Board Member, Aspire Public Schools Los Angeles Region

Description

Founding Board Member for Aspire Los Angeles is a volunteer opportunity.

Aspire Public Schools, Los Angeles:

Aspire Los Angeles operates eleven public charter schools spanning grades TK-12. Aspire LA serves over 4,200 scholars from historically underserved communities in Huntington Park, South Gate, and South Los Angeles. Aspire LA schools outperform local schools, offering a high-quality, free alternative for families. Aspire LA remains connected to a state-wide network of Aspire Public Schools. As the first charter management organization in California, Aspire was founded in 1998 and today collectively prepares over 15,400 TK-12 students for success in college, career, and life.

Mission & Vision:

Aspire LA’s vision is that scholars are prepared and empowered to build a fulfilling and liberated future for themselves and their communities. 

Aspire LA’s mission is to:

• Provide a rigorous, joyful academic experience that cultivates our scholars’ skills, talents, and gifts, such that they may pursue and persist in college or any post-secondary pathway that is authentic to their identities;

• Promote inclusivity and disrupt systems that have historically oppressed marginalized communities, including Black, Latino/a/x, Indigenous, and People of Color; and

• Nurture our scholars’ pride in their abilities, identities, and communities.

Aspire LA has embarked on a bold strategic plan anchored in the “4 A’s”: Anti-Racism, Academics, Agency, and Activism. These guiding principles shape how the organization learns, works, and operates. They are designed to ensure the schooling experiences of young people disrupt inequities, center marginalized voices, and establish a community of values-driven action and authentic belonging.

Founding Board of Directors:

The Aspire network includes 3 regional entities (Bay Area, Central Valley, Los Angeles), each with its own local Board of Directors. The Board of Directors is the governing body of the organization, and Directors are public officials. All Aspire Los Angeles Board meetings are subject to California Brown Act transparency requirements, and Board members must comply with the Fair Political Practices Commission requirement for annual financial disclosures. Board members will have a demonstrated commitment to the mission and vision of Aspire and experience identifying and interrupting inequitable practices in their communities and areas of influence. 

Principal Responsibilities:

Advance Antiracism and Equity

• Advance Aspire LA’s commitment to antiracism across all aspects of governance.

• Examine and interrupt inequitable systems within policies, practices, and decision-making structures.

• Elevate marginalized voices in Board deliberations and ensure decisions reflect the communities we serve.

• Ensure governance decisions, resource allocations, and outcomes advance academic excellence, scholar agency, and community-centered action.

Governance and Engagement

• Actively participate in Board and committee meetings; maintain consistent attendance (missing no more than one Board meeting per year).

• Come prepared—review materials in advance and engage meaningfully in discussion and decision-making.

• Stay informed on strategic priorities, key policies, and relevant state and national trends impacting education and Aspire LA.

Strategic Oversight and Organizational Health

• Provide strategic guidance and monitor organizational health, including academic performance and progress toward priorities.

• Partner with and advise the Executive Director on key initiatives and organizational direction.

• Review and provide feedback on performance against goals, metrics, and outcomes.

Financial Stewardship and Compliance

• Ensure strong financial oversight, including review and approval of annual budgets, quarterly financials, major contracts, and the Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP).

• Monitor fiscal health, compliance, and adherence to governance policies.

• Ensure compliance with applicable laws, including the California Nonprofit Integrity Act, the Brown Act, and other regulatory requirements.

• Disclose any potential, perceived, or actual conflicts of interest.

Executive Leadership and Accountability

• Select, support, and evaluate the Executive Director.

• Conduct an annual performance and compensation review aligned to organizational priorities and outcomes.

Ambassadorship and Resource Development

• Serve as an ambassador for Aspire LA—strengthening relationships with families, communities, and key stakeholders.

• Contribute meaningfully through financial support, fundraising, and/or leveraging time, expertise, and networks.

• Attend select Aspire events and school visits.

• Connect Aspire LA to partners, opportunities, and resources that advance our mission and impact.

Expectations and Time Commitments:  

• Board Meetings: The Board meets at least 5 times per year for Board meetings and an annual retreat. Board meetings are approximately 4 hours in length. Meetings may not begin without a quorum of Board members present. Meetings will be held in Los Angeles, CA. (California law requires Board meetings be held in the county in which the organization has the most students enrolled.) 

• Board Roles:  Serve as an officer of the Board (Chair or Vice-Chair) and/or serve as a member of a standing or ad hoc committee (i.e. Executive, Audit, Finance, Governance) as applicable. Most committee meetings take place quarterly remotely or in person.

• Supporting Events: Participate in annual school visits, events to cultivate funders or contacts, and/or to charter renewal/petition interviews, and other related events. 

• Investment in Impact: Make a personally meaningful annual investment in Aspire Los Angeles—through financial contributions, fundraising, or sharing your time and expertise—to advance equitable outcomes for our students and communities

• Board Director Recruitment: Work collaboratively with the Executive Director and Chair to identify, recruit, and develop strong Board members.

• Remain in Good Standing: Complete annual Board Brown Act training and annual required disclosures.

• Maintain confidentiality.