View Park Preparatory showcases award‑winning arts sequences and apprenticeships

Sharron Owens Lincoln, chief of schools for ISAF Public Schools, and View Park Preparatory High School staff told LAUSD’s Charter Schools Committee that arts instruction is central to the school’s academic and social‑emotional program and highlighted an award for exemplary arts education.

"At View Park High School our arts programming is intentionally designed as an advancing sequence — beginning, intermediate and advanced coursework across film, digital music production and theater," Owens Lincoln said. She introduced student performances and said the program aims to develop technical expertise alongside confidence and critical thinking.

Dr. Nichole Stamps, vice president of student services, described classroom practice that uses culturally relevant pedagogy and said students study the history of hip‑hop and learn to analyze and craft musical and film narratives. "We chose this clip because you see the student use evidence to talk about his… opinion and defend the feedback that he gave to his classmates," Stamps said while introducing a student work sample.

Jed Fish, the school’s performing arts coordinator, discussed the drama and production pathway, partnerships with professional theaters and the LA Opera, and student outcomes: monologue competition wins, regional awards and frequent performances on professional stages. Jamie Hategui, director of arts, said the school recently signed a linkage agreement with the Handy Foundation to formalize a pre‑apprenticeship program and received state pre‑apprenticeship recognition to support film editing and production workshops.

Students delivered monologues and short filmed pieces during the presentation; committee members praised the performances and asked about career pathways, access for students without prior arts experience, and how schools scale such programs. Presenters said the pathway model allows students to enter at multiple points and highlighted vocal and technical coaching from partners.

The school said it aims to expand visual‑arts and graphic‑design elements to strengthen connections across media pathways and to continue formalizing pre‑apprenticeship pathways that can lead into industry placements or college programs.

Next steps: presenters offered to continue conversations with board members about feeder‑school skill needs and said workshops and partnership programs will continue over the summer.