Freshman Andrew Moldonado, 13, asks English teacher Maryem Irias a question during class at the Los Angeles International Charter High School in Hermon. The explosive growth of charter schools has challenged the status quo in the L.A. Unified School District. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)
During lunch, senior Vincent Sarnelli, 17, plays the guitar for Violet Highley and Anne Marie Reyes at Los Angeles International Charter High School. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)
Student Kaitlyn Hernandez, 16, jokes around during lunch at Los Angeles International Charter High School. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)
Science teacher Kevin Bice, 32, encourages a student during class at Los Angeles International Charter High School There are more than 160 charter schools in Los Angeles, and enrollment is up nearly 19% this year from last. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)
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Students at Synergy Charter Academy jump rope before school. The charter will move from small quarters in a church to spacious modern classrooms in the fall. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)
Students in Rene Roberson’s fourth-grade class get the word to start packing up at Synergy, where everything must be stored away so the church can use the room over the weekend. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)
Roberson squeezes in one more lesson before her students leave for the day. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)
Every Friday, Synergy students pack away their school, a high-performing elementary campus in Historic South-Central. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)
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Students play football at Lakeview Charter Academy, one of L.A. Unified’s highest-performing middle schools. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)
Lakeview students Luchina Corona, Adam Cortez, Francisco Ramirez and Tatianna Diaz compete to answer math questions. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)
Benjamin Alatorre and Latiara Williams, both 11, vie to be called on to answer a math question in Alexandra Aceves’ class. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)
Algebra I teacher Christine Almasi goes over a problem on the board at Lakeview Charter Academy in Lake View Terrace. The school relies on young inexperienced teachers who have strong support and high expectations. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)
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A hand flies up in Almasi’s Algebra class. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)
