Meet Dr. Stefane C. Baker | Executive Director of Schools HOPE ACADEMY for Scholarship & Innovation

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dr. Stefane C. Baker and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dr. Stefane C., how does your business help the community?
HOPE ACADEMY exists because all children deserve a learning environment where they can develop personally, academically and spiritually. Our program helps the community and the world by carefully and intentionally cultivating the next generation of Chrtist-centered leaders and thinkers. We recognize that there many educational programs in the community impacting children’s lives in positive ways. We exist to provide parents and families an option designed to provide a student-inspired, academically excellent experience, in a Christian environment, powered by the Pedagogy of Confidence. Our Scholars will be invited to think, innovate, serve and lead in classroom and community as they develop in faith and identity every day. Nelson Mandela reminds us that “education is the most powerful weapon we can use the change the world”. A HOPE ACADEMY education changes the community and the world one Scholar at a time.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am extremely proud of a career in education spanning more than 30 years, that includes classroom teaching, student-centered program design, educational leadership, and strategic organizational planning. I have had the pleasure to teach, lead, learn and serve nationally and internationally, always committed to advancing equitable outcomes for children and families. I have been called to build and inform systems that expand access and opportunity for students and communities too often left at the margins of educational opportunity. It has not always been easy, but my work has always been rewarding. Any challenges I faced were overcome with a combination of faith, curiosity, deep study, a willingness to grow and change, and the “good common sense”, as my grandmother would say, to seek wise counsel. Prior to co-founding HOPE ACADEMY, I served in leadership capacities I loved, including coordinating Coaching Programs for the 21st Century California School Leadership Academy (21CSLA) at the University of California-Berkeley, directing the 5Essentials Survey at UChicago Impact, part of the Urban Education Institute at the University of Chicago, and serving as the Executive Director of the National Urban Alliance for Effective Education (NUA). I believe in the value of mission-driven work, focused on producing measurable, and sustainable outcomes that are worthy of long-term investment. At the heart of my educational leadership are three driving convictions: 1) elevate student learning, 2) cultivate collaborative cultures, and 3) fuel responsible growth through continuous improvement and wise stewardship of resources. The world should know that together with our partners and supporters, we are building something different for the children and families we serve. HOPE ACADEMY is a school whose impact will extend far beyond the classroom. We are focused on igniting a ripple effect resulting in college completion, thriving careers, community leadership, and transformational change across generations. HOPE ACADEMY is our faithful response to the question, “Is there not a cause?”. Our answer is a resounding “Yes!”

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If my bestie was visiting the area, as soon as she landed at LAX, I would take her to breakfast at The Coffee Company in Westchester. After breakfast, I would take her to the Manhattan Beach Pier to walk on The Strand, shop a little and take in the beauty of our So Cal beaches. I’m proud to live, work, and serve in Inglewood, so over the course of the week we would probably take in a movie at Cinepolis, see a show at the Forum, and depending on the season we would go cheer for the Rams at Sofi Stadium. We would definitely head to Two Hommes and enjoy all of the delicious options there. Without a doubt, I would take her to my church, Center of Hope LA, under the leadership of Lead Pastor Geremy L. Dixon, where the people are lovely, the worship is fantastic, the teaching is life changing, and where, “Closer to People – Closer to God” isn’t just something we say, it’s a way of being.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
HOPE ACADEMY is a God-inspired and directed effort. Every partnership, every conversation and every decision is a result of prayer, ordered steps, and thoughtful preparation, so first, a shout out to God for directing our path. I want to shout out my co-founder, Pastor Geremy L. Dixon, who had the vision and conviction to actively respond to the clear and deliberate attempts in society to silence and erase the stories and impact of Black, Christian culture. “Pastor G” as we call him at Center of Hope LA, is my most valued thought-partner. Shout out to my children and my extended family, who remind me everyday how important it is to lead with integrity and choose excellence. Shout out to my Curriculum & Pedagogy Council: Dr. Yvette Jackson, Dr. Angela Conti, Dr. Nicole Joseph, Dr. LaGarret King, Dr. Jabari Mahiri, Augusta Mann, and Aija Simmons, the most talented group of leaders and thinkers in specific and critically important areas of teaching, learning, and child development. I am blessed to have the honor to build with all of these folks on behalf of the children and families we serve at HOPE ACADEMY. I have to shout out, Dr. Yvette Jackson’s book, The Pedagogy of Confidence, which captures the philosophy, and the framework that powers they way we deliver instruction. It speaks to the fearless expectation that with adequate supports all children are capable of engaging in high intellectual performance.

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