Ms. Maria Ozaeta, Principal
Business & Technology School

Ms. Anita Maxon, Principal
School of Arts & Culture

Mr. Tommy Welch & Mr. Hugo Carlos

Mr. Carlos and Mr. Welch's dream of offering the South Central community a model middle school is moving forward as the staff at JNLA enter the 2015-2016 school year.  However, their dream began long ago, in 2005 when Mr. Carlos was the Assistant Principal and Mr. Welch was the Coordinator at Harmony Elementary School.  Mr. Carlos and Mr. Welch began the work of writing a Public School Choice plan for the school site with a team of dedicated teachers from a local elementary school in 2010, and the school opened it's doors to serve 750 students in September 2011.  Now, Dr. Julian Nava Learning Academy serves nearly 1000 students and their families, and employs 45 of the best teachers in LAUSD.

Ms. Maxon is the principal of JNLA's School of Arts and Culture, a pilot school that emphasizes academics as the main focus, with an enhancement of studies in the Arts.  In addition to the core subject areas, students have an opportunity to take classes in band, orchestra, art, and dance.  Partnerships with organizations such as Urban Arts New York, the Music Center, the Ford Theater, and Beyond the Bell are designed to strengthen academics in the core classes, as resident artists collaborate and lesson plan with the classroom teachers. 

Ms. Ozaeta is the principal of JNLA's Business and Technology School, a pilot school which also emphasizes academics as the primary target, with additional learning opportunities in the areas of technology and business.  In addition to the core content area, several classes are offered throughout the day that expose students to computing skills, finance, business plan development, and other aspects of programming.

Together, Ms. Maxon and Ms. Ozaeta utilize a collaborative leadership style at Dr, Julian Nava Learning Academy to meet the needs of all students.  Even though the Business and Technology School and the School of Arts and Culture are two unique schools that are co-located on the same campus, the two leaders take pride in operating the school as one - JNLA.  Students, teachers, programs, facilities, and activities are shared between the two school sites, with the only distinguishing feature being the students' ties - burgundy plaid for the Business students, and navy blue plaid for the Arts students.

Please enjoy the two slide shows below to see what the previous principals were doing during the summer of 2013....

Mr. Welch travels to Boston to represent LAUSD at the Harvard Business School Public Education Leadership Program

Mr. Carlos Travels to China in Search of a Sister School