La Tijera K-8 Academy of Excellence Charter School Home

Dear La Tijera TK-8 Academy of Excellence Community,

Welcome back, families! We are excited to begin this new school year together and deeply value your partnership. This year, we will focus on supporting every student’s achievement, encouraging strong attendance, enrichment opportunities, and promoting wellness both inside and outside of the classroom. We will also guide our students in making positive choices that help them grow as learners and individuals. Parent engagement is a vital part of this journey, and together, we can ensure that every child has a successful and rewarding year.

Dr. James Morris began his career in education forty-three years ago as a teacher and has served a principal, an assistant superintendent, Chief of Staff, Chief Operating Officer, and a variety of other administrative positions. After serving for thirty years in the Los Angeles Unified School District, he was selected as the Superintendent of the Fremont Unified School District where he served for 7 years. After retirement, he continued to serve in a variety of administrative roles. In January 2023, he accepted a position as County Administrator of the Inglewood Unified School District and is committed to helping the district exit receivership.

Bernadette Lucas has been an educator for over 28 years. She came to education through Teach For America (1991). She has most recently served as the Director of Technology for Beverly Hills Unified School District. She served in the Los Angeles Unified School District for 23 years as a Teacher, Title I Coordinator, Advisor and Assistant Director for a teacher credentialing program, Assistant Principal, Principal, Mentor Principal, and Director of Technology. She also teaches in the School Leadership Program at California State University, Dominguez Hills.

Dr. Brian Coffey has been an educator in the Inglewood Unified School District since 1997. In 2003 he was awarded the Bill Ellis Teaching Award from the National Center for Learning Disabilities for excellence in practice and a commitment to students with learning and attention issues. In 2008, he earned a Doctor of Education Degree from USC’s Rossier School of Education, with a focus on Teacher Education. Dr. Coffey served as Principal of Kelso Elementary School from 2012-2019, and helped convert Beulah Payne Elementary to Payne P-8 STEAM Academy during his tenure as the school's Principal from 2019-2023.

Mr. Bhatta has extensive experience in California school finance and has played a critical role in maintaining the district's fiscal stability through comprehensive budget development, multi-year financial projections, collective bargaining cost analyses, cash flow forecasting, and ongoing monitoring of restricted and unrestricted funding sources. He has led numerous fiscal initiatives, including budget certification, audit coordination, financial recovery efforts, implementation of new financial management systems, and the development of long-range fiscal sustainability plans.

Dr. Ugema Hosea has dedicated more than three decades to serving the students, families, and community of the Inglewood Unified School District. Beginning her career in IUSD in 1994 as an elementary educator, she has served in numerous instructional and administrative leadership roles, including teacher, program coordinator, assistant principal, principal, executive director, and district-level leader. Her commitment to educational excellence has been recognized through numerous honors, including IUSD Teacher of the Year and multiple IUSD Principal of the Year awards.

Dr. McGhee was elected in April 2013 to serve Seat 2. She won a new term in the at-large general election on April 4, 2017. She has spent her adult life working with parents and children, beginning her career as a Head Start preschool teacher. An author of four children’s books, Dr. McGhee has served as a multi-cultural literacy coach and as a behavior specialist, advising and educating parents with special needs children. She has served as a motivational speaker for parents, teachers, and students and remains active in several school systems as a community organizer and educator. She has developed innovative programs for parents focused on reading and travel; established mock court programs as a deterrent to gang violence; and started English and Spanish as a Second Language classes in the community. Dr. McGhee spent ten years as a director of the United Negro College Fund, which provides scholarships for students to attend Historically Black Colleges and Universities. She is the married mother of two adult sons and the founder of the Khocolate Keepsakes Children’s Literacy Museum. Dr. McGhee holds a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education, a master’s degree in psychology, and a doctorate degree in pre-perinatal psychology.

Mr. Brandon George Myers was elected in November 2020 to serve Seat 3. A native of Connecticut, Mr. Myers was born in the city of Hartford where he spent his childhood. Mr. Myers attended Norfolk State University, a historically black university, graduating with a B.A. in English/Theatre Performance.

As a longtime Inglewood resident, he has more than 8 years of education experience in addition to over 14 years of experience working with children and families. Shortly after he moved to Los Angeles, he began working at a nonprofit, Vista Del Mar Child and Family Services, as a Child and Family Specialist where he remained for 5 years serving as an advocate for foster children within various communities. As a result of his love for the people and the betterment of the city in which they reside, Mr. Myers became a Mayoral candidate for the city of Inglewood in November 2018. In early 2020, Mr. Myers founded and served as President of the Inglewood South Bay Democratic Club. Through the years, Mr. Myers has been determined to eradicate economic disparities and inequalities that plague our communities. Mr. Myers was recently married in September of 2019.

Margaret Evans was re-elected in November 2024 to serve Seat 4. A longtime Inglewood resident, she has more than 30 years of education experience, including 13 years as an administrator, and has worked as a senior advisor and teacher. Mrs. Evans received a four-year scholarship to Lane College in Jackson, Tenn., graduating with a B.S. Degree in Business Education. Shortly afterward, she moved to Los Angeles and began working at CBS Radio scheduling commercials. After a year, she was promoted to personnel assistant at CBS TV where she remained for two years coordinating benefits for all employees. She answered the call to education in January 1974 when an opening for a long-term substitute became available at a friend’s school within LAUSD.

Joyce L Randall was elected in November 2022 to serve the Inglewood Unified School District on Seat 1. As a lifelong Inglewood resident she is looking forward to serving with a deep sense of humility. With over 31 years of experience in the field of education she has served as a teacher, mentor teacher, and a STEAM Magnet School Coordinator. She has served as Inglewood Council of PTAs’ President, President of La Tijera School PTA, and Inglewood Teachers’ Association's Grievance Chair. She has served multiple years and continues to serve as a National Education Association Delegate. She served as Director of Education at a megachurch, and as a Trustee on the same Church’s School Board of Education.

Mr. Castillo is a proud son of Inglewood, a product of Inglewood Unified School District (IUSD), and a lifelong advocate for equity, opportunity, and progress. Born and raised in Inglewood, he made history as the youngest person and first Latino elected to the Inglewood School Board. A graduate of IUSD himself, he understands firsthand the power of a strong public education system and has dedicated his career to ensuring that every student in Inglewood receives the same opportunities to thrive. His commitment to public service has taken him from Washington, D.C., where he worked for Congressman Tony Cárdenas on federal policies to uplift underserved communities, to the California State Senate, where he worked for Majority Leader Lena A. Gonzalez and was instrumental in coordinating large-scale food distribution efforts and vaccine clinics in the hardest-hit areas of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Patrick Cruse, a senior at City Honors International Preparatory School, serves as the Inglewood Unified School District Student Board Member, representing thousands of students across the District at the Board of Education. As a voice for the next generation, Patrick brings extensive experience in educational leadership and policy, serving as a statewide Director of Educational Policy with the California Association of Student Councils representing 6 million students. Under his leadership, he champions student voice, advances meaningful engagement, and ensures that student perspectives help shape the future of education across IUSD and beyond.

LaTijera 8th grader Jaice Bent is fighting for a better future! His teacher describes him as an exceptional student whose curiosity, work ethic, and positive attitude consistently set him apart from his peers. Jaice aspires to become a professional boxer, but would also like to become a software engineer that builds computers and computer programs. His dream colleges are Yale, Harvard, or Stanford, where he wants to study engineering. Jaice has been boxing since age 3 and has been trained by his father who is a former boxer and professional trainer. Jaice has participated in boxing tournaments since age 7, and is currently undefeated in his weight category (junior lightweight)! Jaice says that being able to protect his future wife and family motivates him to become a boxer, not only the fame and fortune that can come with a successful boxing career.