Founded on family values, La Paloma Academy runs a back-to-basics program of direct instruction.
“We’re old school with old school traditions,” Janes says. “We offer traditional curriculum, practice strict discipline and our students wear uniforms. Only kids who want this type of education will succeed here.”
 Raena Janes, founder and superindendent of La Paloma Academy. Photo courtesy McFadden/Gavender Advertising |
Her parents founded Grace Christian School. After 35 years the church struggled to support the school. Janes, who had taken over the preschool program, recalls enrolling a two year old with severe disabilities. “We couldn’t care for her so I began investigating grants and searching for programs to service her. I applied for a Department of Economic Security grant, the second one I had ever written, and we were funded.”
That was 2000. Janes had learned she could work with the state and win grants. That’s when she came to the realizatin she could write a charter for a new school. At that point Janes proposed changing Grace Christian to a charter school. “I didn’t want to see kids on the street or teachers out of work,” she recalls.
Janes would work with Jackie Trujillo, the school’s academic coordinator, to write the charter. La Paloma Academy opened its doors in 2002.
Janes is a Tucson native who has never left for any period of time. An administrator rather than an educator, Janes attended Grace Christian, Pima Community College and the University of Phoenix. She manages a staff of 170 at two locations.
For Janes, charter schools are as much mission as vocation. She’s president of the Advisory Board of the Arizona Charter School Association and in that role wants the public to know charter schools are tuition free — making them a choice for any student in the state. In her role at the association she wants to rectify what she sees as inequities such as a funding disparity of $2,000 per pupil between charter schools and traditional school funding.
Growing up Janes thought of being an economist or pharmacist. Instead, “I worked at the church. I saw the problems and the needs my parents were attempting to serve and they relied on me heavily. I’ve always loved kids and this work just fell into place.”
As superintendent at La Paloma Academy, Janes sees her first responsibility to her employees.
“My priority is on maintaining an organization where employees can succeed, be happy and thrive. I want an environment where people challenge themselves and challenge me — an atmosphere where it’s OK to have crazy ideas and where it’s OK to fail. Ultimately my employees know that I am every bit as committed as they are.”
To run an organization such as La Paloma Academy requires honesty and a realistic assessment of one’s performance. “I’m always thinking, refining, and evaluating myself and others. I need to be honest enough to know where I or the staff needs help or how I need to do my job differently.”
If there’s something she could be better at, Janes says it might be a slight dose of warm and fuzzy. “I’m very much a bottom-line person. I demand excellence and don’t accept excuses, and I am very good at articulating problems with precision and describing the required changes. I delegate the warm and fuzzy to my management team while I continue to work on being more encouraging.”
Bottom line: Don’t ask Janes a question if you don’t want a straight answer.
Janes is grateful for the opportunity to build something that makes a lasting difference, sharing that, “I know I am leaving a part of myself in each kid who comes here. I expect them to do greater things because they were here and make meaningful contributions to the world.”
Toward that end, students are involved with other organizations. Classes adopt projects such as Troops Overseas or The Diaper Project. They’re taught they have a responsibility to the community.
“I’m passionate about kids but the kids have their own passions,” Janes says. “We want them to know that we support them in their passions.”
The biggest challenge for Janes and La Paloma Academy has been facilities.
“I hate to turn kids away. I want more computers, more playgrounds. I want the best but because of funding restrictions I can’t always do the best,” she said. “I put every dollar I can into providing the best teachers — to be able to say that I would gladly put my own child in that classroom (which she does).”
Janes believes her approach to La Paloma Academy as a business whose product is education is unique.
“I have to make sure my employees are taken care of and the infrastructure is there to provide a good product in a safe environment. Some schools fail because they haven’t designed themselves to run like a business,” Janes said.
For anyone who might think of following in Janes’ footsteps she advises having a good public relations firm and a good attorney. “You need counsel that is both honest and demanding.”
Regarding La Paloma Academy, she wants you to know that “It’s all about providing the best education we can and having a staff that enjoys working with each other and wants the best for every student.”
Biz Factswww.lpatucson.org
La Paloma Academy
Central Campus,
2050 N. Wilmot Road
(520) 721-4205
Lakeside Campus,
8140 E. Golf Links Road
(520) 733-7373
Contact Gary Hirsch at gary.hirsch@vistage.com or (520) 225-0373 to suggest a CEO or business owner for a future “Inner-view.” Hirsch is a group chair and executive coach with Vistage International - www.vistage.com - and leads a group of CEOs, company presidents and business owners who meet monthly.
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