Ari Bennett

As the Principal and Chief Executive of Birmingham Community Charter High School, he is proud to be part of a staff that believes in the unlimited potential of the youth. As an Independent Charter School, all stakeholders know that they have both the opportunity and responsibility to leverage the autonomy to tailor programs and support to the unique needs of the students. To this end, they will not default to doing things the way they've always done. They will be relentless in the effort to create and refine systems that support historically neglected students, those motivated to achieve at the highest levels, and the large majority in the middle looking to be inspired and challenged. I'm so privileged to work with a faculty and support staff passionate about a collective effort to bring out the best in BCCHS students by encouraging their well-rounded development inside and outside the classroom.

The multitude of academic pathways and extracurricular experiences are a unique strength of Birmingham. Unlike many high schools today, they continue to invest in the arts with the mission to inspire students to engage in meaningful learning activities in a safe, creative, and nurturing environment. 10 different visual and performing art pathways are available to the students as they challenge them to be critical thinkers who are productive members and leaders within the community. They also have a robust career pathway program that provides students a multitude of options to explore from animation and patient care to culinary arts and graphic design. Additional learning opportunities are available in the city’s largest student body leadership program including over 35 clubs sponsored by Birmingham faculty members. This is not to be outdone by the championship athletic program that is one of the largest in CIF L.A. City Section. Academic, artistic, athletic, social-emotional, leadership, and service are all pillars of the Birmingham student experience.

Being well-rounded is the hallmark, but first and foremost, they’re an academic institution that provides a vast array of rigorous college and career preparation opportunities. The graduation rate has increased to 96.5%, while they continue to expand rigorous program offerings for the students like advanced placement, concurrent college enrollment, and most recently National Education Equity Lab classes from Stanford, Yale, and other elite universities. Aligned with this increased focus on accelerated academic courses, Birmingham's A-G University Eligibility Rate has continued to rise in parallel with the California College/Career Readiness Indicator. The most recent data available lists the University Eligibility Rate at 77.8%, 25 percentage points higher than the state average.

Still recovering from the pandemic, they are determined at Birmingham to ensure that every student feels supported and cared for. The faculty has received professional development in both the implementation of social-emotional learning activities and trauma-informed practices. They understand that the students need to feel safe and supported before they can begin to focus on their learning and academic growth. The Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) and grade level academy MTSS teams have partnered to form a deep collaboration with four Birmingham psychiatric social workers that allow them to be uniquely proactive in addressing student mental health needs.