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July 15, 2001
Vol. IV, Issue 8

A New Harvest for Yuma

Arizona's first charter school operators are often called pioneers. And, six years later, new charter operators still need that pioneer spirit in order
to succeed.  Debi and Mario Ybarra exemplify that spirit.  They will open Harvest Academy this fall in Yuma, Arizona.  They will do so not because it
is easy, but because they are dedicated to the vision of their school: "Harvesting the power in each individual to better themselves, their
community, and their world."

Families in north Yuma, some of them migrant farm workers, often lack basic education skills.   Debi Ybarra confronted this harsh reality when she was testing incoming students for Arizona Western College.  She and husband Mario asked themselves what they could do to make a difference for these families.  Friends, Chester and Sherry Matyjasik, founders of Southgate Charter School in Tucson, invited them to tour Southgate and see how a community-based school can provide outreach programs for all ages.  It was the organizational model the Ybarras had been looking for.  From this inspiration, they developed Harvest Academy.

In addition to reaching out to all of the children in north Yuma, Debi Ybarra says, "Harvest Academy is the first step in a journey to find creative ways to help the children of migrant workers."  It will use a
back-to-basics approach and the Core Knowledge curriculum to give all children the tools they need to be successful.  It will reach out to parents by offering evening classes and special events centered around student accomplishments.

Many migrant families travel between Yuma, Arizona and Salina, California. Educators know that such mobility is detrimental to learning.  To combat the negative effects of this mobility, the Ybarras plan to eventually duplicate Yuma's Harvest Academy in Salina.  While not all of the students will be migrants, those who are will benefit from working with the same curriculum,
textbooks, school rules, report cards, etc. as they move between sites. The duplicate schools will be the stabilizing keystone in an arch of educational services aimed at personal and community development.

Like all pioneers, the Ybarra's and Harvest Academy must first find a homestead.  Land and facilities remain a major obstacle for all charter
operators. Harvest Academy's chosen clientele locks them into a particular region with limited site options.  And, time constraints are forcing them to
lease a temporary site in order to open in September.

Meanwhile, like an old fashioned community coming together to raise a barn for a neighbor, friends have donated what they can, including: temporary office space, childcare, and community contacts. The Ybarras are hiring teachers, ordering textbooks, enrolling students, learning about Arizona's Open Meeting Law, finalizing policies for employees and board members, writing grants, and establishing California connections.  Additionally they are finding new and creative ways to reach out to a population for whom
English is not usually a first language.  They are working with the local Spanish language radio and television stations and have placed a billboard
ad in the downtown area.

Like America's early pioneers, charter school operators have a personal understanding of the modern jargon, "twenty-four-seven."   They know
survival requires constant alertness to obstacles and opportunities while moving forward toward the vision.


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The Bellwether is a bi-monthly newsletter written by Cuyler Reid. We welcome your comments and suggestions: bellwether@cmbe.org
Goldwater Institute http://www.goldwaterinstitute.org
Center for Market-Based Education http://www.azschoolchoice.org