Alain Locke Charter School was born out of the work of the Inner-City Teaching Corps founded by Pat Ryan, Jr., a former West Side teacher and police officer. The school was founded on the belief that, given an excellent education, every child can learn.
Alain Locke Charter School opened in September 1999 with pre-kindergarten through first grade and has grown a grade each year through eighth grade. Our first eighth grade class graduated in June 2007. Located in East Garfield Park on Chicago's West Side, our students are 99% African-American and 1% Latino. More than 80% of our students are eligible for free or reduced lunch.
Our motto, "We Model Absolute Excellence," refers to our commitment -- in every aspect of our program and community -- to the highest levels of achievement. Alain Locke has the #1 test score gains in Illinois history.
Our investment in our students does not end at graduation but continues with support through high school and beyond. We look forward to extending that support as our graduates reach, attend and graduate from college. Our goal is to graduate college bound students with the tools to be globally competitive.
