The school’s Innovation Plan is the product of many years of thoughtful conversation around the idea of starting a bilingual high school in Boston. Two members of the school’s Innovation Committee, Meg Campbell and Diana Lam, were parents of students in the Rafael Hernández School several years ago. Meg, who was chair of the school’s parent council, recalls frequent conversation with other families about the need for a continued pathway for Hernández graduates. Many years later, after establishing and running other public schools, Meg and Diana returned to the idea of creating an in-district bilingual high school in Boston when the innovation process was announced. Both educators approached Margarita Muñiz, the leader of Boston’s premier bilingual K-8 school, with the idea of establishing an aligned high school. Muñiz gauged faculty, family, and community interest, which she found to be strong, and consequently joined the planning group. In the fall of 2010, The group formed the Margarita Muñiz Academy Innovation Committee and guided the development and planning process through the Boston Public School Committee’s vote of endorsement in November, 2011.
The Margarita Muñiz Academy is founded on the strength of solid partnerships among educators as well as support from local foundations interested in supporting a vision for education steeped in innovation, the arts, and college-ready opportunities for our high school youth. Our Board of Trustees serves as important sources of field-based knowledge and experience in the areas of dual-language learning, the arts, and innovation. Our Board guides our vision, mission, and strategic planning.
