in the United States.

History

EAGLES Academy Central High School was a public high school run by the department of "Educational Options" of the LAUSD, also known as EAGLES Academy Hollywood and EAGLES Center.[https://lausd.scriborder.com/startOrderSchool/CA/Los%20Angeles%20Unified%20School%20District/EAGLES%20ACADEMY%20%20%20HOLLYWOOD Entry] on the LAUSD website. Retrieved June 8, 2018.[http://www.qrd.org/qrd/youth/1996/eagles.center.expands-03.23.96 archived] press release "EAGLES Center expands services – sets sights on South Bay" of March 23, 1996. Retrieved June 9, 2018. EAGLES is an acronym from "Emphasizing Adolescent Gay Lesbian Education Services."Lisa Meyer: "Hostile Classrooms – The state of hate." In: The Advocate, No. 33, April 13, 1999. Pages 33–35. The target group of this school was gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender students, as well as those questioning their sexuality and educational dropouts,[https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-01-10-mn-10423-story.html Article] "COLUMN ONE – Gay Rights Fight Moves on Campus – Activists on both sides have targeted high schools in battles over curriculum and support groups. Some celebrate a new boldness, others say values are best taught at home." by Tammerlin Drummond and Bettina Boxall, January 10, 1994, in the Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 9, 2018. but being a high school run by the state, it was also open for straight students. The mission statement was A safe place for youth to receive their education.David Campos: Sex, Youth, and Sex Education: A Reference Handbook. Contemporary Education Issues, 2002. Page 167. {{ISBN|978-1576077764}}.United States Congress: The Congressional Record. Proceedings and Debates of the United States Congress., Section "Gay And Lesbian Victories in the Los Angeles Unified School District" ["EAGLES Center"], page 25145, Washington, D.C., United States Government Publishing Office, 1994.

The school was supervised by Ruben Zacarias, in that time period LAUSD's superintendent of schools in charge, Elizabeth Newman, the options administrator, and Sunshine S. Sepulveda, an educational advisor to LAUSD. Founder and principal of the school was Jerry B. Battey, an English teacher, from 1992 to 2004.

In 1996, the school had two campuses, one in Hollywood and a branch located in the South Bay area of Los Angeles.

In 1999, eleven teachers worked at EAGLES.

In the same year, there were also one full-time and four part-time volunteer school counselors.

The school was closed in the summer of 2004 due to financial shortages by the LAUSD. Although there was a tax-exempt organization called "Friends of EAGLES Center – Los Angeles, Inc." for raising money and commodity contributions,[http://www.oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/c8ws8vhm/ Entry] at the Online Archive of California for the Marjorie Rushforth Papers, Coll2013.042, executive board member of "Friends of EAGLES Center-Los Angeles, Inc.". Retrieved June 10, 2018. it was impossible to keep the school alive based only on donations.

Student body and activities

EAGLES Center started in 1992 with twelve students.Betty Berzon: Positively Gay: New Approaches to Gay and Lesbian Life, page 283, Celestial Arts, 1992. {{ISBN|978-0890876763}}. Later in 1992, 35 students were enrolled at EAGLES.[https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-01-10-mn-10438-story.html Article] "Teens Find a Haven in L. A. Program – Education: For gay students who have been harassed or isolated in regular schools, EAGLES Center offers an alternative to dropping out." by Tammerlin Drummond and Bettina Boxall, January 10, 1994, in the Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 10, 2018.

EAGLES Center initiated the first prom for LGBT students for the school, open for students from other high schools in the school district. It was advertised in the media as an open invitation for the first prom of its kind in the nation. On May 20, 1994, it took place in the Los Angeles Hilton hotel. A group of protesters can be seen in the documentary film that was made about it.

At the first graduation ceremony held in Plummer Park in West Hollywood in 1994, six seniors received their diplomas.Chris Freeman, James J. Berg: Love, West Hollywood: Reflections of Los Angeles, page 299, Alyson Books, 2008. {{ISBN|978-1593500559}}.

Curriculum and external support

The curriculum followed the Carnegie Unit and Student Hour system with 45-minute units in core subjects like English, science, social studies, and mathematics plus German and Spanish as second languages.

A long-term collaboration between EAGLES and the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) patronized several graduates to develop their talents like Marc Imme to become an actor, later known for the role of "Luke" in Ryan's Life (2004),[https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1845313/ Entry] for Marc Imme at the IMDb. Retrieved June 8, 2018. and Miguel Lopez, the playwright of Mariposas (2001), a play for children.Norma Bowles, Mark E. Rosenthal: Cootie Shots: Theatrical Inoculations Against Bigotry for Kids, Parents, and Teachers.Plays, Poems & Songs. Pages 153, 154, 156. Theatre Communications Group, 2001. {{ISBN|978-1559361842}}.

In statewide comparisons, the students of EAGLE reached in the Junior to Senior ratings of 1998 (known as the "Stanford 9 Assessment tests") six stars.[http://articles.latimes.com/1998/jul/14/local/me-3685/5 Article]{{dead link|date=September 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} "THE 'STANFORD 9' ASSESSMENT TESTS – L.A. Unified Report Card – How did your school do on the statewide tests?" (Junior-Senior High Eagles Center Hollywood) in the Los Angeles Times of July 14, 1998. Retrieved June 9, 2018.

Criticism

In 2001, some students graduated from EAGLES Academy without fulfilling all requirements.[https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-jul-27-me-27203-story.html 'Graduates' Honored at a Dubious Exercise] in the Los Angeles Times, July 27, 2001, by Duke Helfand. Retrieved June 8, 2018.

Media

EAGLES Center: Live to Tell: The First Gay and Lesbian Prom in America, a film by Charley Lang, VHS videocassette, color, 24 minutes, The Cinema Guild, New York City, 1995.School Library Journal, SLJ, Volume 42, Issues 1–6, page 150, R.R. Bowker Company, Xerox Company, 1996.[http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/mrcvault/videographies/live-tell-first-gay-and-lesbian-prom-america Entry] in the catalog of the library of the University of California, Berkeley. Retrieved June 10, 2018.